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On "nonpartisan" organizations

By Lawrence B. Ebert, Esq.

The californiastemcellreport noted of the proposed NIH guidelines on stem cells:

Citing the ?perverse effect? of proposed NIH stem cell research rules, the Consumer Watchdog group today [20 May 09] called for changes in the guidelines along the lines recommended by the California stem cell agency and the Interstate Alliance on Stem Cell Research.

The press release of Consumer Watchdog contains the assertion: Consumer Watchdog, formerly the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights is a nonprofit, nonpartisan orgainzation with offices in Washington, DC and Santa Monica, CA.

In a post on californiastemcellreport from 29 Oct 08:

In the case of John M. Simpson, stem cell project director for Consumer Watchdog of Santa Monica, Ca., he takes two weeks vacation and goes to work in the Obama campaign in Missouri, one of the battleground states in this year's historic presidential election.

(...)

We asked Simpson why he is taking his vacation time to work the long and arduous hours involved in the final stage of a presidential campaign.

He said the election is pivotal, a time to unite the country and move away from "Republican rule that is dominated by the interests of big business."

California seemed to be comfortably in the Obama camp. So Simpson volunteered for out-of-state work. He attended a two-day "Camp Obama" training session in October. They put him in touch with the folks in Missouri.

In addition to scrounging up bunks for volunteers, Simpson is setting up speaking engagements for Obama surrogates, lugging furniture and sweeping floors. "No job too big, no job too small" is Simpson's credo. He reported, however, that he can't keep up with the 20-something, paid staffers who put in 20 hour days. He said he can only do 12 hours.

Separately, one remembers Simpson's ill-fated challenge to the WARF stem cell patents, wherein the references he and PubPat brought up were found by the patent office not enabled and the submitted declarations conclusionary. The assertion of "nonpartisan" would seem to be conclusionary too.

Full post as published by IPBiz on May 23, 2009 (boomark / email).