Squaring off on stem cell research--and not moving: Missouri senators focus on politics, not science.

Inviting two Missouri state senators to argue over early stem cell research before an audience of NCEW conventioneers was a good idea. An even better one, though, might have been to have them talk mainly about how one of them, Chris Koster, had jumped parties in the midst of their state's polarizing debate on stem cell research, an issue that may never been resolved in Missouri. That seemed to be what they really wanted to talk about.

Considering that the convention theme was "Reuniting America," these young lawyers might have offered helpful insight into what happens on either side of the partisan divide when a legislator decides to make a personal stand for bipartisanship by shucking the R behind his name and tacking on a D.

Research proponent Koster said his decision to bolt was largely driven by his impatience with the brittleness of the GOP's social conservatives, but some Missouri pundits say the switch more than anything was meant to help clear his intended path to leadership of the state Attorney General's Office.

Koster described the decision as "painful" and a result of his inability to demonstrate the "political purity" his former party required. Considering, however, that he finds his most vigorous backing among organized labor, trial lawyers and the "research communities" including the stem-cell research communities, the decision seemed inevitable.

As he put it, "I think I was the last to know I was a Democrat."

Reinforcing the reunification theme, GOP Senator Matt Bartle, a dogged opponent of early stem cell research regardless of its merits, made it clear to the crowd of mostly out-of-state opinionists that he doesn't hold Koster's party disloyalty against him. Nor have their opposite views on the stem cell debate interfered with their friendship and lunches, Bartle offered, warmly.

While both men have passed the bar, Bartle has the air of a preacher while Koster seems more the prosecutor. They seemed to be of similar minds in their discomfort with some elements of the GOP, though not the same elements. Koster said he decided he wanted no more of the anti-choice agenda driven by conservative groups at the party's edge, while Bartle indicated that his personal quarrel is with the "business elite" within GOP ranks, commercial interests that would like to have the social conservatives pipe down to make the party more attractive to a larger share of the population.

Koster and Bartle had much to say about the politics surrounding their stem-cell disagreement but opted not to go into the fine points, or even most of the coarser points, of the philosophical divide, a blessing, perhaps, considering the potential for predictability.

Not enough time, Bartle indicated. Familiar ground, Koster suggested.

Together, they demonstrated as convincingly as politicians can that there might not be much common ground to be found on this topic. At least not in Missouri.

Royal Calkins is editorial page editor of the The Herald in Monterey, California.. Email: rcalkins@ montereyherald.com