Who Holds Cards On Stem-Cell Vote?

By Josh Tyrangiel

President Bush has been doing his best Hamlet over the question of federal funding for stem-cell research. (Karl Rove told Representatives this week that the decision is "no less important than a decision to commit troops to war.") But the President's is not the only decision that matters. Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico realizes that his choice could be just as pivotal. Domenici is respected on both sides of the aisle, and given that he is an antiabortion Roman Catholic, his support of Senator Bill Frist's compromise--which allows funding for research under a few restrictions--may give that proposal a jolt of moral authority that could flush out the five votes still needed to get past a presidential veto. On Friday a top Domenici aide said the Senator was "on his own timetable" for a decision.

--Reported by Matthew Cooper and Douglas Waller/Washington

With reporting by Matthew Cooper and Douglas Waller/Washington