Catholic Tom Barrett: Embryonic stem cell research is "the Lord's work"

Below is a debate between Scott Walker and Tom Barrett from October 15, 2010, during the 2010 race for governor. The debate was held at Marquette University and moderated by Mike Gousha, a Milwaukee-area news anchor.

It's interesting to re-watch; you can see how some of the issues played out -- stabilizing property taxes, education funding as a sacred cow, cutting taxes for small business owners to encourage growth, government employees contributing to their pensions, and so on. It's a civil debate, but gosh, I hate politics like this. And Barrett is annoying as all get-out.

Below the debate is queued to 59:50 for the question about funding/encouraging stem cell research at UW-Madison. In response to the question, Barrett states:

I support stem cell research. I support embryonic stem cell research. That's where the difference lies [you got that right!] I believe that this research is breathtaking in its potential. I was in Madison recently, and I was at the Weisman Center, and I met a woman who's doing research on chromosomal damage to infants, maybe it's before they're even born. And the impact it has on learning, particularly for the boys. And I listened to this woman, and I thought two things. I thought, This woman is a lot smarter than I am; and second, I thought, this woman is doing the Lord's work. She's using these embryonic stem cells and she's gonna improve the quality of life for these kids. 

He continues but you get the point. [And the audience looks really angry at this point, LOL!]

Barrett, a practicing Catholic, refers to embryonic stem cell research as "the Lord's work."