William Saletan

About the author: William Saletan is a senior writer for Slate, an online publication, and a contributing writer to Mother Jones.

In the debates over human cloning and embryo research, many abortion opponents have reflexively opposed cloning research, while pro-choice activists have supported it. However, a closer examination of cloning reveals that both sides may find themselves in awkward positions when applying the reasoning behind their respective abortion positions to cloning.

Earlier this year [1998], when the Senate debated his bill to ban human cloning, Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) was given 20 seconds to summarize the issue. "Science has given us partial-birth abortions and Dr. Kevorkian's assisted suicide," he declared. "We should say no to these scientific advances and no to the cloning of human embryos."

The next day, a bioethicist testified at a House committee...