Prior to September 11, the single most defining moment of the Bush administration could be traced to his August 9th speech on the topic of federal funding for work on stem cells taken from human embryos.  Embroiled in this policy decision were not only the hotly contested areas of abortion and cloning, but also more fundamental debates about the meaning of citizenship, personal responsibility, and the public good.  This talk will trace some of the political debates that have animated the repeated policy struggles over federal involvement in embryo research since the late 1970s and discuss prospects for public consensus.