I was born and grew up in the Midwest, but subsequently studied both on the East and West coasts. I therefore know firsthand that there is a strong impression on both coasts that the middle of the country is an intellectual void.
If a TV sitcom takes place in either L.A. or New York, and the writers want to introduce a character that is a well-meaning yokel, they often put a T-shirt on him with “Wisconsin” printed on the front to establish his character. It has been a great source of pride to me that the publicity surrounding human embryonic stem cells and its universal association with Wisconsin has helped to remove that T-shirt. Please be absolutely clear: Any legislation that impacts basic science that is more restrictive than current federal legislation will only help put that T-shirt back on.
Office of Strategic Communication