On Friday Hillary Rodham Clinton was joined by ten-year-old Alex Walter with Type 1diabetes and Laura Clark paralyzed since a car crash three years ago.

Together they appealed at a meeting in New Hampshire for more funds for stem cell research, a move resisted by President Bush.

Steve Walter, father of Alex, said he is a registered Republican but supports Clinton because he is frustrated with the Bush administration's stance on stem cell research. His son has endured 10 to 12 blood tests a day and about 100 insulin injections a month since being diagnosed at age 4.

"This is not a religious issue," he said. "It's really about a little boy who's 10 years old, and another 100 million Americans who could benefit from this research."

Laura Clark’s mother, Kathleen, also a Republican, said her daughter's experience has been life-shattering for the family. But she also made a practical appeal, noting the billions spent on people with chronic spinal cord injuries. Even modest advances through stem cell research — allowing quadriplegics to regain the use of their hands — would lead to a significant savings in health care costs, she said.

Clinton said the administration's position was part of its general contempt for science and disregard of evidence in favor of ideology.