Last year, activists eager to oust Senator Rick Santorum quickly dismissed concerns about Bob Casey’s troubling stance on stem cell research. Those activists, including some here Keystone Politics, now may have to eat crow as the House’s stem cell research bill is considered by the Senate.

The bill passed overwhelmingly in the U.S. House of Representatives by a margin of 253-174 and is also expected to pass the Senate, just as it did in 2006.

Last year, President Bush vetoed the equivalent of the current Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. Today, Senate leaders say they have 66 votes lined up to override a presidential veto on the issue; 67 are needed for a successful override.

Senator Casey, a “pro-life” Democrat, holds the key to expanding opportunities in this vital frontier of medical research. By ostensibly protecting the possibility of life held in embryonic stem cells, Senator Casey damages millions of actual lives across the country.

We’re not hopeful that Senator Casey will change his vote on stem cell research, but it’s time to start taking a hard look at how Pennsylvania’s junior senator will be representing us over the next six years. On issues of grave importance, Casey may embody the separation between progress and dogmatism.

Those of us who voted for Casey yet believe in progress shouldn’t take this lying down. But we should also acknowledge that in our attempt to rid ourselves of a demagogue, we settled for a less-than-perfect candidate. In doing so we may often find true progress getting the short end of the stick.