text: Democrat Emerges As Major Stem Cell Patron (AP) AP - Over three decades, Bob Klein amassed a fortune by building and financing low-income housing. After his 14-year-old son was diagnosed with diabetes in 2001, however, he redirected his considerable political clout and business savvy. The longtime Democrat has since become one of the biggest private patrons of human embryonic stem cell research  #151; medical technology that many scientists believe can someday cure a wide range of ailments, including diabetes.