GOP Support for New START: "Counting the Chickens" Posted by The Editors

When all 42 Republican Senators signed a letter to oppose any legislation other than tax cuts and stopgap spending measures, they purposefully excluded the New START treaty from this list, signaling a willingness to bring it to a vote.  “All we’re trying to do is prioritize,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. Corker noted the letter deliberately excluded reference to blocking action on ratification of the New START treaty, which he said means Republicans are open to Reid bringing the treaty to the floor.

A growing number of Republicans signaled this week that they’ll likely join Sen. Lugar (R-IN) in supporting New START, which has the full backing of our military leadership.  Republican Senators Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Olympia J. Snowe of Maine and Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina have joined the senior senator from Arizona, John McCain as well as Bob Corker of Tennessee, George V. Voinovich of Ohio and Mark Kirk of Illinois—in voicing support of New START.  This is all a good sign, to say the least. 

According to the Washington Post, earlier today, Sen. Graham said that he was "pleased with the way things are moving" with the treaty but that Republicans wanted a thorough debate on the pact before voting on it.

“There's growing belief among Republicans that to do the treaty sooner rather than later would be beneficial, if you had enough time to debate it” and consider amendments to the resolution of ratification, said Graham.

Last week on Meet the Press, Sen. Kyl suggested it would take two weeks of floor time, though he couldn’t quite explain how he arrived at that timeframe, nor could he detail why this treaty would take longer than the last two strategic arms control agreements.  After all, two weeks of floor time for a treaty that has been so thoroughly vetted is absurd — in 1992, it took five days of floor time for the Senate to approve START I.  In 2003, the Senate approved the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT) after just two days of floor debate.

But the Cable confirmed today that, “Senate sources say the deal is imminent and would result in bringing the treaty, known as New START, to the Senate floor on Dec. 13, which could provide up to two weeks of floor time to debate and then ratify the pact.” 

In what looked like a bold repudiation of the treaty, another GOP letter was circulated today – this one from senators who have already voiced decidedly negative opinions and displayed a general unwillingness to heed the advice of our most respected military and national security leaders.  In a completely unsurprising move, 22 Republican senators wrote to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to say that “It would be unwise and improper to do this in a hurried fashion over the course of only a few days.” Notice they did not say that they would oppose the treaty. 

The real significance here, though, is that 20 Republican Senators did not sign this letter, which only highlights the growing level of support among conservatives for ratifying the treaty this year.  Apparently, the Heritage Foundation—which launched a political lobbying campaign to try and defeat the treaty—  noticed this, too.

Heritage blasted Republicans, Jon Kyl in particular for “striking a deal to trade passage of the dangerous New START treaty for an extension of the current tax rates.”  Written by its President, Ed Fuelner, Heritage warns, “If Senate Republicans continue down this path, they will lose the goodwill of conservatives around the country and justify the skepticism of the American people.”

Heritage seems to conveniently gloss over the fact that the most respected members of the Republican establishment empathically support this treaty.  Our military leadership unanimously supports it; an overwhelming number national security leaders- from both sides of the aisle- have urged the Senate to ratify the treaty.  Conservative commentators have called out members of their own party. Editorial boards across the country have slammed the senators who are attempting to delay ratification.  And last, but certainly not least:  The American public wants this treaty.  CBS released a poll today that confirms, a whopping 82 percent of those polled support the New START.  Even among conservatives, support for the treaty is strong, with nearly three-fourths saying they supported the treaty.  

It looks like slowly but surely, this reality is sinking in.

As Hilary Clinton advised today, “I'm not counting the chickens until they vote.”  But like Sen. Lugar has observed, “I think when it finally comes down to it, we have sufficient number or senators who do have a sense of our national security. This is the time, this is the priority. Do it."

Comments

[UGG Knightsbridge]

Very much agree with this view!

[replica handbags]

I have searched this information for a long time.

[Jesse D.]

I simply do not understand these Senator's opposition to the treaty. My best guess is that they have so defined their role as legislators as being in opposition to the Democrats that they find it hard to see anything put forward by them as in the nation's interest. However, when all authoritative sources support an action it seems like they would reconsider their reasons for opposition. Perhaps their commitment to American Exceptionalism has made them hostile to the rest of the world, or is it just Russia. Perhaps they're till set inside a Cold War orientation towards Russia on nuclear issues. But the treaties during the Cold War were generally considered mutually beneficial. Do they not trust the military leaders because they're "establishment elitist experts"? That still doesn't seem right. I can't believe they are that stubborn. To reiterate, I just do not understand these Senator's opposition to the treaty.

[karen millen dresses]

I have searched this information for a long time.

[pandora]

Despite the financial crisis blowing, but there are still some markets is not too much affected. Top jewelry in China is so, the "jewels of the Emperor”---- pandora is lucky. For the upcoming Father's Day’s gift, a lot of luxury fashion brands have launched a special commemorative jewelry. pandora chain and palladium-plated silver finish and the shape of purses hanging beetles, silver palladium finish, ivory white paint are so simple extravagance true work.
In addition to jewelry, the pandora bracelets pay more attention to the quality of the mother to create a comprehensive living atmosphere. In celebration of the festive atmosphere, the Pandora celebrates the coming festival; select Pandora designed gifts for fathers.

[ugg boots clearance]

I am sure, too, My Lady. Safe as a coyote among chickens. If ever he'd made a right decision, it had been his escape to Middle California. To think that Paul Naismith and the others had the manor to themselves - it was a wonder the Jonques had not overrun this land long ago. The thought almost kindled his suspicions. But then the prospect of what he could do here overwhelmed all. There was no reason he should have to leave with his loot. Wili Wachendon, weak as he was, could probably be ruler here - if he was clever enough during the next few weeks. At the very least he would be rich forever. If Naismith were the jefe, and if Wili were to be his apprentice, then in essence he was being adopted by the manor lord. That happened occasionally in Los Angeles. Even the richest families were cursed with sterility. Such families often sought an appropriate heir. The adopted one was usually high-born, an orphan of another family, perhaps the survivor of a vendetta. But there were not many children to go around, especially in the old days. Wili knew of at least one case where the oldsters adopted from the Basin - not a black child, of course, but still a boy from a peasant family. Such was the stuff of dreams; Wili could scarcely believe that it was being offered to him. If he played his cards right, he would eventually own all of this-and without having to steal a single thing, or risk torture and execution! It was unnaturalugg boots clearance. But if these people were crazy, he would certainly do what he could to profit by it.

[Kissemmee Package holidays]

Perhaps their commitment to American Exceptionalism has made them hostile to the rest of the world, or is it just Russia. Perhaps they're till set inside a Cold War orientation towards Russia on nuclear issues.

[Account Deleted]

ugg boots clearance On my Egypt Air flight yesterday to Cairo, I witnessed one of the more intriguing in-flight exchanges that I can remember. A bearded, well-dressed man sitting a few seats behind me began shouting at the flight attendant. He was complaining that the in-flight movie was inappropriate. What are these “offensive images?” he asked. These included a 15-minute stretch of the movie where at least one woman at any given time was wearing a bikini. In a couple of scenes at a club, members of opposite sexes were dancing in close proximity while, it appeared, consuming alcoholic beverages. “Are we really all Westernized now?” the man behind me asked,ugg boots clearance as if posing a question to those of us in the back of the plane.

The man’s arguments were rather interesting. He pointed out that if you took a poll of the passengers,ugg boots outlet most would agree the film was morally offensive. He asked the attendant, “if we ask the passengers what they think and they agree with me, then what will you do?” The attendant responded, “we don’t take public opinion (ra’i al ‘am) on the airplane.” The man was right: most passengers, and most Egyptians – the vast majority of whom don’t drink, go to clubs, or wear bikinis – would object to the film’s content. But at what point do they have the right to restrict minority expressions of unfaithfulness?ugg boots clearance

It was an odd, amusing exchange that justified the otherwise unpleasant experience of flying on EgyptAir.ugg boots clearance But it was a reminder of the fundamental lack of consensus in the Arab world over the boundaries and limits of the state. There are two groups – Islamists and secular elites – with worldviews which couldn’t be more different. They live parallel lives in parallel worlds, with parallel institutions. They rarely intersect.ugg boots clearance One group believes it has both history and the Egyptian people on its side. The other side, considerably smaller in number, likely has neither. It does, however, have the power.

This stalemate has paralyzed the Arab world for decades now.ugg boots outlet

Sunday’s elections will be just another version of this.ugg boots clearance The main players are the Muslim Brotherhood – populist, religious, and righteous – and the regime coalition which, with its president soon to pass, finds itself in an uncertain place. Both sides are strong in different ways – and weak in others. Neither seems to have anything resembling a coherent strategy for dealing with the impending transition that is soon to come.

ugg boots clearance

[JESSICA BIEL dresses]

So cool cloth, besides it you can find another dresses, for example JESSICA BIEL dresses ， katherine heigl dresses and Carolina Bang Style dress.

[escort bayan]

I do not know English very well, but the web content and topics on your site, I am writing Googlede Minogue by making very, very nice wish you continued success