Obama to Push Nuke Treaty in Lame-Duck Session
- Posted on November 14, 2010 at 5:23pm by
Meredith Jessup
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As President Barack Obama gets back to business in Washington after his jaunt across Asia — a trip of mixed results — he reportedly promised Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Suday that getting the Senate to ratify the START nuclear weapons treaty will now be a “top priority” of the Obama White House. Fox News reports:
“I reiterated my commitment to getting the START treaty done during the lame-duck session,” Obama said, noting that Congress returns next week for its postelection session.
In talks with Medvedev on the sidelines of the summit of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Obama also reiterated his support for bringing Russia into the World Trade Organization, calling Russia “an excellent partner.”
Before the GOP brings their new recruits to Washington for the new legislative session that convenes in January, Obama will have a lame-duck session to tackle the START treaty and other contentious issues, including the extension of Bush-era tax cuts.
“We think the START treaty is important for what it does as an arms control treaty, but we also think that symbolically for this to linger on would begin to bleed into other aspects of U.S.-Russian relations,” a senior administration official told The Wall Street Journal, describing the “full-court press under way right now” in the Senate.
The START treaty, which has been pending in the Senate for months,would reduce the limit on strategic warheads to 1,550 for each country from the current ceiling of 2,200. It also would set up new procedures to allow both countries to inspect each other’s arsenals to verify compliance.
The treaty has drawn growing resistance, mostly from congressional Republicans. According to the Associated Press, the White House plans to add $4.1 billion in funding for the U.S. nuclear arsenal to the proposal, hoping to draw enough GOP support to pass the treaty through the Senate.
The administration is scrambling to get enough Republican support in the Senate to ratify the New START treaty before the Democrats’ majority shrinks by six in January. In a sign of the urgency of the administration’s pitch, government officials traveled to Kyl’s home state of Arizona to brief him on the proposal, the aide said. Officials also briefed Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee.
According to one White House aide, the Russian legislature is waiting for Obama to make progress in the lame-duck session before taking up the issue themselves.
In addition, President Obama assured the international community that Democrats’ recent electoral defeats has not weakened his resolve:
In Seoul earlier, Obama maintained he has not been weakened by the electoral setbacks and used a sports analogy at one point to say he thought expectations are sometimes too high. Obama said he can’t always hit a home run in these international summits and that even a single here and there is an achievement.
As has been reportedly over the weekend, Obama returned from the Asia trip with little show for it. The U.S. proposals for tougher Chinese currency regulation were rebuffed by G-20 partners and he failed to secure a new free-trade pact with South Korea, a long-time American ally in the region.
Next week, President Obama will travel overseas once again, this time to attend a NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
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Freedom1984
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:19amDoes anyone think BO can actually work 11 days in a ROW??? 10 days of “vacationing while doing business…”(not sure what to call his overseas trip…but since he didn’t golf.. I am thinking more like a WORKING VACATION?? Then to have to get back and work while Congress is here??? I don’t think he has the ability to do it. He will probably take a REAL VACATION this weekend… I mean…not Golf for 2 weeks??? Unheard of, and so not fair. Poor BO….. we all feel for you man……..
Report Post »Now start slidding in unpopular bills…… before you leave for vacation………………………………
sbenard
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 8:18amSince the Constitution requires 2/3 vote to ratify a treaty, I have serious doubts whether Obambi can ram even this one through the Senate. I hope he can’t because if he does, millions of Americans will die as a result! Unfortunately, people like Collins, Snowe, and possibly McCain might just vote for it! Apparently, even Sen. Kyl is considering it!
Just one week ago, I read a story that the Russians are building 5000 nuclear-hardened bunkers for their citizens. Gee, what are they preparing for?
Meanwhile Obama, as one of his first acts as president, unilaterally removed our nuclear missile shield from Eastern Europe, as if making us MORE vulnerable to attack will bring peace! Cumbaya catastrophe! But Bush wasn’t much better! As one of his early acts as President, he unilaterally reduced our nuclear stockpile! I was shocked at the time that he did this, and accordingly, I didn’t vote for his reelection! This has long since been forgotten!
Report Post »NHABE64
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 6:02amThis is absurd. I believe this has been one of Obama‘s and HIllary Clinton’s dirty little back room deals for a long time. Its really a bunch of crap and how are we ever going to be able to trust the Russians. This will put us at risk, and instead of focusing on jobs and the economy they want to reduce our ability to protect ourselves. Obama should be impeached and sent to prison with Clinton.
Report Post »EL ZORRO
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 12:44amWe has to impeach this CRETIN AND IMBECILE, this foreigner who usurps the presidency now is a fraud, and imposter, and a traitor to this country.
EL ZORRO
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 12:15amWalk softly & carry a big stick. (Teddy Roosevelt) You disarm, you become the victim. Fear of a strong reprisal stops many pathetic, insignificant bullies from attacking.
Report Post »tomin8tor357
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 11:47pmYet another TOP PRIORITY from the Kenyan. I thought JOBS was his top priority.
What a DUMB nigerian.
Report Post »13thGenerationAmerican
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 10:20pmThere are sushi-eating socialists among us who won’t tell you about their real agenda, which is to force all of us into Satanic atheist Muslim reeducation bathhouses.
Report Post »Conserving Ink
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 9:20pmHere comes the Rabid Duck Session (my son’s turn of phrase) and all the vengeance they can fit in it.
Report Post »_____________________________________________
http://conserving-ink.blogspot.com/
betterthantv
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 9:00pmWhy don’t we just box up all our nukes and send them to Russia with a big red bow for Xmas. Damn this guy is a fool!!
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:42pmAmerica haters in the White House ,unbelievable .The Founding Fathers weep.
Report Post »Rob_M
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:30pm1500 is more than enough to wipe us off the earth, so what’s the point?
Report Post »C. Schwehr
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:52pmIt is if everyone is playing fair….I’ve never known Russia to play fair EVER….and what about the newly emerging super-power known as China? 1500 nukes wouldn’t begin to cover all of the threats there if a full scale war was threatened.
No, the best way to ensure that no one gets killed is to make sure we have enough weapons for ANY contingency…..and hope that the other side isn’t crazy or stupid enough to force the issue (which is incidentally the problem with a nuclear armed Iran..they’re both crazy AND stupid!).
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:28pmSomewhere in Chicago, a community is missing its organizer…help Slow-bama find his way home.
Report Post »panther440
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:26pmHobble us militarily, cripple our economy and redistribute our wealth… has Mullahbama got any more bright ideas ! ? !
God, 2012 can’t come soon enough ,,,
Report Post »HouseNegro
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:17pmI said something in an earlier post about a confused monkey humping a football. At this point I think the monkey knows more about what he is doing than Obama.
Think about this the monkey is going to get his, and we’re going to get what the football got in this deal.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:25pmRead that one, I get the gist of it right off.
Report Post »Fear The Voices
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:39pmOne has to wonder why the rest of the country…. a.k.a. kool-aid consumers, don’t get it. This man is doing the bidding of evil, along with his administration, and systematically setting us up for some serious trouble.
Report Post »They are bankrupting, weakening, and seriously making us look ripe for the taking. How long will it be before someone tries it?
oldasdirt
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:06pmWish we had a duck to push this lame community organizer out of office.
Report Post »judy1270
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:50pmThis is being done on the sly……I don’t trust Obama..It’s a gut feeling.
Report Post »nichols_86
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:47pmWow does this idiot realize that his party just got derailed… Oh no he just got back from spending the few americans that have jobs tax money.. He doens’t care about America… or the people….
Report Post »PeterThePainter
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:33pmAlways a rushed “gotta pass it now” President. Given all the facts the People would be against it.
Report Post »Fear The Voices
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:43pm‘Emergencies’ have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
Friedrich August von Hayek
Report Post »MissCherryJones
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:30pmI think having 1000s of nuclear warheads is a bit overkill. But to rid ourselves of weapons (nukes, guns, knives) does not end wars. And to have this chat with Medvedev? HA! Putin’s puppet.
Report Post »PeachyinGA
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:29pmTHAT‘s Obama’s top priority for America for the rest of the year after 10 glorious days of tripping through Asia???? He must have turned off his i-phone to block out national news after the November election while on vaca … err … trip.
Report Post »NoName22
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 9:14pmHe has a Blackberry…….
Report Post »troyvar
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:26pmThe O got spanked and rebuked overseas and is now coming home to rule over his enemies. Pathetic.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:25pmGlad to see that “JOBS” thing all taken of in Obama’s mind.
Oh yes let’s weaken the United States even more under “the one” … “brilliant” … what an _ss.
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:24pmI would normally be all for reducing the number of nukes the world might be subject too, but with Obama in charge of our side I‘m not thinking it is in America’s best interest to do this right now. His ideaology (commie socialist) is aligned with the other side, and that does not bode well for us.
Report Post »powhatan
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:21pmFoolish Foolish Man…The only way to stay safe is to be strong…Ugh! Foolish Foolish Man
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:09pmAgreed here. We need to get Obama out of office before he gets rid of the nukes completely and a enemy of America uses theirs upon us. One more reason to impeach him.
Report Post »Sledgehammer
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 9:01pmThis guy’s a nightmare, He is the only one who would disagree. Call your Congress, tell them not to support this treaty!
Report Post »GatorPwn
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 9:33pmwhy u st33l mai favrit w3p0n D:
Report Post »jzs
Posted on November 14, 2010 at 10:01pm“We seek the elimination one day of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth.”
Ronald Reagan, Inaugural Address, January 21, 1985
SNOWLEOPARD, as a goal, the human race doesn’t want nuclear weapons. I doubt Jesus loves nuclear weapons. The US has enough nuclear weapons to kill every person on Earth three times. The effort of every President since Nixon at least to reduce nuclear stockpiles is a noble goal, a goal supported by every thinking human being.
During the Cold War, I imagine it made sense to build those weapons to the point where any use would result in the destruction not only of the USA and Russia, but the entire world. But the time has come to reduce the number of weapons in the world, came a long time ago actually.
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” [Isaiah 2:4]
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God” [Mathew 5:9]
SNOW I noticed you haven‘t called yourself a pastor lately while you’ve taken a war-like stance against Muslims. You’re not a pastor are you? You don’t have a church right? You claim to be a Christian but I don’t see evidence of that in your posts. And you never quote the Bible to support your opinions. Since you claim to be politically astute, perhaps you can tell us how many nuclear weapons the US should hold onto to make America safe. And maybe you can also give us – your entire world is watching! – the Constitutional basis for impeaching the President. You’re not a religious fraud are you?
Report Post »Polwatcher
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 8:36amB. Hussein loves to talk about us DESTROYING our nuke arsenal. When was the last time Obama spoke out against Iran BUILDING their nuke arsenal.
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