So I guess the question is will republicans continue to throw a fit and dare to block the ratification of the treaty?
Bush Sr did and it was into affect until Jr walked away from the ABM treaty. Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II (1993) Summary The START II treaty is a bilateral treaty negotiated by the United States and Russia and signed by Presidents Bush and Yeltsin on January 3, 1993. It will reduce the number of strategic delivery vehicles (ballistic missiles and heavy bombers) and the number of warheads deployed on them. Overall strategic forces will be reduced by 5,000 warheads in addition to the 9,000 warheads being reduced under START I. By December 4, 2001, each Party must have reduced the total number of its deployed strategic warheads so that it does not exceed 4,250. This includes warheads on deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), warheads on submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and the warheads carried on heavy bombers with nuclear missions. No more than 1,200 warheads may be on deployed ICBMs with multiple reentry vehicles (MIRVs); no more than 2,160 on deployed SLBMs; and no more than 650 may be on deployed heavy ICBMs. By December 31, 2002, each Party must have reduced the total number of its deployed strategic warheads so that it does not exceed 3,500. Of those, none may be on MIRVed ICBMs, including heavy ICBMs. No MIRVed ICBMs will be deployed by the end of the second phase. No more than 1,750 warheads may be on deployed SLBMs. There will be no prohibition on MIRVed SLBMs. Russia formally withdrew from the START II nuclear arms treaty with the United States on June 14, 2002, saying that it passed away because of the expiration of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The U.S. Congress ratified the treaty in 1996 and the Russian parliament followed suit in 2000, but Russian lawmakers linked START II to preservation of the 1972 ABM Treaty. http://www.atomicarchive.com/Treaties/Treaty20.shtml
The missile shield was the biggest issue against getting it done during Bush. Aside from them despising Dubya and his cohorts. Months earlier we scrapped a missile partnership with Poland and the Czechs, which is the likely reason for getting the deal back on track. The missile shield provision (no ban) gives him room against hawks like Cheney, but I'm betting it's ultimately dead for this presidency. I personally think it's a big waste of money.
As usual, Jon Stewart points out how excellent Fox's opinion on this nuke deal is: <table style='font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='360' height='353'><tbody><tr style='background-color:#e5e5e5' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com'>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td><td style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;'>Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c</td></tr><tr style='height:14px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'<a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-april-8-2010/the-big-bang-treaty'>The Big Bang Treaty<a></td></tr><tr style='height:14px; background-color:#353535' valign='middle'><td colspan='2' style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right'><a target='_blank' style='color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/'>www.thedailyshow.com</a></td></tr><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><embed style='display:block' src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:269900' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' flashvars='autoPlay=false' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' bgcolor='#000000'></embed></td></tr><tr style='height:18px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><table style='margin:0px; text-align:center' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%' height='100%'><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes'>Daily Show Full Episodes</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.indecisionforever.com'>Political Humor</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/Tea+Party'>Tea Party</a></td></tr></table></td></tr></tbody></table> Good job, Hannity and Newt.
That show gets better and better as the republicans get stupider and stupider. Oh never mind, they know what they're doing. Pandering to the lowest common denominator of their voter base which they have no respect for, and going by the "imposing fear on the idiots" press release bullet points.
I heard Hannity talking about this on his radio show a couple days ago. While Newt may be cynically distorting the truth, I'm pretty sure Hannity's diatribes are those of a true moron. Commercial radio audiences, usually half-listening while talking on their cell phones in traffic, are fed a black and white view of the world where subtleties--like the leverage Obama's new policies provide for the NPT--are ignored altogether.
