Obama increasingly confident about START

[TomCADem]

Source: USA Today

President Obama brought the president of Poland into the Oval Office today to show that even Russia's neighbors -- who don't always get along with Russia -- back a proposed arms cut deal with the government in Moscow.

"I am confident that we are going to be able to get the START treaty on the floor, debate it, and complete it before we break for the holidays," Obama said after speaking with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.

Russia's treatment of its neighbors is one of the concerns Senate Republicans have raised concerning ratification of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Obama said the proposed treaty includes verification of Russian nuclear security, a major concern to neighboring nations like Poland.


Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/12/obama-increasingly-confident-about-start/1

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Of course, if the Republicans decide to vote against it, in order to increase world tensions and spur defense spending, I am sure some will argue that President Obama actually secretly is for nuclear proliferation, and secretly opposed the START treaty.

Will Americans give Republicans a free pass for increasing nuclear tensions between the US and Russia. Of course they will!

[bethfully]

1. Not necessarily...

I probably wouldn't argue that he's secretly "for" nuclear proliferation. I'd argue that his expression of confidence, followed closely by a political defeat, is another example of Lucy and the football and that his political acumen has failed. Again. And I'd wonder, to myself, what else might need to happen before he might start to get curious about that. And I'd also wonder about why such a smart, capable leader could continue to so badly misread the opposition party. Ultimately, I'd continue to hope that he would get curious about how one might start to deal w/ them more effectively--the rules have changed but he's still acting, politically, like it's 1994.

[karynnj]

2. I think his confidence is based on things like Senator Lugar saying publicly that the votes are

there. This is something that NEVER should have gotten political. As to how to deal with the opposition party, this treaty had excellent hearings in the SFRC, where Kerry and Lugar are ALWAYS courteous and polite to each other and everyone in the committee. It is obvious that they have great respect for each other.

If your point is that he should not reach out to them - explain how he gets 67 votes (the number needed) without Republicans? There are only 58 Democrats - and they are only allowed one vote each.

[bowens43]

3. If Obama was a stronger leader there never would have been any doubt this passing.

Unfortunately, the republicans have learned over the last 2 years that if they say jump Obama asks how high?