Senator John Kyl is compromising the safety and security of the United States of America by pushing for a delay on the New START treaty.
The White House has thus far tried to use a system of carrots to get Senator Kyl on board, but I think it's time to call a spade a spade and ask Senator Kyl: Why are you willing to compromise U.S. safety and security by delaying this treaty vote?
I guess we could let Senator Kyl speak for himself:
"This is a very complicated process," Kyl said. "It cannot be done overnight. And I really do appreciate the sort of last-minute efforts of the administration to brief us on what their current thinking is. But we don't even have a plan in writing yet, so it'd be a little premature to talk about bringing it up in the lame-duck session, I think."
There have been eighteen hearings on the New START treaty. Eighteen.
The Senate's lone sane-Republican Dick Lugar:
We're talking about thousands of warheads that are still there — an existential problem for our country," he said. "To temporize at this point, I think, is inexcusable.
Still think I am exaggerating? Nuclear policy expert Matthew Bunn does not think so: [transcript, emphasis, and any errors are mine]
Well I think this treaty and getting it ratified now and not later is very important for U.S. security, for Russian security and actually for world security. In particuar, people may not realize that there have been no inspections at all of Russia's strategic nuclear weapons, that may be aimed at us, for coming up on a year now since the START treaty expired. One of the very important functions of this treaty is to get those inspections going again, to have on site inspectors on the ground keeping an eye on what Russia is doing with its strategic nuclear weapons.
Also, John Kyl is one Senator so perhaps someone could explain to me why the following is accepted as CW:
Most Senate Republicans follow Kyl's lead when it comes to nuclear matters, so the kibosh he put on taking up the treaty seemed to doom any prospect of getting the two-thirds majority it needs for ratification this year.
If you are represented by a Republican Senator(or a Ben Nelson) who is not John Kyl you could ask them to find their own voice and vote for keeping America safe.
Now I would never suggest that a sitting Senator is playing politics with a treaty that is critical to our national security so perhaps Arizonansand media figures should just start asking: Senator Kyl, why are you making America less safe?
If Republican's aren't willing to play ball we can't be afraid to kick them in the teeth.