More: The START II treaty made it out of committee on a vote of 14-4 Thursday, but it is unlikely that the resolution will reach the floor before the Senate adjourns because Democrats still lack 67 votes for ratification. An example of extremism that Democratic sponsors confront is that of ultra-conservative Jim DeMint who insisted on an amendment to commit the United States to build a missile shield that would protect the United States or its troops anywhere in the world. The amendment was reduced to a "declaration", thus making it non-binding, and included at the last minute by unanimous consent because at least one conservative Democratic senator was willing to support DeMint. Senator Kerry had to acquiesce in language stating that MAD (mutually assured destruction) on which the strategic balance is now based "can be contrary to the safety and security of both countries." The language seems to be a fairly obvious conclusion. There were also renewed allegations of Russian "cheating" on arms control treaties. Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo) of the Senate Intelligence Committee raised the specter of secret documentation allegedly showing more evidence of non-compliance. And so it goes in Washington where even our nation's existence is a subject for political gamesmanship.
Update: {16.09.10}Senator Lugar (R-IN) seems to have won the battle of draft resolutions to ratify the START II treaty. Repugnants simply did not want to sign on to a resolution suggested by Committee Chair, John Kerry (D-MA). Lugar's draft is supposed to garner some support from the opposition by including more language protecting the nuclear weapon modernization program. Bob Corker (R-TN) said he will co-sponsor the Lugar resolution in the Committee. Perhaps the outcome of this intramural scuffle presages the results of the November election? In any event, the problem is getting the treaty on the Senate voting agenda before the November mid-term elections. No politician is fond of voting on such a high profile issue before facing voters, and Democrats are particularly wary since the punditry is expecting big losses for the party in ostensible control of Congress. Senator Kerry is willing to sign on to the Lugar resolution if "it meets our needs as well". Kerry wants to vote on the treaty during the lame duck session after the November elections, "to do [the vote] without any politics, without any election atmospherics". He reminded colleagues that President Medvedev told him personally that the Duma, which includes Prime Minister Putin, is waiting to see what conditions the Senate attempts to impose on ratification before it decides how to act.
{9.09.10}The START II nuclear weapons reduction treaty negotiated earlier this year {START II} is encountering the opposition expected from conservative defense hawks on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Senator John Kerry (D-MA). Senator Kerry is attempting to gain some Repugnant support besides that of ranking minority member, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN). Kerry is circulating a proposed resolution for ratifying the treaty, but opposition aides have already indicated the language contained in the draft is not sufficient to allay their concerns about their golden calf, missile defense. The draft resolution contains a declaration that it is the policy of the United States to "deploy as soon as possible an effective National Missile Defense system capable of defending the territory of the United States against limited ballistic missile attack." Nevertheless, opponents of the treaty like James Inhofe (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) consider the negotiated treaty a threat to the future of the missile defense industry. Russia has responded to the warmongers by threatening to withdraw from the treaty if the United States' development efforts upset the strategic balance between the two countries.