Senate poised to pass nuclear treaty, giving Obama a major victory

[Elmore Furth]

Source: LA Times

A new arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia seemed headed for certain Senate ratification after Republican opposition crumbled Tuesday beneath a torrid campaign of White House pressure.

Eleven Republican senators joined Democrats in cutting off debate over the treaty, and more could join when the Senate votes on the treaty Wednesday, giving the White House a major foreign policy victory.

The Republican support for the agreement, known as the New START treaty, came in defiance of GOP leaders, who opposed ratification but did not insist that everyone remain in lock step on the issue.

That freed a few moderate Republicans to abandon Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and join the party's respected foreign policy statesman, Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, in support of the treaty.



Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fg-new-start-20101222,0,1951222.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fnation+%28L.A.+Times+-+National+News%29

[JDPriestly]

1. Wonderful! The Senate is finally working.

This is great progress.

[AC_Mem]

2. How sad that it took putting off their PAID vacation

To get them to do their jobs.

If I obstructed and flat out refused to do what is on my job description (and beyond) for 2 weeks they would replace me - let alone almost 2 years with a promise of 2 more years of the same!!

I get a paid day off Friday, the day before Christmas. I'm expected back at work at 8:30am on Monday. Let these millionaire Senators earn their pay and get their jobs done. If they had done what they were supposed to do for the past year and a half instead of delayed, they wouldn't have to get it all done now.

Whining crybabies. Do your damned job and take care of your country. I'm grateful I have a job - there are so many who have nothing to look forward to this holiday season.

WHERE ARE THE JOBS REPUBLICANS?

I'll be watching starting first week of January. To my representatives on the democratic side - I hope you learned a big lesson, you know what is coming and you DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Annette

[Rincewind]

3. Don't worry,

I'm sure that there is some way this can be spun as another Obama cave in. After all, we can't have the President getting any victories.

[IamK]

6. +1

[dballance]

4. It's not an "Obama" Victory. It's a USA Victory

Maybe if our congress-critters would start looking at legislation from that lens rather than the partisan lens we'd have a more effective government.

[laconicsax]

5. It's too bad the WH had to fight for this.

Ratifying START should have been a non-issue.