G.O.P. Support Grows for Arms Treaty

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From The New York Times:

The White House appears within reach of winning enough votes to approve a new arms control treaty with Russia. Nine Republicans are now on record supporting the treaty or signaling that they could support it in a vote this month.

The shift in momentum in the last week has been striking. Before Thanksgiving, it looked like the treaty might not get approved before the departing Congress leaves at the end of the year due to the resistance of Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, the lead Republican negotiator who has said there was not enough time to address his concerns.

But President Obama responded with a high-profile, high-pressure campaign to push the treaty through anyway, stepping up efforts to satisfy Mr. Kyl while also rounding up other Republicans. The White House and Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, its top ally on the matter, have worked to address Republican worries about missile defense and modernization of the nuclear weapons complex.

Just Wednesday they secured a letter from the directors of the nation’s nuclear laboratories declaring themselves “very pleased” with the Obama administration’s 10-year, $85 billion plan to modernize their facilities, which has been Mr. Kyl’s top goal in his negotiations over the treaty, known as New Start.

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/support-grows-for-arms-treaty/

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1. Not perfect, but better than it was

The New START Treaty isn't perfect, but it's one step closer towards nuclear disarmament.

[Renew Deal]

2. Kyl will find a new reason to be dissatisfied

They are not negotiating in good faith. That said, maybe they'll get run over anyway.

[AlinPA]

3. There is no way the republicans will vote for START because it will look like a success in

foreign policy for President Obama. Their goal is to stop him. The nine republicans "on record supporting the treaty"? That's a joke, they will never support it.