START TREATY - YES OR NO

Your Commander is going to surprise some readers when I announce my opinion that the United States Senate should immediately approve the START Treaty that was signed by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev last April. I have come to agree with my senior Senator, Richard Lugar (R-IN), who has reached across the aisle to endorse signing the Treaty at this time.

Should you have concerns or a limited knowledge of the Treaty let me suggest that you read Canadian freelance journalist Gwynne Dyer’s recent opinion piece that appeared in my local newspaper.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20101123/Opinion/101129740/1065/Opinion&Template=printart

It is my further opinion that it would be unwise to delay in approving the Treaty, because it is vitally important that we have the ability to inspect nuclear weapons inside Russia. Remember President Ronald Reagan’s call to “Trust, but verify.” If the United States does not approve the treaty we will be unable to trust and more importantly unable to verify just what is going on inside the Russian nuclear arsenal. Dyer’s point that we need Russia’s support on several foreign relations matters at this particular time is also quite valid.

While I rarely agree with Dyer’s very liberal positions on foreign relations, I believe he has made a solid argument for adoption, and I further believe it is time for the Republican Party to stop just saying NO to everything that comes from the Obama Administration. There are many other significant matters emanating from Washington that deserve restraint, but this is not one. This issue rises far above party politics, and it is in our collective best interest.

Message to Congress: Vote YES at the earliest possible date on the START TREATY.

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