Russians Celebrate Huge Victory as Senate Ratifies START Treaty 71-26.

Russian troops celebrate huge victory

Washington DC, Dec 22, 2010.  The New START treaty with Russia was ratified by the Senate Wednesday in a 71-26 vote, handing President Barack Obama, D-Kenya, a victory on one of his top priorities in the lame-duck session of Congress.

Vice President Joe Biden presided over the Senate during the final vote. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also on the Senate floor during the vote.

Under the terms of the treaty, which will last for 10 years and was signed by Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev back on April 8, the number of US and Russian warheads would be cut by a third and on-site inspections of nuclear weapons facilities will resume after a one-year suspension.

The new START treaty will result in making Russia the world’s most dominant nuclear power because it limits future U.S. missile defense options. Even the Russians know this and have publicly stated it, but President Obama denies it.

Former KGB Director pulled a fast one

The treaty also allows Russia the ability to reduce its stockpile of aging nuclear weapons and upgrade them with strategic and tactical nukes. Meanwhile, Obama has already promised not to replace or modernize the U.S. arsenal.

Russia’s 10,000-plus tactical nuclear weapons (a 10-to-one advantage over NATO) are not covered by the treaty. Under New START, the U.S. cuts more weapons and launchers than Russia.

Indeed, it allows Moscow to build more launchers. Bottom line: The treaty assures that Russia will one day have a qualitative and quantitative advantage over the U.S.

Making Russia a more dominant nuclear power is an all-around bad strategy because it empowers a nation that routinely invades its neighbors, is hostile to democracy even within its own borders, and is famous for helping rogue nations like Iran develop nuclear weapons.

"My Useful Idiot"

Even more worrisome is the dismantling of President Ronald Reagan’s “trust but verify” strategy which required the U.S. to be sure the Russians were conforming to the treaty.

Perhaps most troubling of all is the treaty’s inadequate response to the fact that Osama Bin Laden and other terrorist groups consider the acquisition of tactical nuclear weapons “a sacred goal.”

New START does nothing to address Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons or the danger of nuclear terrorism.

This treaty demonstrates this administration’s failure to keep its eye on the nuclear ball. Conservatives opposed the treaty not because they are ‘partisan’ (as the White House routinely claims) but because they see the treaty as useless in limiting proliferation, detrimental to missile defense, and counter to the purpose of defense treaties, defending and protecting America from her enemies.

Fifty-six Democratic senators and two independents voted in support of the treaty.

They were joined by 13 Republicans:

Lamar Alexander, TN
Robert Bennett, UT
Scott Brown, MA
Thad Cochran, MS
Susan Collins, ME
Bob Corker, TN
Judd Gregg, NH
Johnny Isakson, GA
Mike Johanns, NE
Richard Lugar, IN
Lisa Murkowski, AK
Olympia Snowe, ME
George Voinovich, OH

It is a good idea to remember those names the next time you enter a voting booth.