Graham, Kyl, Barrasso, DeMint, Sessions, Risch, Thune, and Hatch held a press conference on START, earlier today. Missing are Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker, Scott Brown, and Judd Gregg, who, for some inexplicable reason, are allowing the Obama administration to rush them into a yes vote on something that should take weeks to debate.
As Senator Graham says, there has never been a treaty ratified during the lame duck session in the history of the country.
See also Jim DeMint’s National Review article from last July: The Treaty Is MAD.
RELATED:
AoSHQ: Damn RINO Senators Guilty of “Capitulation of Dramatic Proportions,” Sneers Firebrand Jim DeMint Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lashed out at fellow Republicans Tuesday for a “capitulation … of dramatic proportions” to Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the lame-duck Congress.
UPDATE:
The 11 Republicans who voted for cloture:
Sens. Dick Lugar (Ind.), Bob Bennett (Utah), Scott Brown (Mass.), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Susan Collins (Maine), Olympia Snowe (Maine), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Bob Corker (Tenn.), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), and George Voinovich (Ohio).
***
Collins, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told NRO that many on-the-fence GOP senators “just naturally came to a conclusion.”
“To me, as Brent Scowcroft told me, [New START] is a modest and useful step in the right direction,” Collins said. “It’s refreshing to see serious, bipartisan consideration of a very important issue. Dick Lugar gets a lot of credit for that, as does Jon Kyl on the other side.”
The clock was another factor. Sen. Richard Burr (R., N.C.) notes that many senators are itching to catch a flight home for the holidays. The move toward START, he said in an NRO interview, “has more than a bit to do with jet fumes.”
UGH.
UPDATE II:
RightKlik has found the reason(s) the Tennessee Senators are capitulating: 86 Billion Reasons to Ratify START
As always…follow the money…
Linked by Michelle Malkin in Buzzworthy, Pundette, and Doug Ross, thanks!
December, 22, 2010 at 1:02 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mary M. and Mary M., gailtalk. gailtalk said: Video: GOP Senators Press Conference On START http://bit.ly/i8RWeG CALL SENATORS to STOP START & SAVE OUR COUNTRY http://bit.ly/gw3dvf [...]
December, 22, 2010 at 5:23 am
So every year just before Christmas, we’ll have some hard left legislation shoved down our throats just because the RINOs are in a big rush to get home??
I’ll be working on Christmas.
December, 22, 2010 at 6:18 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by RightKlik. RightKlik said: Tennessee: Lamar Alexander & Bob Corker need to be defeated in the primary in 2012 http://is.gd/jdl7a #tcot #TNsen [...]
December, 22, 2010 at 7:41 am
“…for some inexplicable reason, are allowing the Obama administration to rush them into a yes vote on something that should take weeks to debate.”
I couldn’t explain it either. I’m from TN, a conservative state, and BOTH of my Republican senators support START!
I just did some research and found that Alexander and Corker have 86 billion reason$ to support START:
http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10872633
There are seven facilities in the country, including Y-12 in Oak Ridge [Tennessee], that deal with the nuclear arsenal and needed to be upgraded, Corker said, adding, “There is no question in my mind, if it weren’t for the discussion of this treaty, we would not have the commitments that we have today on modernization.”
The Obama administration’s updated nuclear defense plan calls for investing $86 billion at these facilities over the next decade, and UPF is a key part of the spending plan.
Corker makes the connection between the money and his vote very explicit:
Corker fails to explain how this deal will make America safer (or why a lame duck Senate needs to make this decision).
December, 22, 2010 at 9:33 am
[...] the issue has finally begin grabbing the attention it deserves. Like many other conservatives, Nice Deb is incensed and perplexed by recent developments: …for some inexplicable reason, [Republicans] are allowing the [...]
December, 22, 2010 at 10:09 am
86 Billion Reasons to Ratify START:
http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2010/12/86-billion-reasons-to-ratify-start.html
December, 22, 2010 at 10:27 am
Nope…the senate is not suppose to be a rubber stamp for the administration….but you turncoat RINOs certainly are~!~!
December, 22, 2010 at 1:34 pm
[...] Video: Republican Senators’ Press Conference On START As Senator Graham says, there has never been a treaty ratified during the lame duck session in the history of the country. [...]
December, 23, 2010 at 7:43 pm
[...] Video: Republican Senators Press Conference On START (nicedeb.wordpress.com) [...]