Daily Archives: December 20, 2010
Governor Palin’s Facebook Post About The START Treaty
This is a hot button issue (pun intended,) and just like DADT, it carries major repercussions if not addressed properly. Obama must call Russia to task, not the other way around.
Here it is, and let’s see how this plays out during this week. This “lame duck session” has been anything but.
De-link Missile Defense; Defeat New START
The following statement I wrote regarding the New START treaty was just posted at National Review Online’s The Corner:
The proposed New START agreement should be evaluated by the only criteria that matters for a treaty: Is it in America’s interest? I am convinced this treaty is not. It should not be rammed through in the lame duck session using behind the scenes deal-making reminiscent of the tactics used in the health care debate.
New START actually requires the U.S. to reduce our nuclear weapons and allows the Russians to increase theirs. This is one-sided and makes no strategic sense. New START’s verification regime is weaker than the treaty it replaces, making it harder for us to detect Russian cheating. Since we now know Russia has not complied with many arms control agreements currently in force, this is a serious matter.
New START recognizes a link between offensive and defensive weapons – a position the Russians have sought for years. Russia claims the treaty constrains U.S. missile defenses and that they will withdraw from the treaty if we pursue missile defenses. This linkage virtually guarantees that either we limit our missile defenses or the Russians will withdraw from the treaty. The Obama administration claims that this is not the case; but if that is true, why agree to linking offensive and defensive weapons in the treaty? At the height of the Cold War, President Reagan pursued missile defense while also pursuing verifiable arms control with the then-Soviet Union. That position was right in the 1980’s, and it is still right today. We cannot and must not give up the right to missile defense to protect our population – whether the missiles that threaten us come from Russia, Iran, China, North Korea, or anywhere else. I fought the Obama administration’s plans to cut funds for missile defense in Alaska while I was Governor, and I will continue to speak out for missile defenses that will protect our people and our allies.
There are many other problems with the treaty, including the limitation on the U.S. ability to convert nuclear systems to conventional systems and the lack of restriction on Russian sea launched cruise missiles. In addition, the recent reports that Russia moved tactical nuclear weapons (which are not covered by New START) closer to our NATO allies, demonstrate that the Obama administration has failed to convince Russia to act in a manner that does not threaten our allies.
If I had a vote, I would oppose this deeply flawed treaty submitted to the Senate. Just because we were out-negotiated by the Russians that doesn’t mean we have to say yes to this. New START’s flaws have to be addressed in the form of changes to the treaty language that, at a minimum, completely de-link missile defense from offensive arms reductions. Other issues would have to be addressed in the ratification process. If this does not happen either now or next year, Senate Republicans, vote no!
- Sarah Palin
Related Articles
- Mitch McConnell Announces He Will Oppose New START Treaty (huffingtonpost.com)
- Debate over START in Senate “should not affect Russia-US agreements” (rt.com)
- Senate Rejects Amendment Blocking New Start Treaty (nytimes.com)
- McConnell Will Oppose START Treaty, But Two Top Lawmakers Predict Passage (politicsdaily.com)
- Obama reassures lawmakers on missile defenses – Reuters (news.google.com)
- Senate Democrats Make Final Push to Ratify Nuclear Arms Treaty (businessweek.com)
Vote For Sarah At RedState!
Sarah Palin (R-AK)
Support Governor Sarah Palin to a possible 2012 race. She’s edging right now at the RedState website and doing great, so please visit this link and chip in!
Some of us Palin supporters are surprised that the RedState poll has changed the rules a bit; I am not sure if it’s to favor other candidates, or trying to give a fair share to everybody; after all, the poll is for fun, isn’t it?
Governor Sarah Palin On The Omnibus’ Dead Bill
From her Facebook page:
The following statement I wrote regarding the defeat of the omnibus spending bill was posted at National Review Online’s The Corner:
I’m glad the Senate came to its senses and killed the omnibus spending monstrosity. That outrageous trillion-dollar pork buffet was an outright slap in the face to the American public’s expressed wishes in the last election. It was as if Congress was earning its historically low 13 percent approval rating before our very eyes. I applaud senators like Jim DeMint, John McCain, and others who fought this and stopped it.
However, the very fact that some lawmakers on Capitol Hill thought such reckless spending was even remotely acceptable is disturbing. We’re facing trillion-dollar deficits and a record national debt, but some people still want to continue spending like there’s no tomorrow. If the European debt crisis teaches us anything, it’s that tomorrow always comes. Sooner or later, the markets will expect us to settle the bill for the enormous Obama-Pelosi-Reid spending binge. We’ve already been warned by the credit ratings agency Moody’s that unless we get serious about reducing our deficit, we may face a downgrade of our credit rating. Even the lamest of lame ducks can’t ignore this reality.
- Sarah Palin
Off-Road And Huskies In Palin’s “Alaska”
This episode featured multiple things that I personally love: Going off-road in an all-terrain vehicle, hang out with old folks that can tell many tales (RIP “Bones”) and who doesn’t like digging for gold? I wish I could.
I was very impressed when she was on her studio speaking to Judge Napolitano on FOX News, because I remember that exchange. To see it from another angle, I was surprised that both things were happening at the same time. Yeah Todd, fixing a fish on the wall is above my paygrade too.
Alaska brought us another surprise: River rafting. I have seen it in Canada, and members of my family have done that here in the States. Governor Palin keeps pushing her limits when it comes to things like these. Tourism in Alaska will definitely skyrocket, because there is so much to do in Alaska!
Dog sledding is really a face-freezing adventure, and I could feel the energy of those Huskies with their desire to run. It is in their instinct, in their blood to do this job. Dogs aside, the glaciers are impressive on television; multiple members of my family that have gone to Alaska tell me pictures or TV don’t do justice.
Next episode airs on TLC, 9 pm ET.
Related Articles
- Sled Dogs: A Breed of Their Own (news.sciencemag.org)
