New Start Treaty

WASHINGTON -- A blue ribbon commission headed by a former commander of U.S. nuclear forces Tuesday called for an end to "Cold War thinking" and a shar...

Democrats now think they can pick up Lugar's Indiana seat this fall. But even if they do, America is worse off for losing him.

He has already tried to channel an early version of Ronald Reagan by casting Russia as America's great enemy. Will he continue to maintain that Russia is America's "number one geopolitical foe" (they are not)?

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's failed rocket launch and new arms talks with Iran have thrust the issue of nuclear proliferation back into the headlines. ...

Teddy Roosevelt once said: "Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft." President Obama has mastered that lesson and we are all safer for it.

In his widely praised April 2009 Prague speech, President Obama presented a farsighted goal to strengthen U.S. and global security by reducing nuclear arsenals around the world. But since then, his administration has undermined its efforts to meet that laudable objective.

Any potential Romney administration would be heavy on defense spending, to the delight of neocons, but this would run counter to the current climate on Capitol Hill of cuts and more cuts.

The Republican-controlled House is hell-bent on crafting the perfect predator state, one that can wage war without the least need to entertain doubt or acknowledge conscience.

Looking ahead, the U.S. and Russia have the opportunity to share our experience and work with other countries to promote nuclear security and to combat terrorism.

The use of nuclear weapons in any part of the world would affect every living creature. Their use is simply unthinkable. Yet the United States and Russia maintain thousands on hair trigger alert. And terrorists actively seek their use.

Though a meltdown at a nuclear power plant would be disastrous, an even more urgent threat is posed by the possibility of a nuclear weapon or weapon-making material falling into the hands of terrorists.

One of Ronald Reagan's most powerful and living legacies was his dream of a world free of nuclear weapons. It is worth remembering this upcoming sixth of February, the centennial of his birth.

Much can be learned from the successful passage of the New START treaty. Here are seven lessons for policymakers to consider as they move forward.

Given the title of this essay, perhaps you expected a commentary on North Korea or another vilified U.S. adversary and violator of all human decency. Actually, I was referring to Jon Kyl.

So here's what we know: The president's job-approval rating is back up again, higher than it's been in months. And here's what we don't know: Why?

Supporters of nuclear disarmament won an important victory with New Start. But the difficult battle to secure Senate ratification indicates that making further progress will not be easy.

The New START agreement was a victory for Obama, key members of Congress, the arms control and disarmament movement, and ultimately, all of us. But that was then, and this is now.

What's astonishing is that the several unlikely legislative wins were accomplished in the waning days of the lame-duck session, when Republicans had every possible motivation to obstruct.

The Senate has shown it can rise above the partisan bickering and pursue an agenda that benefits all Americans, and the world.

The New START treaty has obvious benefits for national security. But the overwhelming vote in favor of the treaty (71-26) has much broader significance. And the still sizable vote against it, a troubling dark side.

It has been a season of electoral "shellackings" and abject capitulations, but, finally, on December 22. Obama had a good day. The morning after, the...