THOUGHTFUL WORK – AT 8:20 P.M. ET:  There is an attempt underway by the hack left to smear Sen. John McCain because he dared raise questions about the wisdom of repealing "don't ask, don't tell."  Like the true McCarthyites that they are, the hackish lefters try to destroy anyone who disagrees with them.  You know their limited vocabulary:  racist, sexist, homophobe, militarist, fascist, and the ever-popular "stupid."

Thus, the borderline Maureen Dowd of the less-than-borderline New York Times refers to Sen. McCain in her latest column as "ossified," the same column in which she exalts Jimmah Carter, who humbly announced recently that he's been the best ex-president ever.  Ms. Dowd, whose own ossification began in the 1960s, is not known for wisdom.

Sen. McCain response is some very good work in the Senate.  From The Politico:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) filed an amendment on the resolution of ratification to the START treaty Monday that non-proliferation experts suggested could clear the way for a swift deal.

McCain's amendment, co-sponsored with Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), would seek to address Republican concerns that the U.S.-Russian arms control pact not limit U.S. missile defenses. At the same time, it doesn’t demand changes to the treaty language itself that would have effectively killed the deal with Russia, as several Republican-proposed amendments defeated over the weekend would have done.

Arms-control advocates were cautiously optimistic Monday reviewing McCain's amendment that it was acceptable for START advocates if it could deliver the Republican votes the administration needs for treaty ratification.

"While in my view these amendments to the resolution of advice and consent are unnecessary, their appearance would suggest that there are ways to address the missile defense-related concerns of a number of New START skeptics short of treaty-killing amendments to the treaty," the Arms Control Association's Daryl Kimball told POLITICO Monday.

COMMENT:  We are not opposed to arms-control treaties here.  Reagan was an arms controller who negotiated agreements with the old Soviet Union.  His mantra was "trust but verify."  There are some Republicans – McCain, Kyl, Lindsey Graham, McConnell – who have problems with the new START treaty, and are addressing their concerns through thoughtful suggestions. 

This is what members of a deliberative body should be doing.  Naturally, they are being ridiculed by the John Kerry crowd, who are lofty and above us all, but they are right.  We might also point out that a lame-duck session of Congress is not the time to be considering a treaty of this importance, but the Dems insist.

Praise especially to McCain and Kyl, who have already gotten the administration to add funds to modernize our nuclear deterrent.  Maureen Dowd may laugh at them, but history won't.

December 20, 2010