Nonpartisan Anti-Nukes

Yesterday President Obama met with Former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sam Nunn, and former Defense Secretary William Perry to discuss how to rid the world of nuclear weapons. It's great to see this incredibly important subject moving from a visionary goal to a real world challenge.  In his remarks Obama said:

"I don't think anybody would accuse these four gentlemen of being dreamers. They're hard-headed, tough defenders of American interests and American security. But what they have come together to help galvanize is a recognition that we do not want a world of continued nuclear proliferation, and that in order for us to meet the security challenges of the future, America has to take leadership in this area."

The group agreed on prioritizing the revitalization of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, working with Russia to reduce nuclear stockpiles, moving forward on ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and securing nuclear material that could "fall into the hands of terrorists."

Obama's vision and sense of priority are on target and should be applauded. The fact that the four senior statesmen "support enthusiastically what the President is doing" is significant as well. This is how consensus is built and the world changes.

But the one point of disagreement between Obama and the four is probably the most encouraging part of the conversation. Obama noted that the Shultz, Kissinger, Perry and Nunn working together and with him is "a reminder of the long tradition of bipartisan foreign policy that has been the hallmark of America at moments of greatest need, and that's the kind of spirit that we hope will be reflected in our administration."

However Shultz upped the ante saying to Obama that,

"I would only have one word of slight disagreement. You said that you welcome the fact that this is bipartisan. And, well, it is. At the same time, I think all of us have said, when people have told that to us, that it's really nonpartisan. This is a subject that ought to somehow get up above trying to get a partisan advantage. And it's of such importance that we need to take it on its own merits. And that's the way we've proceeded. And that's the way, at least it seems to us, you've proceeded."

For too long partisan politics have gotten in the way of responsible global policy that's good for America and good for the world. This change of tone is important and has implications far beyond the nuclear debate.

Thank you Mr. President. I hope Congress is paying attention to how this is done.

Don Kraus