First Door on the Left

As proof that Republicans do not listen consider the following…

Obama Urges Eliminating Nuclear Weapons

CHICAGO (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday called for ridding the world of nuclear weapons, arguing that U.S. policy is still focused on the defunct Soviet Union instead of combatting the nuclear threat from rogue nations and terrorists.

In a speech that also highlighted his early opposition to the Iraq war, Obama said he doesn’t want the United States to disarm unilaterally, but instead to work with other nations to phase out nuclear weapons and control nuclear material.

“America seeks a world in which there are no nuclear weapons,” Obama said.

“The best way to keep America safe is not to threaten terrorists with nuclear weapons - it’s to keep nuclear weapons and nuclear materials away from terrorists,” the Illinois senator said. Aides said the process Obama envisions would take many years, not just a a single presidency.

Go back and read that again, paying particular attention to the second paragraph. Senator Obama said that he does not want the United States do disarm unilaterally, but he does want us to work with other nations to phase out nuclear weapons and control nuclear material.

Now the Republican reaction…

Republicans criticized Obama’s stance as dangerous to national security.

“In a world with terrorists trying to acquire nuclear technology and with Iran and Syria threatening their neighbors, it is difficult to comprehend that a major presidential candidate wants to eliminate our nuclear arsenal,” said Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz. “This is yet another example of Senator Obama playing to the fringe elements of his party and failing to understand the threat America faces.”

Did they listen to what the Senator from Illinois said, or did they just issue a knee jerk rejection of a statement by a Democratic presidential candidate? The evidence would point toward the latter.

Republicans do not listen. It just is not in their nature to do so. They are right, everybody else is wrong, and that is all there is to it.

Setting all that aside for the moment, I think Mr. Obama has a nice dream but I do not believe it will ever come true. Nuclear weapons are here to stay, much like personal computers and cellular telephones. Once a science is released from bag, it is kind of difficult (if not impossible) to stuff it back in.