Putin bullies hapless Obama to force Senate to ratify new START treaty (Updated)

Phil Boehmke  "Mr. Putin explained to Larry King that ratifying the new START treaty would be in the United States best interest and that failing to do so would be “very dumb.” Maybe it’s just me, but hearing Vladimir Putin tell us that ratifying the treaty is in our best interests does not assuage any of my concerns. If the treaty was really in our best interests, why would Mr. Putin feel compelled to threaten us with a ramped-up arms race is we don’t accept it?"

Don’t Rush New START    "The Obama administration is desperate to secure Senate ratification while the GOP caucus has 42 members (its current size), as opposed to 47 (its size as of January 3). A more Republican Senate means more White House concessions to Jon Kyl and other skeptics of the nuclear deal. Hence the aggressive effort to cajole Republicans into passing the treaty before they leave town for Christmas*. And hence the media-assisted campaign to demonize New START critics as baleful obstructionists motivated by raw partisanship."  National Review
* TW apologizes for our failure to change the word C-------- to "holidays". That just slipped by us.