US-Russian Missile Defense negotiations

OK, I had to say something else today, as to me, this is a very important issue. Because of President Bush, VP Cheney and the Administration's bellicose actions in Iraq over the past 6 years, we have lost our leverage with world leaders. Among them, Vladimir Putin, as he is in talks which may break down regarding Missile Defense systems the U.S. wants to deploy in Putin's backyard.

Instead of the U.S bargaining on issues like this from a position of strength, we are arguing from a position of weakness. We are pushing this on Putin at a time where his power has gained and ours diminished. And now we have a President who is on record as saying I can see into this man's soul and work with him. It is plain to see that he is playing you and, by proxy, us. How do you think we would feel if a Missile Defense system was placed close to our border, say in Cuba? Hmmmm, I remember exactly how we reacted as I watched President John Kennedy deal with exactly that situation, and even though we were told they were purely for defensive reasons, we could not allow them to be there.

One cannot negotiate with someone where the bridge of trust has not been built or has already been broken. That is what our side is doing now in these talks. We are hoping he will go along with it. In my view this needs to be put on hold for the next President to deal with, just like the Iraq war will be something for the next President to deal with. It's the worst of all timing right now, and these folks don't want to admit it. So much for Rice and Gates trying to add something, besides failures, to the Bush legacy.

The main story on this can be found in the NY Times by clicking here.