Republicans Love Government Spending When on Weapons

In another case of blatant GOP hypocrisy, Republican members of the Senate are threatening to stop the ratification of the New START treaty, which is a significant breakthrough in the slowing down of the global arms race. Officials like Brent Scowcroft, George Schultz, Colin Powell, former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Reagan Chief of Staff Howard Baker, and former Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.) have all urged the Senate to ratify New START. But what is the problem? Republicans want the Obama administration to spend more government money on weapons, including nuclear weapon facilities.

Here is how the world is seeing this tactic:

Many U.S. allies had assumed New START would easily be ratified this year. The treaty commits the United States and Russia to modest cuts in their long-range, ready-to-use weapons and extends a 15-year system allowing each side to check the other's nuclear facilities. It is the cornerstone of the Obama administration's attempt to "reset" relations with Moscow.

The treaty has been endorsed by six former secretaries of state and five former secretaries of defense from both parties, and nearly all former commanders of U.S. nuclear forces. French Ambassador Pierre Vimont said recently that after diplomats cabled home that the treaty could run into problems, "People ask us, 'Have you been drinking?' " Link

And yet Teabaggers in sizable amounts support Republicans. Again, how are we supposed to take this movement seriously?