TPM Cafe: Iowa Senator Tom Harkin Sides with Obama on Nukes

[flpoljunkie]

Harkin criticizes candidates on use of nuclear weapons
The senator faults presidential contenders' refusals to rule them out.

By LISA ROSSI
REGISTER AMES BUREAU

August 7, 2007

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., Monday criticized his party's presidential candidates who have refused to rule out using nuclear weapons in foreign policy.

Last week, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told reporters in Washington that presidents should be careful about discussing the use of nuclear weapons.

"Presidents, since the Cold War, have used nuclear deterrence to keep the peace," Clinton told reporters. "And I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or nonuse of nuclear weapons."

Clinton was responding to comments made by fellow Democrat Barack Obama.

Obama initially ruled out using nuclear weapons in Afghanistan or Pakistan, a statement he later qualified by saying there's "been no discussion of nuclear weapons."

Harkin likened the nuclear talk among Democrats to President Bush's policy.

"Bush policy is, you got a big stick, use it," Harkin said. "You use tanks and you use huge weapons and massive military to go after terrorists.

"It's just wrong, not the way to beat terrorists."

Harkin went on to criticize policy statements on how to deal with Pakistan.

"You're going to drop a bomb in Pakistan? They do have nuclear weapons themselves, folks," he said.

Last week, Obama called for withdrawing troops from Iraq and redirecting anti-terrorism efforts to Pakistan and Afghanistan. He called for sending two more U.S. military brigades to Afghanistan and developing stronger partnerships with European nations.

Obama has said he would only send troops to Pakistan as a last resort to capture terrorists or if the country's officials failed to cooperate.

Harkin did not say whom he would support for president.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070807/NEWS09/708070386/-1/politics

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/aug/07/election_central_morning_roundup

[krispos42]

1. There are only two acceptable cases for using nuclear weapons

1) They are used against us first.
2) Our country is invaded and our conventional forces are unable to prevent the invaders from occupying our cities and ruling out states.

Everything else is chest-thumping.

[Sadie4629]

2. Under your second scenario

do you mean that we would use nukes on our own soil? Scary possibility.

[krispos42]

3. It depends

I imagine they would first be used to destroy the enemy's shipping ports, so they cannot supply their troops here with arms, ammo, food, supplies, and replacements. No way aircraft could pick up the slack.

Close off the sea lanes, and the enemy on our soil sputters and dies.

But the exact scenrio would depend on how the entire thing played out.