McCain Hopes and Challenges: Stepping Up to New Start
Sep 07, 2010

Recently two astute political columnists have urged Senator John McCain to return to the John McCain of 2000 and his earlier Senate service. David Broder and Mark Shields rightfully respect politicians who lead by putting national and societal interests ahead of parochial ones.

I share their outloook, having worked with McCain on campaign finace reform and ending the efforts of the tobacco industry to have young people addicted to cigarettes. McCain then credibly said Theodore Roosevelt was his leader model. He fought for the FDA having strong and unambiguous regulatory power over the tobacco industry. That alone made him a different Republican.

Now McCain faces another challenge. With his primary over he has no excuses. The time for those who want to exhort him to meet his responsibilities (Broder) or cut him slack (Shields) is over. The Republican Party has a national security conflict of monumental proportions. Those Republicans who have had responsibility for governing-- James Baker, James Schlesinger, Brent Scowcroft all come to mind-- support New Start.
The Cheney wing of the party have placed ideology over solid national interest. Senators Imhofe (R-Okla) and DeMint (R-SC) are its spear carriers.  They oppose New Start.

Everyone knows McCain is no wimp on national security. McCain has the responsibility of standing with those who can analyze the complexities of a treaty (Baker, Schlesinger and Scowcroft) versus those who place doctrinal faith over credible analysis (Imhofe and DeMint)

McCain can provide the leadership, if he chooses to, by moving his Senate Republican colleagues in the direction of responsible Republican national security and diplomatic experience. The undecided Republican Senators need to advise and consent to the New Start treaty.

Short of acting to support New Start quickly, McCain will stay with the McCain of his primary campaign-- a political leader who no longer has analytic and independent judgment or courage to oppose the "shouters" in his party. To stand on the sidelines, or line up with Imhofe and DeMint, will forever mark McCain as a failed leader.

Capturing Memory: Herbert York and John Silard, Champions of a Nuclear Free World
Mar 02, 2010

2009 saw the passing of Herbert York and John Silard who each played important roles in the efforts to bring about the nuclear free world that President Obama has called for.  

Herbert York helped lead and organize the scientific community against the ABM Missile.
He played a lead role in educating Senators Cooper (R-Ky) and Hart (D-Mich) to oppose the ABM. That was the first time the Senate went to great lengths to question a weapons system. Senate staffers organized science briefings for Senators and their staffs. The breakthrough education took place in small groups as Senators  learned why the ABM was a reckless weapon. I lobbied against the ABM and my Senate staff friends told me how attentive Senators were to York and his colleagues tutorials.

York's role made a significant difference in the Senate rising out of its then somnolence by seriously challenging a weapons system. So effective was the work of York and his allies that though the Senate failed to kill the weapon, it was by a 50-50 vote. That legitimized a more active Senate role on these matters. That is part of Herb York's legacy.

John Silard's obituaries recognized his pioneering civil rights legal advocacy. What the obits omitted was John's constant policy initiatives on nuclear weapons control and non-proliferation. His memos were filled with ideas and in the late 70s and early 80s I had a chance to work with him as we interested Senators in promoting resolutons that debated the issue and tried to prod reluctant Executive Branch officials. John used his skills to draft resolutions to less hostile Committees. John knew that the Senate can be a place where ideas form, policy initiatives develop on issues such as nuclear non-proliferation that others want to ignore.

York's and Silard's contributions for today go directly to the Obama initiatives for a nuclear free world. As we work for that world we need the New Start treaty, efforts to control nuclear proliferation and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. York's and Silard's legacy asks us to use our intelligence and imagination to persuade Senators to pay attention to what the stakes are in not acting. I know it is hard to open up the auditory channels of those Senators who love to talk. Our challenge is to find the ways that they will listen and be persuaded.

Leon Panetta: An Inspired Appointment and a Class Act
Jan 13, 2009

President-elect Obama's choosing  Leon Panetta to head the CIA is his most inspired appointment. Obama has had many fine appointments but the Panetta one is pitch perfect.
Obama has signaled his seriousness about making the CIA accountable. It has to follow Administration policies and not serve as its own agent. Given the world's many danger spots--Pakistan and Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq,  Syria and Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Egypt, Israel and Palestine-- Obama's efforts to not allow the CIA to run wild amounts to a high stakes effort. The CIA has a history of massive resistance.
Panetta, at 71, with a secure reputation, steps up, accepts responsibility and exercises leadership. Panetta's colleagues deeply respect him. Many former House colleagues swoon in telling about his leadership qualities. Panetta knows how to wrap himself around an institution whether it's the House of Representatives, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or the White House. He chooses strong associates to work with, stresses team play and insists that the players say what they think. Those qualities have Panetta tracking well with Obama.
At OMB Panetta valued the ideas of civil servants. His leadership and political judgment showed that on domestic matters intelligent public policy could be shaped rather than thwarted. Serving as Chief of Staff in the Clinton White House, he brought discipline and cohesiveness to it while keeping the progressive flag flying. To argue that Panetta is inexperienced in running complex organizations, and is therefore unqualified to head the CIA, is a canard.
Panetta will use his leaderhsip qualities to draw on the wisdom of the professionals, provide Obama, and others in the government, with candid assessments that aim to develop workable policies that protect us and will keep us out of wars that morally and strategically the US shouldn't be fighting. He will work to strengthen the CIA's analytic capabilities. Panetta brings with him the judgment and political skills to abandon the countless CIA abuses of the Bush-Cheyney era.
Discarding those horrid practices and operations is the standard we should expect of Panetta. It will not be accomplished easily. Those of us outside of government need to be both suppoortive of Panetta's reform efforts, and as candid with Panetta as we expect him to be in his assessments of often destabilizing situations.
Full disclosure: Panetta and I came to Washington at roughly the same time-- in the early 1960s. We worked together on the great civi lrights legislation of the 1960s and all through his officlal life until he left the Clinton White House.
It's no secret: I admire his integrity, his analytic ability, his judgment and his quality to be empathetic.