Grassley, what’s your nuclear weapon stand?

Will Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, stand with the Republican Party of Sarah Palin or with that of Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., when the START Treaty is up for ratification by the Senate? Let's hope it is the latter.

A broad, bipartisan consensus is building around the administration's nuclear weapons policy. Lugar has joined the administration in his support for the START process and has been open about his intentions regarding New START. Not so Grassley.

It isn't that the senior senator does not consider nuclear weapons policy.

After all, he attended the events surrounding the 50th anniversary of Nikita Khrushchev's famous visit to the Roswell Garst farm in 1959. This was a Cold War highlight and Grassley must have a view on nuclear weapons.

If he does, we have not heard it.

It is fair for Grassley to say that he wants to hear the report from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which conducted hearings on START this week. He may want to check with other Republican senators on nuclear weapons matters. There are a lot of reasons for delay.

Will Grassley work to demonstrate that he still has bipartisan credentials by supporting the START treaty? Or, will he leave a legacy of flip-flopping on financial reform and health care?

Paul Deaton

Solon