Sen. Bob Corker threatened to kill START if Senate Democrats went forward with the DADT repeal legislation (emphasis is mine):
In an interview with [Greg Sargent] just now, Senator Bob Corker doubled down on his contention that if Dems move on DADT, Republicans will be less likely to support START.”I felt like momentum was growing for START,” Corker said, adding that since Reid announced he was holding votes on DADT and DREAM, it has had a “chilling effect.”
“I’m watching support for the treaty erode, because of highly partisan political issues being brought up solely because activist groups in the Democratic Party want this done,” he continued.
Corker said he wasn’t issuing a personal threat, and was merely commenting on the reaction of his Senate GOP colleagues. When I pressed Senator Corker on whether Republican Senators would really base their decision on START on whether Reid held a vote on DADT, Corker didn’t answer directly.
“That being thrown into the middle of this debate is causing many Republicans to want to see START pushed back and candidly is causing them to oppose it,” Corker said. “This is hardening them against passage of this treaty at this time.”
A Washington Post/ABC News poll released earlier this week shows that 77 percent of Americans support the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
PAST CONTRIBUTOR.