Obama pushes Senate to approve START treaty now, not later - Los Angeles Times

President Obama on Thursday called the new START treaty with Russia a "national security imperative," ramping up pressure on the Senate to ratify it during the lame-duck session.

Obama joined a meeting in the White House hosted by Vice President Biden that included former secretaries of State and Defense and the chair and ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to make his case.

He said it was a "gamble" to put off a Senate vote, as some Republicans have asked for, calling the treaty a "cornerstone of our relationship with Russia."

"This is not a matter that can be delayed," Obama said. "This is not about politics."

Sen. Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona, said earlier this week that he did not think a vote on the treaty could be supported "given the combination of other work Congress must do and the complex and unresolved issues related to START and modernization" of U.S. nuclear weapons systems.

Obama said Thursday that he was prepared "to go the extra mile" to address those concerns, adding that the treaty has been vetted with 18 hearings, multiple briefings and support from military leadership.

"The stakes for American national security are clear, and they are high," he said. "We can't jeopardize the progress that we've made in securing vulnerable nuclear materials, or in maintaining a strong sanctions regime against Iran."

Asked if he thought he could find the 67 votes in the Senate needed to ratify the treaty, Obama said he was confident.

"Keep in mind that every president since Ronald Reagan has presented an arms treaty with Russia and been able to get ratification," he said.

Sen. John Kerry, chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, said earlier Thursday that Republicans "ought to be unbelievably happy with what the president has offered."

"In my judgment, this treaty ought to be able to win with significant votes," Kerry said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We have to cross the divide here, and this is the first step to prove to the American people that we can work together and get something done."

mmemoli@tribune.com

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Arizona voters approve medical marijuana measure - CNN International

Arizona joins 14 other states that permit medical marijuana. The store in the photo is in California.Arizona joins 14 states and the District of ColumbiaThe Marijuana Policy Project says it welcomes the voteThe measure passed by a narrow margin

(CNN) -- By a narrow margin of about 4,300 votes, Arizona voters approved a ballot measure that would legalize medical marijuana, state election officials said Sunday.

With all precincts reporting, the "yes" votes on Proposition 203 have 50.1 percent of the vote to 49.8 percent of "no" votes, according to unofficial results posted on the Arizona Secretary of State's website. More than 1.6 million votes were cast.

Officials in Maricopa County, where the city of Phoenix is located, posted their final update to the unofficial results from the November 2 election on Saturday. At the time, authorities said the race was too close to call.

The Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement, heralded the vote, saying it will allow patients who suffer from cancer, AIDS and other illnesses to use medical marijuana with a recommendation from their doctor.

"Voters in Arizona have sided with science and compassion while dealing yet another blow to our nation's cruel and irrational prohibition on marijuana," said Rob Kampia, Marijuana Policy Project executive director, in the statement. "Arizona's law now reflects the mainstream public opinion that seriously ill people should not be treated like criminals if marijuana can provide them relief, and that doctors should be able to recommend marijuana to patients if they believe it can help alleviate their suffering."

The Marijuana Policy Project provided funding and support to the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project, the group that ran the Proposition 203 campaign, the group said. The national organization bills itself as the United States' largest marijuana policy reform organization, and says on its website it would like to see marijuana regulation similar to that of alcohol.

Since 1996, 14 other states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws.

The proposition will allow the establishment of about 120 state-regulated clinics to dispense marijuana, according to the organization. Those living more than 25 miles from a clinic will be allowed to grow their own medicine.

CNN's Nick Valencia contributed to this report.

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