The Lexington Herald-Leader published this editorial today that properly credits Congressman Ben Chandler and the rest of the Kentucky delegation for their terrific efforts in the House to prevent further delay of the safe and environmentally-responsible destruction of chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Chemical weapons cloud

In a reassuring display of bipartisanship, every member of the U.S. House from Kentucky and Colorado has signed a letter penned by Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Versailles, calling on the House to reject Pentagon delays in the destruction of chemical weapons in the two states.

The Pentagon wants to delay completion of the disposal work from 2015 until 2023 in Kentucky and from 2016 to 2020 in Colorado.

The delays would end up costing taxpayers an extra $3.3 billion over the long term.
Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Wayne Allard, R-Colo., got a deadline of 2017 inserted into the Senate's defense authorization bill.

Now their amendment must be incorporated into the final bill, which is being worked out in negotiations between the House and Senate.

The United States will miss a treaty deadline of 2012 for getting rid of chemical weapons.

Chandler and the rest of the two delegations urged the House negotiators to support the 2017 deadline.

It's insane to make taxpayers pay more to be in danger longer. The House should support the McConnell-Allard amendment.

To learn more about this issue, watch our video on Kentucky hero Craig Williams.

Yesterday Senator McConnell gave a speech on the floor of the Senate about the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be Attorney General of the United States.  I thought it might be useful to point out what the public record shows on the Majority’s statements in support of a new Attorney General and specifically Judge Mukasey before they decided that getting some political mileage from their radical left base is more important than quickly confirming a bipartisan choice for Attorney General.  See for yourself:

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “Let me say, if the president were to nominate somebody, albeit a conservative, but somebody who put the rule of law first, someone like a…Mike Mukasey, my guess is that they would get through the Senate very, very quickly.” (Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” 04/22/07)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “This Nation Needs A New Attorney General, And It Can’t Afford To Wait” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 05/24/07)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Justice Department “Desperately Needs New Leadership.” “For the previous six months, the Justice Department has been virtually nonfunctional and desperately needs new leadership.” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 08/27/07)

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): “I Tell You, The U.S. Department Of Justice Is A Precious Institution In Our Democracy. It Is Under Siege From Within, And We Need To Take Some Action.” (Sen. Whitehouse, Congressional Record, S.7436, 06/11/07)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CA): “…It Is So Important For The Department Of Justice To Secure New Leadership.  The Department Of Justice Is One Of The Countries Most Important Agencies…” “I rise today to discuss the 'no confidence' resolution being considered by the Senate and to discuss why it is so important for the Department of Justice to secure new leadership. The Department of Justice is one of the country's most important agencies with a budget of approximately $24 billion and over 100,000 employees.” (Sen. Feinstein, “Senator Feinstein Delivers Speech In Favor Of ‘No Confidence’ Resolution On Attorney General Gonzales,” Press Release, 06/11/07)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “He Could Get A Unanimous Vote Out Of This Committee… It’s Not A Done Deal Yet. But He Could.” (David Herszenhorn, “Warmth For A Nominee Viewed As Unlike His Predecessor,” The New York Times, 10/18/07)

SEN. PAT LEAHY (D-VT): “I Would Expect Him To Be Confirmed.” “‘I would expect him to be confirmed,’ Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., told reporters after meeting with the former federal judge. ‘I like Judge Mukasey,’ Leahy added.  ‘I want him to succeed.’” (Laurie Kellman, “Mukasey’s Confirmation Prospects Good,” The Associated Press, 10/16/07)

SEN. PAT LEAHY (D-VT): “I Appreciate [Not Only] The Succinctness Of Your Answers But The Clarity Of Them.” (Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 10/17/07)

SEN. BEN CARDIN (D-MD): “I've Been Very Impressed By The Direct Answers That You've Given To Very Important Questions.” “But first, I want to thank you; I want to thank your family for your willingness to serve our country. These are difficult times, and we very much appreciate your willingness to step forward. And I must tell you, I've been very impressed by the direct answers that you've given to very important questions.” (Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 10/17/07)