WASHINGTON – Texas Gov. George W. Bush says America has too many nukes and vowed yesterday that if elected he’d slash the country’s weapon stockpile – even if Russia refuses to do the same.
“It should be possible to reduce the number of American nuclear weapons significantly,” said Bush, who refused to say how deep he’d cut.
“We should not keep weapons that our military planners do not need. These unneeded weapons are the relics of dead conflicts,” Bush said at the National Press Club.
When pressed on whether he’d order cuts even if Russia gained the upper hand, Bush replied “yes” and added, “Hopefully they will” make cuts. “I’ll look forward to working with the Russians.”
The Texas governor, who arrived with former Secretaries of State George Shultz and Henry Kissinger, retired Gen. Colin Powell and others, also touted a system to protect America and its allies.
“Our missile defense must be designed to protect all 50 states – and our friends and allies and deployed forces overseas – from missile attacks by rogue nations, or accidental launches,” Bush said.
But Bush was dismissed by the White House as an international nobody who had no idea how he’d pay for a new missile-defense system.
“I don’t think people will take this very seriously until he actually starts putting some details out,” said White House spokesman Joe Lockhart.
Veep Al Gore’s spokesman, Doug Hattaway, dismissed the Bush plan as “irresponsible and shows that he lacks the depth of experience to keep America safe and secure.”