White House says 'toxic brew' killed test ban treaty

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House officials Thursday blamed a "toxic brew of reckless partisanship and dangerous isolationism" for Wednesday's Senate defeat of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Press Secretary Joe Lockhart made that comment to reporters as the Clinton Administration decides how to move forward after the first defeat of an arms control treaty on the Senate floor.

Lockhart said the loss is "a detour" and it is the United States' "obligation to the rest of the world as the most powerful country in the world" to continue a leadership role in nuclear non-proliferation.

He also said process for handling the treaty "belies any statement that this was a good-faith effort" by Republicans to give the treaty fair consideration.

Specifically, Lockhart cited the fact there was only one hearing on the treaty and claimed there were "a number of senators who quite inexplicably in the last week said they didn't want to be briefed" on the treaty.

The president continues to see a ban on nuclear tests as an important issue according to Lockhart, but he did not offer any specifics on what actions Clinton may take to move forward on that front.

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White House says 'toxic brew' killed test ban treaty

By MARC SKLAR/CNN

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Thursday, October 14, 1999