FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 19, 2012
CONTACT: James Lewis, Director of Communications, 202-543-4100 ext 2113
Washington DC – October 19, 2012 – News Release – The Council for a Livable World is airing radio ads featuring Lt. General Robert G. Gard Jr., USA (ret.) highlighting dangers of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s position on the vital New START arms reduction treaty.
The ads are running in Denver, Raleigh, Richmond and Phoenix, and can be viewed here.
In the ad, Lt. Gen. Gard says Romney’s opposition of New START shows “really poor judgment about dangerous nuclear weapons.�
Before the aired ad launch, the Council released the ads as part of a social media campaign highlighting Romney’s right-wing opposition to this vital nuclear weapons agreement. Since the ad’s YouTube release, it has been viewed more than 190,000 times. The video has become the #2 most-watched video under the “News and Politics� Category and #7 overall YouTube video.
“The New START treaty is effectively decreasing the number of nuclear weapons that could be instantly aimed at the U.S. and American inspectors are on the ground ensuring Russian compliance with the treaty,� said Lt. General Gard, who recorded the ad. “Romney was reckless in his handling of this important issue. If Romney does not understand the danger of nuclear weapons which could be aimed instantly at U.S. cities, he is not qualified to be President. It is that cut and dried."
General Gard, who is featured in the ad, has extensive experience in national security. As a combat veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars with 31 years of distinguished military service and President of National Defense University (NDU), his experience and expertise make him one of the leading American experts on national security and nonproliferation issues. He also has vast respect within Washington policy circles after serving as Executive Assistant to two Secretaries of Defense, first Director of Human Resources Development for the Army and Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
“General Gard is a great spokesperson on nuclear weapons issues. His military experience and status within the nonproliferation community are unmatched,� said John Isaacs, Executive Director of Council for a Livable World. “The Romney campaign has attempted to show it has a tough foreign policy stance. Yet, Romney’s policies severely undermine U.S. and international security by encouraging the further proliferation of dangerous weapons.�
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