Print media reported McCain's call for nuclear arms talks with Russia, without noting his proposal to exclude Russia from the G8

Reporting on Sen. John McCain's May 27 speech on nuclear security, the Associated Press, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post all described McCain's claim that he would pursue nuclear arms reduction talks with Russia, but did not mention that McCain has also called for excluding Russia from the Group of Eight (G8). By contrast, The New York Times reported that "McCain's talk of nuclear cooperation with Russia raised questions about how receptive Moscow might be to Mr. McCain if he were elected, when another of the senator's proposals -- excluding Russia from the Group of Eight industrialized countries -- seems sure to test relations."

McCain proposed excluding Russia and China from the G8 in a March 26 speech on foreign policy before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. Writing about McCain's proposal for the G8, Newsweek International editor Fareed Zakaria called it "the most radical idea put forward by a major candidate for the presidency in 25 years," adding, "Yet almost no one noticed." Zakaria wrote further:

What McCain has announced is momentous -- that the United States should adopt a policy of active exclusion and hostility toward two major global powers. It would reverse a decades-old bipartisan American policy of integrating these two countries into the global order, a policy that began under Richard Nixon (with Beijing) and continued under Ronald Reagan (with Moscow). It is a policy that would alienate many countries in Europe and Asia who would see it as an attempt by Washington to begin a new cold war.

From the May 27 Associated Press article:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain called Tuesday for talks with China to negotiate a temporary halt to production of nuclear weapons-grade material and with Russia on a new treaty to destroy more nuclear weapons.

"Today we deploy thousands of nuclear warheads," McCain said. "It is my hope to move as rapidly as possible to a significantly smaller force." He did not set a specific goal but said the number would be consistent with U.S. security and global commitments.

[...]

Noting that the United States and Russia "no longer are mortal enemies," McCain said the two countries, as the owners of the majority of the world's nuclear weapons, "have a special responsibility to reduce their number."

The Arizona senator said the U.S. should "enter into a new arms control agreement with Russia reflecting the nuclear reductions I will seek."

He also called for exploring with Russia the possible elimination of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, and the sharing of early warning data and prior notification of missile launches. And he said he'd be willing to seriously consider Russia's recent proposal to extend the reach of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty to the entire globe and to take another look at the failed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to overcome the shortcomings that prompted him to oppose it in 1999.

From the May 28 Reuters article:

Republican candidate John McCain edged further away from U.S. President George W. Bush on foreign policy on Tuesday even as he accepted Bush's help in raising much-needed campaign dollars for his White House bid.

The Arizona senator said in a speech that he would pursue nuclear arms reduction talks with Russia and China as part of a foreign policy vision that brings back "broad-minded internationalism and determined diplomacy."

"It is a vision not of the United States acting alone, but building and participating in a community of nations all drawn together in this vital common purpose. It is a vision of a responsible America, dedicated to an enduring peace based on freedom," McCain said.

Bush has often been accused of going to war against Iraq without broad international support and participation, a policy that his critics charge has damaged the U.S. image abroad.

[...]

McCain's non-proliferation objectives would go beyond the Bush administration.

He proposed more nuclear arms reductions, said he would consider Russia's proposal to expand an intermediate range nuclear weapons treaty, expressed a willingness to talk to China about arms reductions, and backed an overseas nuclear waste repository to avoid building a controversial storage facility in Nevada.

From the May 28 Wall Street Journal article:

John McCain said he would reduce the number of nuclear weapons held by the U.S. and promised to pursue a binding arms-control treaty with Russia as he worked to soften his image as a hard-line supporter of the Iraq war.

[...]

He said he would seek a binding treaty with Russia to reduce nuclear weapons on both sides, replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires next year. The Bush administration has opposed binding agreements.

Sen. McCain said he would share more information with the Russians about the U.S. missile-defense program, which he supports, and "seriously consider" Russia's proposal to extend the U.S.-Russia Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty to other countries. He said he would explore ways to reduce tactical nuclear weapons in Europe.

He also called for a treaty to ban production of the fissile material needed to build a nuclear bomb, something Sen. Obama has called for as well.

[...]

The McCain campaign was eager to characterize the speech as a break with the Bush administration. A memo with speech highlights prepared by an aide was titled, "Senator McCain Positions on Nuclear Security: Contrasts with the Bush Administration."

Several outsiders agreed. Robert Einhorn, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an adviser to Sen. Clinton, said Sen. McCain's call for a binding treaty with Russia goes beyond what President Bush supports.

From the May 28 Washington Post article:

Sen. John McCain called for a new nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia on Tuesday, staking out a position on nonproliferation somewhat at odds with the policies of the Bush administration.

In a speech at the University of Denver, the presumptive Republican nominee said "it is my hope to move as rapidly as possible to a significantly smaller force" of nuclear weapons -- "the lowest possible number" -- though he gave no goals or targets. While Bush has said he does not want to reduce U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals below 1,700 to 2,200 deployed strategic nuclear weapons -- a reduction by more than half -- McCain suggested he would seek a new agreement with lower targets, though he did not give a precise figure.