Ed Fallon does not get enough recognition for what he does for progressives on the Fallon Forum and we should not take his work for granted. In my case, the appearance provided a venue to counter the narrative that developed quickly in the wake of Senate ratification of New START. The narrative is that New START was such a heavy lift for the Obama administration that the nuclear disarmament policy initiative outlined by the President in Prague is dead. Nothing could be further from the truth and Ed helped get the message out.

Rose Gottemoeller thanked activists who advocated for New START after the Senate vote on the treaty. Gottemoeller is Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Arms Control, Compliance and Verification and the principal US negotiator for New START. During the conference call she indicated that the administration plans to begin negotiations with the Russian Federation regarding tactical nuclear weapons. This is unprecedented in the history of U.S. arms control and addresses one of the criticisms of New START, that it did not address tactical nuclear weapons.

Reuters also reported on an interview with White House coordinator for arms control, Gary Samore who listed nuclear disarmament items the administration is considering for 2011. The plain truth is that after eight months of work bringing members up to speed on the New START Treaty, the US Senate is better prepared to consider issues related to arms control and nuclear disarmament than it has been in a long time. The path is paved to advance the agenda on non-proliferation. A much different narrative than we are hearing, and closer to the truth.

As I drove home from the radio station, I tuned in and heard the first half hour of Hannity, which leads into the Fallon Forum at 7:00 PM. Once I got past the nausea caused by the hagiography of Ronald Reagan and by guest host Brian Mudd's plan to stimulate the economy by each of us going out and spending ten dollars on something we want at a small business, I realized how tenuous progressive radio is in Iowa. While the Fallon Forum has a growing audience, it is no match for the 17 million listeners Hannity claims.

We should do what we can to support progressive talk radio, and we can begin by wishing Ed Fallon a Happy New Year and thanking him for his work. Click here to send Ed an e-mail now.