Marathon Pundit: John McCain speaks on nuclear security--disposes of hecklers

Senator John McCain gave a major speech this morning on nuclear proliferation and safety at the University of Denver.

Here are some excerpts from his speech:

North Korea pursues a nuclear weapons program to the point where, today, the dictator Kim Jong-Il has tested a nuclear weapon, and almost certainly possesses several more nuclear warheads. And it has shared its nuclear and missile know-how with others, including Syria. It is a vital national interest for the North Korean nuclear program to be completely, verifiably and irreversibly ended. Likewise, we have seen Iran marching with single-minded determination toward the same goal. President Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, and represents a threat to every country in the region – one we cannot ignore or minimize.

And...

Today we deploy thousands of nuclear warheads. It is my hope to move as rapidly as possible to a significantly smaller force.

And finally...

While the use of force may be necessary, it can only be as a last resort not a first step.

Unfortunately, some mental midgets chose this moment, and two others, to chant the "stop the endless war." McCain calmly responded to these infantile outbursts by suggesting they attend an upcoming town hall meeting with him, which would be a better venue for such discussions. He also remarked "I will never surrender in Iraq. Our American troops will come home with victory and with honor."

McCain received a standing ovation after he said that.

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