The agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear stockpiles represents a major foreign policy achievement. One problem, though: they’ll need 8 Senate Republicans to cement it into law. In an environment where getting ONE Republican to overcome a filibuster is hard enough, that seems like an almost impossible task.

Senatior Administration officials seem to be taking this as a simple task, saying that there have always been “large bipartisan majorities” for foreign policy achievements of this type. Well, this isn’t your father’s GOP, and it amazes me that even Hillary Clinton – originator of the term “vast right-wing conspiracy” – would be saying this. Basically, any toehold that Republicans can gain as a pretense to stop this thing – and it looks like missile defense will be that toehold – will be used.

Robert Gates, who served as defense secretary for George W. Bush and as a national security official for most GOP administrations going back to Gerald Ford, repeatedly and personally vouched that the treaty does not constrain any plans for European missile defense — a Republican priority — adding that it might “hopefully make [the Russians] a partner in a European-wide defense capability” at some point in the future. But between the treaty and the administration’s $5 billion request for maintaining the existing U.S. nuclear stockpile, “I think we addressed the concerns that may have been on the Hill.” Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher, who helped negotiate the treaty, added that “this is a strategic offensive weapons treaty,” and discussions with the Russians all focused on that — meaning that missile defense isn’t impacted by its provisions — and the schedule for the phased deployment of the missile shield in Romania is similarly unimpacted.

Good thing Republicans have never been known to lie!

Richard Lugar (R-IN) is one of the few Republicans who can be expected to bolt from the party line on this, and his initial statement was positive.

“I commend the U.S. and Russian delegations for months of dedicated effort. I look forward to the President’s submission of the new treaty, its protocols, annexes and all associated documents to the Senate for advice and consent to ratification. I also look forward to working with Chairman Kerry to begin scheduling hearings and briefings for the Foreign Relations Committee so that we can work quickly to achieve ratification of the new treaty.”

Still, imagine eight Republicans making that statement. I can’t – in fact, I cannot find one other Senate Republican saying a word about this major foreign policy treaty so far today.