Republicans AWOL From U.N. Sea Treaty Debate

By Cliff Kincaid

One of the disappointing spectacles during the two Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings on the U.N.’s Law of the Sea Treaty has been the complete absence of key Republicans such as Senators Norm Coleman and John Sununu. These members of the Foreign Relations Committee simply didn’t show up.

Coleman, who used to rail against U.N. corruption in the oil-for-food scandal, didn’t attend last Thursday’s hearing but did show up at the Heritage Foundation that same day at 11:00 am to give a speech on the Fairness Doctrine. I think the Fairness Doctrine is a big threat to free speech and have covered the issue extensively at www.aim.org Coleman is promoting the Broadcaster Freedom Act to counter this threat. But this issue will continue far beyond the debate and vote on the U.N.’s Sea Treaty. He didn’t show up for the October 4 or September 27 hearings on the treaty. Why? Read more...