Sam Nunn for VP ?

Samuel Augustus Nunn, Jr. (born September 8, 1938) is an American businessman and politician. Currently the co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NTI (Nuclear Threat Initiative), a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, Nunn served for twenty-four years as a United States Senator from Georgia (1972 until 1997) as a member of the Democratic Party. His political experience and strong credentials on national defense reportedly put him into consideration as a potential running mate for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, and have fueled rumors that he could be the running mate of Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama in 2008.

NTI Co-Chairman Sam Nunn speaks to an international conference on "Achieving the Vision of a World Free of Nuclear Weapons" in Oslo, Norway
Former Sen. Sam Nunn spoke to conference participants from 29 countries about the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and the steps that should be taken to reduce nuclear dangers and begin to make that vision a reality.

Steps to a safer world

The accelerating spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear know-how and nuclear material has brought us to a nuclear tipping point. We face a very real possibility that the deadliest weapons ever invented could fall into dangerous hands.

The steps we are taking now to address these threats are not adequate to the danger. With nuclear weapons more widely available, deterrence is decreasingly effective and increasingly hazardous.

Reassertion of the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and practical measures toward achieving that goal would be, and would be perceived as, a bold initiative consistent with America's moral heritage. The effort could have a profoundly positive impact on the security of future generations. Without the bold vision, the actions will not be perceived as fair or urgent. Without the actions, the vision will not be perceived as realistic or possible.

Former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and former Senator Sam Nunn have enumerated and endorsed ten steps — practical measures that would themselves reduce nuclear dangers right away.