No time for Bush to see through 3 nuclear deals

India deal a reversal of U.S. policy
Talks with North Korea have gone much farther, but the big prize — actual destruction of weapons — is months away at least. The North, which exploded a nuclear device in 2006, is believed by experts to have produced enough weapons-grade plutonium to make as many as 10 nuclear bombs, and the U.S. has accused Pyongyang of running a second weapons program based on uranium.

The North is cooperating to mothball its main nuclear complex in return for energy aid and political concessions such as the terror list change. It is expected to resist giving up its stockpile of plutonium, and U.S. strategy for forcing Pyongyang's hand will fall to Bush's successor.

The proposed India deal would reverse three decades of U.S. policy toward a nuclear nation that once had close ties to the former Soviet Union.

Bush argues that the deal would empower a friendly democracy that has demonstrated what he sees as nuclear responsibility. India, in exchange for much-needed energy support, would open its civilian, but not its military, reactors to international inspections.

India has not signed international nonproliferation accords and has tested nuclear weapons.

Left to the next president, Congress
The 2005 proposal met fierce political opposition in India but survived a make-or-break vote this summer. It was approved by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency last week but must go through one more international review before Congress considers it.

Congress is scheduled to work less than a month before the end of the year, because of the Nov. 4 elections, meaning there is not time to introduce and pass the India measure on Bush's watch.

McCain is a strong supporter and Obama less so. Although Obama has said he had concerns about the deal at first he concluded it would strengthen U.S. relations with India.

Under either candidate, the India deal would probably go to Congress early next year.

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