Washington — Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tells National Review Online that he is comfortable with the emerging deal on tax cuts, but hopes that any agreement will lead to a prompt debate on the New START treaty — not more fiddling with the Senate calendar.

“I thought that’s what out agreement was,” Lugar says. “Do the tax thing, do the (continuing resolution) and omnibus, then START.” If that isn’t the case — Lugar is worried that Senate Democrats may try to bring up a slew of other issues — then the Indiana Republican will not be happy.

“Now, already, some (senators) are saying that it is not time for START after all. That is very disturbing to me,” Lugar says.