Would a U.S. President Retaliate With Nuclear Weapons If Attacked?

One of the best shows the History Channel is Cities of the UnderWorld. Last night they were in San Fran and as usual it was very interesting. One dealt with a rather drastic defense against Russian and Chinese Bombers. Basically they went to the old complex where a Nuclear Weapon would be launched 28 miles out to destroy incoming planes ( I guess armed with Nuclear and Atomic Weapons). The bad side of this plan was that fall out would kill 25 percent of the residents.

Anyway as someone as a child lived in the last heated days of this I had some very legitimate worries that the 50 miles distance from myself and Barksdale Air force Base where the B-52's were on 24 Hour Call to Bomb the USSR ( and the much lesser known Bossier Base where a ton of Nuclear Weapons were Stored) were not nearly enough.

Now I guess there are tons of Catholic Moral questions to what would you do if you are the President and Missiles from the USSR and China are already in the air.

Douthat has a couple of interesting post to this as to what Reagan would have done faced with this nightmare scenario. I am afraid that are vacation from this might be ending soon.

See Armageddon's Choices and a good follow up at Armaggedon's Choices (II)