From the Cable: As the Obama administration finishes up negotiations over the lynchpin of its strategy of hitting the "reset button" on U.S. relations with Russia, the "New START" nuclear arms reduction treaty, the big lingering question on everyone’s mind is: Will the Senate actually be able to ratify the deal?

Senior Democratic senators, who strongly support the new treaty, aren’t so sure.

"It’s going to be hard to get it ratified," said Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin, D-MI, in a Tuesday interview with The Cable. Levin said he hadn’t done a vote count, but wasn’t confident the treaty will get the 67 votes needed to make it the law of the land.

"I’m not even sure we’ll get a referral from the Foreign Relations Committee," Levin added, promising to at least hold hearings on the issue. (photo: Jim Young/Reuters)