US presidential nuclear codes 'lost for months'

[scandal 951]

Considering our current president muses on about our ability to absorb a major terrorist attack, there's a good chance he wouldn't launch a nuclear counterattack until most most of the retaliatory power is gone.

Cite? I think you're mistaken.

What Obama has done is to modify US policy (that's much more than 'muse') so that we will no longer consider using nukes against non-nuclear states who are signatories to the Nuclear Non proliferation treaty, even if they attacked us with other non conventional arms (e.g. chemical, biological). He reserved the usage of a US nuclear first-strike capability against nuclear armed nations, not breaking with that cornerstone of US policy throughout the cold war and beyond. Countries which are not NPT adherents (North Korea, Iran) also remain fair game for being hit in a first-strike or a retaliatory nuclear strike by the US.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6352YK20100407