Sen. Susan Collins says she's convinced that the treaty is in the country's best interest.

A full-page ad in today's Portland Press Herald is urging Maine Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to vote "no" on the new START nuclear arms treaty.

But Snowe, and Collins say they'll vote "yes." Collins says she's been convinced that the treaty is in the country's best interest.

"I've been briefed one-on-one with former National Security Advisor to the first President Bush, Brent Scowcroft, and I attended two classified sessions on the treaty," she says.

Snowe says the treaty will allow the U.S. to verify reductions in Russian nuclear arms. And Snowe says she's satisfied that the Obama administration plans to put enough funding into efforts to modernize what nuclear weapons will remain in the U.S. arsenal after the START treaty's reductions take effect.