And now, for some really cheerful news!

Nicholas Kristof, writing in today's New York Times opines about the dire situation facing our relations and lack thereof with North Korea.

"North Korea is particularly awkward for Mr. Bush to discuss publicly because, as best we know, it didn't make a single nuclear weapon during Bill Clinton's eight years in office (although it did begin a separate, and secret, track to produce uranium weapons; it hasn't produced any yet but may eventually). In contrast, the administration now acknowledges that North Korea extracted enough plutonium in the last two years for about half a dozen nuclear weapons."

It now seems that Libya's nuclear material came from North Korea (while much technical assistance came from Pakistan). So now we have two concerns to worry about. The threat of a nuclear build-up in North Korea and the threat that the cash-strapped and isolated country will start to sell its wares. There comes a time when you have to realize that running a foreign policy on principle (especially when your lack of principles is quite evident) rather than results is a formula for disaster. Conservatives still proclaim Clinton coddled North Korea and rewarded them for their efforts. Well, Bush hasn't done this, but by doing nothing he has allowed them to create a greater threat to world peace than ever existed under the Democrats.

Oh, and try not to be wowed by the astonishing speed with which China leaps to Bush's assistance and exerts genuine pressure on North Korea.