The Democrats new found power seems to have them experiencing a manic high, resulting in delusions of grandeur that include an irrational vision of the world where Congress is the head of the Executive Branch. First there was Senator Carl Levin, soon to be Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, proclaiming that the President must set a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Next up is Rep. Tom Lantos, who will likely chair the House International Relations Committee:
“The White House must try a new and bold approach to the vexing North Korean problem.”
Well, guess what the President must do… he must define foreign policy strategy (with input from several sources including Congress) and he must execute that strategy in the United States’ best interest because… news flash… he’s the President. So, what exactly is this “bold new strategy” Lantos and the other Dems say the President must try? From AP:
… a mission by Christopher Hill (US negotiator) would demonstrate “our peaceful intent,” said California Rep. Tom Lantos “the administration’s refusal to permit visits (by U.S. diplomats) to North Korea must end and must end now.”
There’s that “must” word again.
Rep. Brad Sherman of California proposed that the United States offer North Korea a nonaggression pact as part of a deal in which the North Koreans permanently and verifiably give up their nuclear weapons.
That’s always worked so well for us in the past, making bilateral deals with North Korea… they’ve never violated any of the previous agreements or done anything like continue with their nuclear program after we’ve pulled nukes out of South Korea, sent them aid and promised to play nice… great idea. (some history here)
The North Koreans are not going to just give up their nuclear weapons because we promise to not attack them. This is a source of national pride for them:
Siegfried Hecker, a former director of the Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory, met with chief North Korean nuclear scientists during his Oct. 31-Nov. 4 visit. … officials indicated the test was “fully successful.”
He said he and the small group of former U.S. officials who made the trip noticed a palpable sense of national pride about the test among the North Koreans they met.
Pandora’s Box has been opened and no amount of words or promises from the US is gonna get North Korea to just reverse course and give up what they view as a major weapon of mass extortion (WME). Even with pressure from China they’ve been reluctant to back off on the testing of additional nukes, but the Dems think we need to, you know, just all get along.
Rep. Gary Ackerman accused the administration of “dithering” and said the U.S. was placing too much reliance on China to stop North Korea’s programs.
Yeah, no point in including any regional powers in the discussions. Interesting… anywhere else in the world Bush is criticized by the Dems for “going it alone” but in North Korea he is criticized for NOT going it alone.
As Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns explained to the committee:
“The North Korean problem is a regional problem,” Burns said. “It poses a threat to all of its neighbors.”
It would be the ultimate in American imperialistic arrogance to enter into any kind of bilateral negotiations with the North Koreans while excluding China, South Korea, Japan, and Russia from any aspect of the process. Following the Democrat path would essentially send the message that this is a conflict between the US and North Korea (which it is not) and that these other countries have no role in what is clearly a regional issue.
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