A U.S. Democrat to Go to North Korea for Nuclear Talks

[Rose Siding]

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, a United Nations ambassador in the Clinton administration who has long maintained contacts with North Korea, will travel next week to Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, for talks aimed at persuading the North to give up its nuclear arms program, Mr. Richardson's office and the Bush administration said Thursday.

Mr. Richardson, a prominent Democrat, said that he would not represent the United States as an official negotiator but that his trip was intended "to move the diplomatic process forward," following an agreement in principle reached last month in the six-nation talks involving North Korea and the United States and its partners, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China.

"I am not an official envoy, but I am supportive of the administration's new policy to engage the North Koreans through dialogue and diplomacy," Mr. Richardson said Thursday in an interview.
....
An official in Mr. Richardson's group said that North Korea had invited the governor to come to North Korea in late May and again later in the summer, but each time the Bush administration declined to give its approval. The first time, the administration was still trying to coax North Korea back to the bargaining table. The second time, the talks were at a delicate phase.

http://nytimes.com/2005/10/14/politics/14korea.html?hp&ex=1129262400&en=da16be802c12dfd0&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[rpannier]

1. Finally gonna send a real diplomat

[PATRICK]

2. the "new policy"

is baloney, in case Richardson doesn't know it, but mainly the WH plate is too full to bother with NK right now, one of several unnatural catastrophes that would give absolute martial power to the WH. Whatever diplomatic support he has for the Bush team in fact he would have more support from NK than anyone in our mad regime.

Still, whatever good he can do would be of service to all the sane people.
It is just that he would receive 100% less Bushco support than Powell ever got for his foreign policy initiatives.

Would that it were not so obvious and carved in stone and that the civilized subtleties of peacemaking actually had a chance with the loonies in charge in DC.

[applegrove]

3. Finally - reach out for expertise. I was so convinced that on 9/11 Bush

WH would have reached out to the greatest minds in America and solved the bin Ladin issue. Boy was I wrong. They created that little Whig thing instead.

Please - keep reaching out to "excellence" on these matters. The world needs the "excellence of the USA". Not Rummy.

[noahmijo]

4. Aw shit now the repukes are going to say Democrats to offer to sell NK

Stealth Fighter planes that Dubya worked so hard to build and secure.


Ahh I dunno I'm just too freaking bitter at the moment, the fact that we have to send diplomats from our own party because the current ruling party is made up fucking incompetent cowardly turds that couldn't be trusted to succeed in a game of capture the flag.

[NVMojo]

5. N.M. Governor Heads to N. Korea Nuke Talks

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Gov. Bill Richardson, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Clinton presidency, is heading overseas next week for talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear arms program.

Richardson leaves Saturday and will arrive in North Korea on Monday for three days of talks, his spokesman, Pahl Shipley, said late Thursday.

The trip was first reported on The New York Times Web site.

Richardson told the newspaper that he won't represent the United States as an official negotiator but said the trip is intended "to move the diplomatic process forward" after an agreement last month in talks between North Korea and the United States.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2005/oct/13/101302748.html