LAT/AP: Democrats Assail Bush's N. Korea Policy: "Asleep at the switch"

[DeepModem Mom]

Democrats Assail Bush's N. Korea Policy
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
October 9, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Democrats seized on North Korea's brazen act to criticize President Bush's record in confronting the communist regime, contending the administration's focus on Iraq ignored legitimate threats.

Democratic Sen. John Kerry, the president's rival in 2004 and a potential 2008 candidate, assailed Bush's policy as a "shocking failure," and said, "While we've been bogged down in Iraq where there were no weapons of mass destruction, a madman has apparently tested the ultimate weapon of mass destruction."

One month before midterm elections, North Korea's reported nuclear test provided Republicans an opportunity to shift the focus from their embarrassing -- and politically explosive -- congressional page scandal to national security....Seizing on North Korea's actions to argue Republicans are stronger on security than Democrats is riddled with pitfalls and leaves the GOP's standard-bearer -- Bush -- as well as his rank-and-file vulnerable to criticism....

***

In the nearly five years since Bush labeled North Korea part of an "axis of evil" with Iran and Iraq, Kim Jong Il's government has withdrawn from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, announced it has nuclear weapons, refused to return to six-nation talks and launched seven missiles into the Sea of Japan, including a long-range Taepodong-2....

***

"We had the opportunity to stop North Korea from increasing its nuclear power, but George Bush went to sleep at the switch while he pursued his narrow agenda in Iraq," added Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat in a tough campaign in New Jersey....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/ats-ap_top11oct09,0,7067877.story

[Beetwasher]

1. Repubs Grasping At This FAILURE And Claiming They Are BETTER on Security

It's mind boggling. But let them go for it. Let them shift the dialogue to security using NK to make their point.

It's like the Captain of the Titanic claiming he's the best navigator on the planet.

[Phredicles]

2. Good, as far as it goes.

I'd've also liked to see Democratic senators like Kerry point out that the reasonably promising situation left by Clinton and Madeline Albright at the start of 2001 was completely scuttled by the Shrub's reckless push for a more confrontational, testosterone-laden approach to NKorea. But "Bush blew it" will do for the present purposes.

[coalition_unwilling]

15. The hypocrisy of the U.S. position is staggering. We not only refuse

to dis-arm as called for in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we have, under BFEE aegis, begun R&D on a new generation of nukes. For us to lecture any country on nuclear proliferation leaves me wondering exactly which planet I live on.

[David Zephyr]

3. George Bush's Katrina Foreign Policy

is just like his Katrina Domestic Policy.

[JoFerret]

4. Asleep, yes. But also

...a determined policy of roll back Clinton's effective containment strategy; and a refusal to consider talking to enemies and idiots as a possible way forward.

A classic example of the failure of black/ white; us/ them; us/ evildoers conservative politics in which negotiation and and treaties and treating people with any jot of respect are demonized as appeasment because "we" know best always. Hence we have all three of the axis of evil now fully empowered, armed and very dangerous. Thank you neo con-fidence tricksters.

[sutz12]

5. Must.... not.... get.... complacent.....

Repeat after me.

Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.
Must not get complacent.

[jefferson_dem]

6. But....but "toe sucker" Morris and Shammity were just saying that no one

should politicize this security issue. They do so "at their own peril." LOL! Those no-good bastards got 'nuthin. They are out of excuses. The last bastion for scoundrels...beg for mercy.

[calimary]

7. "Asleep at the switch" is spot-on.

Here's what I wrote about it...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2873896

[LynnTheDem]

8. "Why should I care about North Korea?" said bush, annoyed at being

constantly warned about NK's nuclear progress.

[0007]

9. junior ain't too bright!

[krkaufman]

12. Right Wing propaganda cartoon

Posits that Iraq is dead and gone and the remaining 4 at the table are next in the sights; rather than the reality that Iraq has bogged-down US forces and drained our resources and political alliances, and that the remaining "Axis" members are taking the opportunity to create "disincentives" to our attacking them.

[warishell]

13. Its a 3 year old cartoon

and the artist should be embarassed for getting it so wrong. N Korea & Iran have hardly listened have they. The only message they took from Iraq was the sooner we get nukes the better.

[truthisfreedom]

10. the maladmin has two choices: announce that the test in NK was NOT

nuclear after all, and thereby they HAVEN'T taken their "eye off the ball", or announce that it was nuclear, and keep up their message of fear (which hasn't been working because we simply aren't sensitive to it anymore.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

11. Makes me think we need to have a dead man's switch in place.

[sidpleasant]

14. We could let a giant sentient computer run the US' defense systems

It could be called, oh, I don't know, how does "Colossus" sound?

[Freedom_from_Chains]

16. Actually, I kind of like Skynet. What do you think? n/t