Going Nuclear

I have just enough time to comment on a couple of stories about "going nuclear."

North Korea Testing Nukes?

Apropos of a recent report in the Houston Chronicle, Matt Drudge reported the following about a quarter after 5:00 p.m., my time.

The U.S. has quietly warned China that North Korea could be preparing for a nuclear-weapons test and asked the Chinese to urge Pyongyang to desist, according to a U.S. official.

In what the U.S. official characterized as an "emergency demarche," or diplomatic communication, delivered to Beijing Thursday, Washington said that, in light of recent North Korean words and actions, a test could be in the works.

The WALL STREET JOURNAL reported Friday evening: The demarche also says that the U.S. believes the North Korean nuclear program is advanced enough that a test could come with little or no warning.

Another official said the U.S. test fears also were being conveyed to South Korea and Japan, in addition to Beijing. Christopher Hill, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, is scheduled to visit all three countries next week.

In addition, the U.S. official said that spy satellites have observed heightened activity at missile sites as well as "at various suspect sites" in North Korea where it is believed underground tests could be carried out. But the official acknowledged that it is difficult to divine the true intent of that activity.

The ease with which North Korea can attack Seoul complicates things for us militarily, but I'd rather we come up with a way to do what Bothenook suggests rather than beg China for help.

Dick Cheney: Also Unfit for President

Awhile back, I noted that Jeb Bush had ruled himself out for serious consideration as a presidential candidate with his lawless behavior in the Terri Schiavo debacle. Today, Dick Cheney, who I had, until now, secretly hoped might change his mind and run in 2008, did the same with his threat to end the fillibuster, a de facto part of our system of checks and balances.

Vice President Dick Cheney warned Democrats Friday that he will cast the tie-breaking vote to ban filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees if the Senate deadlocks on the question.

Republicans are moving the Senate toward a final confrontation with Democrats over judicial nominations. Internal GOP polling shows that most Americans don't support Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's plan to ban judicial filibusters - a tactic in which opponents can prevent a vote on a nomination with just 41 votes in the 100-member Senate.

I don't remember who said this, but I would agree with the sentiment that if the Democrats would only shut their pieholes for the next few years, the Republicans would hand them their own heads on a silver platter.

The Republican bench gets thinner by the day.

-- CAV

Updates

4-24-05: Fixed a typo. Hat tip to Adrian Hester.