Democrats run out of excuses for Norks

Opinion Journal:

Right after North Korea's first nuclear test, in October 2006, Senator Bob Menendez explained that the event "illustrates just how much the Bush Administration's incompetence has endangered our nation." The New Jersey Democrat hasn't said what he thinks North Korea's second test says about the current Administration, so allow us to connect the diplomatic dots.

At the time of the first test, the common liberal lament was that Kim Jong Il was belligerent only because President Bush had eschewed diplomacy in favor of tough rhetoric, like naming Pyongyang to the "axis of evil." Never mind that the U.S. had continued to fulfill its commitments under the 1994 Agreed Framework, including fuel shipments and the building of "civilian" nuclear reactors, until the North admitted it was violating that framework in late 2002. Never mind, too, that by 2006 the Bush Administration had participated in multiple rounds of six-party nuclear talks, or that it had promised to normalize relations with the North.

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There is more on the diplomacy and the concessions met by bad faith on the part of the North Koreans. But this post is not just about Nork bad faith. That is so obvious that it probably gets more attention than it deserves today. This post is about the bad faith political attacks of Democrats like Menendez and others.

Most intelligent people knew the problem was with the North Koreans and not the Bush administration, but Demcorats just looked at it as another opportunity to attack Bush. It is one reason why I have so little respect for Democrats in general. It is another reason why I look forward to elections as an opportunity to vote against Democrats.

Before this latest test the LA Times was talking about Secretary of State Clinton's "refreshing candor" in not talking to North Korea. Who do these people think they are fooling?