Idle Threats

At least Senator John McCain (R-AZ) was laughing yesterday when he said in Iowa that he’d commit suicide if the Dems gain control of Congress in the November 7th elections. But President Bush was absolutely serious when he said the United States would stop North Korea from transferring nuclear weapons to Iran or al-Qaida and that North Korea would then face "a grave consequence." The delusional and grandiose Prez would not say exactly how the United States would retaliate. But in an ABC News interview he said, "You know, I'd just say it's a grave consequence. They’d be held to account.” The last time he used the phrase “grave threat”, was with regard to Saddam Hussein. "If we get intelligence that they're (North Korea) about to transfer a nuclear weapon, we would stop the transfer, and we would deal with the ships that were taking the - or the airplane that was dealing with taking the material to somebody," the president said. "The leader of North Korea has to understand that he'll be held to account. Just like he's being held to account now for having run a test," Bush said. So, which is it? Is the Bush administration going to “stop North Korea” and “deal with” ships or planes transferring nuclear materials? Or will Kim Jong-il be held to account “just like he’s being held to account now”? Because the way North Korea is being held to account now is by not holding North Korea to account. Bush probably believes his vow to ABC News that he would use whatever means necessary to keep North Korea from selling its nuclear arms to other countries, because George W. Bush is crazy as a loon. But even Dick Cheney, who has never served in a war, knows that the US would have to be able to back up an act of war with an army and we barely have enough men in Iraq. Bush just said that “it broke his heart” for American men to die in Iraq but to pull them out would mean defeat. A wiser, or at least a sane president, would not make rash claims about staying the course in Iraq plus plans for a new war in North Korea when he can’t get his approval rating above 38%. George W. Bush using “whatever means necessary” against North Korea is as unlikely as John McCain committing suicide when the Dems prevail in elections.