With the Democrats' full-throated moralizing of late, I'm
almost tempted to vote for them -- although perhaps
"full-throated" is the wrong phrase to use with regard to
Democrats and sex scandals. The sudden emergence of the Swift
Butt Veterans for Truth demonstrates that the Democrats would
prefer to talk about anything other than national security.
Unfortunately for them, the psychotic Kim Jong Il seems to be
setting off nukes, raising the embarrassing issue of the Clinton
administration's 1994 "peace" deal with North Korea.
At least with former Rep. Mark Foley, you could say the
Democrats' hypocritical grandstanding was just politics. But in
the case of North Korea, Democrats are resorting to bald-faced
lies.
Current New Mexico governor and former Clinton administration
official Bill Richardson has been on tour, bragging about the
groundbreaking Clinton administration negotiations with North
Korea -- keeping his fingers crossed that no one has access to
news from 1994.
In 1994, the Clinton administration got a call from Jimmy
Carter -- probably collect -- who was with the then-leader of
North Korea, saying: "Hey, Kim Il Sung is a total stud, and I've
worked out a terrific deal. I'll give you the details later."
Clinton promptly signed the deal, so he could forget about
North Korea and get back to cheating on Hillary. Mission
accomplished.
Under the terms of the "agreed framework," we gave North Korea
all sorts of bribes -- more than $5 billion worth of oil, two
nuclear reactors and lots of high technology. In return, they
took the bribes and kept building nukes. This wasn't difficult,
inasmuch as the 1994 deal permitted the North Koreans to evade
weapons inspectors for the next five years.
Yes, you read that right: North Korea promised not to develop
nukes, and we showed how much we trusted them by agreeing to no
weapons inspections for five years.
The famed "allies," whom liberals claim they are so interested
in pleasing, went ballistic at this cave-in to North Korea. Japan
and South Korea -- actual allies, unlike France and Germany --
were furious. Even Hans Blix thought we were being patsies.
If you need any more evidence that it was a rotten deal, The
New York Times hailed it as "a resounding triumph."
At the time, people like William Safire were screaming from
the rooftops that allowing North Korea to escape weapons
inspections for five years would "preclude a pre-emptive strike
by us if North Korea, in the next U.S. president's
administration, breaks its agreement to freeze additional
bomb-making."
And then on Oct. 17, 2002 -- under a new administration,
you'll note -- The New York Times reported on the front page, so
you couldn't have missed it: "Confronted by new American
intelligence, North Korea has admitted that it has been
conducting a major clandestine nuclear weapons development
program for the past several years."
So when it comes to North Korea, I believe the Democrats might
want to maintain a discreet silence, lest anyone ask, "Hey, did
you guys do anything with North Korea?"
But by Richardson's lights, the only reason Kim Jong Il is
testing nukes is because Bush called him evil. He said, "When you
call him axis of evil or a tyrant, you know, he just goes crazy."
This is the sort of idiocy you expect to hear from an illiterate
like Keith Olbermann, not someone who might know people who read
newspapers.
Richardson also blames the war in Iraq, bleating that the poor
North Koreans feel "that there's too much attention on the Middle
East, on Iraq. So it's a cry for attention." If Kim just wanted
our attention, he could have started dating Lindsay Lohan. But
Richardson says Kim "psychologically feels he's been dissed, that
he's not treated with respect."
Damn that Bush! If only he had ignored the crazy Muslims and
dedicated himself into sending flowers (and more nuclear
reactors!) to North Korea, we could be actively helping Kim
develop his nukes like the Clinton administration did.
As Richardson said, Kim "wants us to negotiate with him
directly, as we did in the Clinton administration."
To go on TV and propose negotiating with North Korea like
Clinton did without ever mentioning that North Korea cheated on
that agreement before the ink was dry would be like denouncing
American aggression against Japan in 1942 and neglecting to
mention Pearl Harbor. Anyone who is either that stupid or that
disingenuous should not be allowed on TV.
When pressed by CNN's Anderson Cooper about the failed deal,
Richardson lied, claiming the 1994 deal prevented the North
Koreans from building nukes "for eight years" -- i.e., right up
until the day The New York Times reported the North Koreans had
been developing nukes "for the past several years."
Kim is crazier than any leader even South America has been
able to produce. In fact, he's so crazy, we might be able to get
the Democrats to take action. Someone tell Nancy Pelosi that the
"Dear Leader" is an actual pederast. Then we'll at least be able
to read his instant messages.