April 3, 2004
VENUE SHOPPING:
N.Korea Seen Stalling in Nuclear Row Until U.S. Vote (Paul Eckert and Martin Nesirky, 4/02/04, Reuters)
North Korea seems to have lost interest in nuclear talks until after the U.S. presidential election in November, despite strenuous Chinese efforts to keep Pyongyang engaged, South Korean experts said on Thursday.China's foreign minister emerged a week ago from a trip to North Korea voicing optimism about the six-party negotiations. But days later, Pyongyang state media flatly rejected the goals set out by Washington, Tokyo and Seoul, the experts said.
"I don't think North Korea is very serious about six-party talks," said Choi Jin-wook, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
"Until the next American president is decided, the possibility of negotiations is very slim," added Cheon Seong-whun, an arms control expert at South Korea's top North Korea think tank. [...]
"After the Iraq war, North Korea was very serious about negotiating with the United States," Choi said.
"They accepted six-party talks even though they strongly demanded bilateral talks," sharply reversing course out of fear of being the next U.S. target, he said.
"Now they think George W. Bush is in trouble and his chances are declining and he can't do anything on the peninsula because he is preoccupied with Iraq," Choi said.
So let's see, those foreign leaders looking for a Kerry win now include: Hugo Chavez of Venezuela; that paea-eating surrender monkey the Spanish elected; Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad ; Kim Jong-il... Anyone who's not despicable care to speak up? Posted by Orrin Judd at April 3, 2004 7:33 AM
The left is saying that it's right-wing propaganda to say our enemies would rather have Kerry as president of the US than Bush.
I don't think that word means what they think it means.
Posted by: NKR at April 3, 2004 8:50 AM"Propaganda" does not imply untrue. So, yes, it is right-wing propaganda. Spread it.
Posted by: David Cohen at April 3, 2004 9:54 AMShow me an anti-American of any nationality and I'll show you a Kerry supporter.
Posted by: genecis at April 3, 2004 11:08 AMMmmmm...paella.
Posted by: HT at April 3, 2004 11:39 AMKerry should have declared in early March or so that he had no problem with Bush's foreign policy, and to expect more of the same under President Kerry. Having taken the whole war off the table, he could then proceed to pound Bush and the GOP on all sorts of domestic issues, where there's much to criticize. As for the Deaniacs, a leader would tell them in no uncertain terms that if they can't deal with that, they're welcome to work and vote for Ralph. (I've come to believe that their "hold onto the loony base at all costs" policy is going to lose the Dems votes.)
Instead, he's spent the last month, and will spend the rest of the summer, fending off stuff like this. People aren't as stupid and ill-informed as the Dems have come to expect. And maybe it will cause the post-election Dem implosion to be so complete that a new, competive "loyal opposition" party can be in place by 2008.
Isn't part of that, Raoul, that the Dems are not willing to concede, in practice, that 9/11 made any difference in domestic politics? This is implicit in their argument that Kerry is bound to win because everyone who voted for Gore is bound to vote for Kerry.
Posted by: David Cohen at April 3, 2004 5:17 PMDavid - good point. I'll bet there are at least 5 times the number of 2000 Gore voters switching to support Bush than 2000 Bush voters who will be voting for Kerry. Tough to overcome those numbers.
Posted by: jim hamlen at April 3, 2004 9:16 PMDavid:
Did you hear that Geoffrey Nunberg analysis of "propaganda"?
Posted by: oj at April 3, 2004 10:43 PMThe Sauds just endorsed by their latest OPEC move.
Posted by: Noel at April 4, 2004 4:45 PMI just went and tracked it down. Bleh.
Posted by: David Cohen at April 4, 2004 8:12 PM