North Korea

[Stan]

Nuclear testing

Firing off test missiles.

Thought they were making headway.

We sent over 700,000 servings of soup a while back as starvation is at an all time high there.

YET I have to wonder, if another president had not threatened them with a nuclear attack would they have spent their resources on this?

[carolaa]

It's not just a previous president. Obama is refusing to take any options off the table.

[Woody]

For some reason ... Obama as president is not the same as Obama as candidate.

[Planey]

For some reason ... Obama as president is not the same as Obama as candidate.

You are right.

Obama as President seems much more assured, more confident.

A true statesman.

Graeme

[lazarus]

For some reason ... Obama as president is not the same as Obama as candidate.

Cos he is now the President, he has the power, the means, the responsibility. The talking is done. Its now time to do.

GWB's (Rove) strategy was to always be in campaign mode. Everything was done with an eye on the election. They won elections but damaged the country.

[Dr. Shane]

I cannot see how anyone could believe that Bush's strategy was always in campaign mode. He acted like he was above responding to criticism. The fact that he rarely defended his policies drove his approval rating to be one of the lowest ever. He lost Congress and to a large degree is responsible for the Republicans losing the White House.

[Dr. Shane]

if another president had not threatened them with a nuclear attack would they have spent their resources on this?

Who threatened them with a nuclear attack? Did Reagan do that? I know Trueman fired General McArther over the issues of nukes and North Korea.

[Stan]

GWB eluted to that with them and Iran.

[lazarus]

I cannot see how anyone could believe that Bush's strategy was always in campaign mode.

How about Scott McClellan?

He suggests the president and his aides were in permanent campaign mode, putting politics above principle, and chronicles how a "state of denial" led to the mishandling of the response to Hurricane Katrina.

[phkrause]

You wouldn't have a source for that would you? Not that I don't believe you, I'm just curious to read that myself.

pk

[carolaa]

I think you can find it in his book "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House."

[carolaa]

I've heard him talk about that in interviews.

[CyberGuy]

Originally Posted By: Redwood

For some reason ... Obama as president is not the same as Obama as candidate.

You are right.

Obama as President seems much more assured, more confident.

A true statesman.

Graeme

We shall see. Talk is cheap. When it comes to being a man of action we shall see if Obama is a weak president or a strong one. John F Kennedy was grossly underestimated by Russia and Cuba. We shall see if North Korea under estimates Obama or if they read him correctly. A man who will not take action when necessary.