The nominee for Assistant Secretary of State is the hockeyly-named Kurt Campbell, who testified in his Senate confirmation hearings that the United States will not accept a nuclear North Korea.

Nor should it, and Mr. Campbell (80 GP, 20 G 36 A) correctly said the United States will and must protect South Korean and Japan. Quote: “If confirmed, I would use close bilateral and trilateral coordination with Tokyo and Seoul to make clear that neither the United States nor its allies will accept a nuclear North Korea….And there should be no mistake: the United States is firm in its resolve to uphold its treaty commitments regarding the defense of its allies.”

Campbell (LW, 48 PTS, 38 PIM) added that we would also welcome North Korea to re-enter dialogue.

So, we have an obligation to prevent a nuclear North, but would be happy to talk to them as well.

The Czar agrees with both ideas, but is a little shaky on what the game plan is and how it differs from the hand-sitting going on today. There is some promising talk there, but we cannot rely on talk—we need a concrete plan of action. Which we do not receive. And no one requires him to detail out what he means.

He seems perfect for the Obama administration, sadly.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.