STARTLING - AT 9:27 A.M. ET:  Meeting with President Sarkozy of France, the president, possibly inadvertently, made a startling admission today, as reported by The New York Times.  He made this statement, with his usual "we're tough" theme:

Labeling North Korea’s behavior “extraordinarily provocative,” Mr. Obama said: “Diplomacy has to involve the other side engaging in a serious way in trying to solve problems, and we have not seen that kind of reaction from North Korea,” Mr. Obama said. “We are going to take a very hard look on how we move forward on these issues,” Mr. Obama said. “I don’t think there should be an assumption that we will simply continue down a path in which North Korea is constantly destabilizing the region and we just react in the same ways.”

But then this:

He added: “We are not intending to continue a policy of rewarding provocation.”

Say what?  The president thus confirms what his critics have been saying all along, that he's been rewarding North Korea for its actions.

As Jack Benny profoundly put it:  "Well!"

That is quite a statement.  But now the question is whether he will follow it up with action, or simply a tougher statement.  Wait 'til the left wing of the Democratic Party hears about Obama's admission.  They'll be up in arms.  No, wait.  They don't believe in arms.  Only disarmament.  So they'll be up in disarms.

June 6, 2009