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Year: 2010

Kim Jong Il: Please pay attention to me

Like clockwork, the North Korean regime sends out another “invade us and we’ll nuke you” threat. Same ol’ song and dance.

North Korea on Saturday warned it was prepared to use nuclear weapons if it was invaded by the US and South Korea. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) carried the remarks by the North’s Joint Chief, General Ri Yong-Ho, during a national meeting on the eve of the birthday of the communist country’s armed forces. ”The revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK (North Korea) are fully ready to frustrate any provocation of the aggressors at a single blow,” Ri said. ”They will mobilise all means including the nuclear deterrent.

Theory: Kim reads the internet. He watches a lot of campy Hollywood DVD movies too but that’s beside the point. If he thinks the homeland isn’t getting enough press, he sends out out one of these little nuke rants. Presto, instant newsmaker. Works like a charm. One of the Sunday shows will have it, and it’ll probably play during the press gaggle at the White House on Monday too.

Yawn.

Go back to your lives, citizens.

Repeal all of Obamacare?

Lest you think the GOP is gearing up for a quick November 2010 election win and an even quicker repeal of Health Care Reform, think again.

In a brief chat with the Huffington Post on Tuesday, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair John Cornyn (R-Tex.) implicitly acknowledged that Republicans are content with allowing some elements of Obama’s reform into law. And they’d generally ignore those elements when taking the fight to their Democrat opponents as November approaches.

Realistically, a full repeal is probably a loser position in November. After all, when asked, most Republicans in Congress are quick to note that there are points of agreement with Democrats on certain aspects of Health Care Reform. You know, the whole pre-existing conditions stuff, etc.

I was just wondering how long it would take for someone in the party to speak up and “clarify” the campaign year position on what it means to get rid of Obamacare. For the record, it took just over two hours after the bill got signed. Expect more “clarity” as we get closer to fall.

I Love Reality

Wait for it.

So here’s a prediction for you: Obamacare is not going to happen, regardless of the fact that the president is going to sign it into law today, regardless of what happens in the 2010 and 2012 elections, and regardless of any speech given anywhere in Washington. The government’s ability to simply say “Make it so!” and ignore economic reality is coming up against its limit. If Nancy Pelosi thinks the Republicans are obstructionists, wait until she wants to borrow money from people who don’t want to lend it to her and don’t have to run for reelection.

Obamacare will be a huge new outlay on an already bloated federal budget, two-thirds of which is committed to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, national defense, and interest payments on the national debt. Somebody’s not going to get paid. Bond investors are worried that it’s going to be them, but my bet is that it’s going to be those who have put their faith in Obamacare. But, hey, it was fun while it lasted. Have a Tylenol.

— Kevin Williamson is a deputy managing editor of National Review.

You can read the whole thing here.

I’m a realist too, and what Williamson says makes a whole lot of sense. When it comes to tough choices, the entitlements with the most longevity will win the day. They’ll be paid, while Obamacare won’t. So, yeah, take a Tylenol.