How do you solve a problem like Korea?

If you are running for relection, apparently, the way you solve it is by blaming the other side.

On Sunday, North Korea said it conducted its first-ever nuclear test.

"The Bush administration has for several years been in a state of denial about the growing challenge of North Korea, and has too often tried to downplay the issue or change the subject," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"We had the opportunity to stop North Korea from increasing its nuclear power, but George Bush went to sleep at the switch while he pursued his narrow agenda in Iraq," added Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat in a tough campaign in New Jersey.

Republicans, in turn, sought to deflect the criticism by lodging some of their own. They voiced their frequent claim that Democrats are weak on security - and dredged up Democratic votes they said illustrated their point.

House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, accused Democrats of standing in the way of work on a missile defense program. "It is now clear that such a position would weaken America's national defense and put Americans in danger," he said.

"Sherrod Brown's far left national security positions more troubling in light of North Korean missile test," the Senate Republicans' campaign committee said in a release that claims Brown voted a dozen times since 1993 to cut funding for ballistic missile defense.

Mindful of the tricky political subtext, some Republicans issued more carefully worded statements or refrained from attacking Democrats altogether.

GOP Sen. Rick Santorum, facing a bitter re-election battle, said in a barely veiled reference to Democrats - "North Korea's actions cause great concern. This is no time for inexperienced, weak leaders

We've got to do better than this. While Rick's schtick is disingenuous considering his "experienced" lot have had SIX years to address it and have only managed to preside over a steadily growing nuclear weapons threat from that beleaguered nation, this is a subject that really requires the grownups of both parties to take charge.

Just look at these photos--

Photos taken by a Russian Web Designer of North Korea.

Place is a ticking time bomb in many, many ways.

Submitted by Karen L.

Link