On a Saturday close to election day, while the feeding frenzy created by the release of the Troopergate report distracted a media known for its love of bright, shiny objects, the Bush administration shamefacedly sneaked out the announcement that North Korea is no longer Public Enemy #1:

North Korea has agreed to U.S. demands for nuclear inspection of its facilities, and in response, the Bush administration has agreed to take the country off its terrorism blacklist.

Ye gods, man! You mean to tell me that when we negotiate with countries, they might actually listen to our concerns and agree to some safeguards? Inconceivable!

This news, mumbled as it was, completely unhinged the neocons. Like we couldn’t see that coming:

The move was immediately criticized by conservatives, who were concerned about the effect it would have on Iran. “We are also sending a strong message to other rogue nations, such as Iran and Syria, that we will not hold them to their commitments, even as we give in to their demands,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has moved to the right of the Bush administration, yesterday blasting the anticipated announcement as, essentially, “appeasement.”

Um. Excuse me. North Korea had to agree to things we wanted them to agree to before we threw them a bone. I don’t think Iran and Syria are going to get the idea anytime soon that we’re “appeasing” them. It’s only in neocon land that diplomacy of any sort is seen as namby-pamby appeasement. In the real world, we call it statecraft.

The Bush regime, in its final months, has had to grow up in a few respects. I can only hope the neocon fuckwits will eventually follow suit, or get so busy sucking their thumbs and clutching their security blankets that they can’t scream like an uber-paranoid Chicken Little every time the adults come to an accord.

Does anyone know where I can get a good deal on pacifiers?