I'm Going to Count to Three...

National security adviser Stephen J. Hadley hit the pundit shows last Sunday to talk about the North Korea situation.

"We've seen some evidence that says that they may be preparing for a nuclear test," he said, speaking of U.S. intelligence reports. Why we should give more credence to these reports than the reports on Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, he didn't say.

But should the reports be true, and North Korea conducts a nuclear test, "Action would have to be taken," Hadley said. But he declined to say what that action might be.

And what steps have we taken to prevent such a test?

"We have talked to our allies about that," Hadley said. He didn't explain why we haven't talked to North Korea about it.

One of the allies we have talked to is China, our biggest, bestest buddy in the Axis of Evil. But China has shown little interest in pressuring North Korea, now one of its significant trading partners, into curbing its nuclear weapons program. (Assuming it really has one.)

Nonetheless, Hadley played down the differences between China and the U.S. on the North Korean issue. "We're comfortable that we are all on the same page," he said.

Hadley must have been referring to the page that says America's nuclear non-proliferation policy is a total bust.

JLH