From a reader:

Jonah,
I certainly agree that NK’s nuke represents a failure of US policy. That
policy has been to rely on the UN and “multilateral” engagement. This is
the same policy we are using with respect to Iran. That will also fail. (I
suspect that the American electorate will real soon become *very* frustrated
with Bush’s approach to Iran.)
However, the NK development presents Bush with a strategic opportunity. He
can now say that multilateral negotiations that are ultimately predicated on
the sanity or trustworthiness of America’s enemies are simply insufficient to
stop a rogue state from getting a nuke. “We tried that road, and it did
not work.” And after this morning, who could argue?
Bush is now free to abandon these useless multilaterial dances, and go right
to where I believe he knows he must ultimately go: US enforcement of the
peace. If he reasserts the Bush doctrine, and if the GOP ruthlessly draws
the distinction between that doctrine and the “let’s-retreat-to-Okinawa”
party, they win next month.
If they don’t, then our serious efforts to deal with an incipient nuclear
crisis or holocaust will be hamstrung by unserious and juvenile Dems
controlling the House.
My best,