WE NEED MORE THAN WORDS – AT 8:58 A.M. ET:  The president addressed the new North Korean test last night.  By many knowledgeable accounts, this test advanced the North Korean nuclear program dramatically, bringing North Korea closer to mating a nuclear weapon to an intercontinental missile.  When done successfully, even if it's a matter of years, that will place many American cities within range of North Korean nuclear warheads. 

This is what the president said:

"Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only isolate them further, as we stand by our allies, strengthen our own missile defense, and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats," Obama said in his State of the Union address, delivered 24 hours after the North's test. 

That's nice.  Really good words.  But only words.  How will we "stand by our allies," especially South Korea and Japan?  We have failed them in every way by allowing North Korea to develop nuclear weapons, receiving only wrist slaps in response.  And how will we "lead the world" while cutting our defenses and bragging about how we "lead from behind"?  Don't you think, Mr. President, that the world sees our inaction in Syria, where the death toll, as of yesterday, was estimated by the UN to be more than 70,000?

This president is good at words, weak at action.  I don't think serious action can be put off much longer before Mr. Obama becomes a Carteresque laughingstock.

February 13, 2013