Inside the Beltway

LITTLE CHANGE

President Bush, Oct. 9, 2006, 9:58 a.m.:

“Last night, the government of North Korea proclaimed to the world that it had conducted a nuclear test … . The United States condemns this provocative act. Once again, North Korea has defied the will of the international community, and the international community will respond. This was confirmed this morning in conversations I had with leaders of China and South Korea, Russia and Japan … and all of us agreed that the proclaimed actions taken by North Korea are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response by the United Nations Security Council.”

President Obama, May 25, 2009, 6:22 a.m.:

“Today, North Korea said that it has conducted a nuclear test in violation of international law … . These actions, while not a surprise given its statements and actions to date, are a matter of grave concern to all nations. North Korea’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile program, constitute a threat to international peace and security. By acting in blatant defiance of the United Nations Security Council, North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community.”

NEWT’S BACK

As the Republican Party continues its search for a leader, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas sends out this invitation:

“Please join Republican leadership and me on June 8th in Washington, D.C., for the 2009 Senate-House Dinner with keynote speaker Newt Gingrich. If you’ve ever watched Newt on TV and thought ‘I’d like to meet this guy,’ this is your chance!”

‘THE LADY’

Wow, was the Anchorage Daily News unkind to visiting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the Memorial Day weekend, or what?

Accompanied by a handful of members of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Mrs. Pelosi dropped into Alaska en route to China. Here’s how the state’s largest newspaper - in the Alaska Ear column - summed up her visit, under the headline “Get over yourself”:

“Who knew House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was more important than, say, a president? The lady was in Anchorage Friday, one of those Asia-bound stopover things. She went from Elmendorf to the Alaska Native Heritage Center a little after 3 p.m. to meet and greet those deemed worthy, which is fine. George and Laura Bush did the same thing once.

“The difference is, the Bushes were straightforward about it. No interviews, by invitation only, but take all the photos you want. By contrast, everyone denied any knowledge of a Pelosi visit, even when security flanked the center and asked each other if ‘the speaker’ had arrived yet …

“Ear completely understands Pelosi not wanting to talk to any nosy reporters. Really, darlings, how many times should she be forced to tie herself in knots about the ‘nuances’ of her knowledge/approval of torture? But to pretend she wasn’t here? And no news photos? Wonder if her official itinerary listed her as being at ‘an undisclosed location.’ ”

AL GORE, 1984

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