North Korea nuclear test now weapon in US election

[cal04]

(snip)
All year long, Democrats and Republicans have tried to use the issue of domestic security and and global security threats to gain the upper hand ahead of the high-stakes November 7 balloting, with "axis of evil" nation North Korea a top concern.

Republicans, fighting to retain control of Congress, used the North Korean bomb test to press the point that the country is safer in their hands, while Democrats are hoping that anxiety over Iraq-- and now possibly newly nuclear North Korea -- convinces voters to give them control of the legislature.

Democrats immediately charged that the reported North Korean nuclear tests were proof that Republicans had mismanaged US foreign policy by failing to engage with Pyongyang. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid charged that US President George W. Bush had dropped the ball, and mismanaged US international security priorities.

(snip)
"It is time for the Bush administration to finally change course from a failed North Korea policy," said Reid, the Senate's leading Democrat, slamming Washington's North Korea policy as "reckless and counterproductive."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061009/ts_alt_afp/nkoreanuclearweapons_061009211954