It's the blame Bill game. Again.

At the very least, the Bush machine seems to hope N. Korea will move the page scandal off the front page. But how, oh how, do you make your policy failings work in your favor? No problemo. Blame Bill.

In his role as suck-up in chief to the current prez (hoping to get support to become next prez), formerly respect-worthy Sen. John McCain has taken on the task of pin-the-blame on the last prez.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/460704p-387461c.html

>>In a surprise attack, Sen. John McCain told Sen. Hillary Clinton yesterday it was her husband's fault - not the fault of President Bush - that North Korea may now have a nuclear bomb.<<

Have to wonder whether McCain's accusations will drown out the reality that Clinton's policies kept N. Korea from going nuclear, earlier.

Here's an old Wash Post article, in which then-Secy of State Colin Powell praises Clinton's thwarting N. Korea's continued plutonium production:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30476-2003Jan8?language=printer

>>[Powell] pointed to statements, communiques and a letter issued by President Bill Clinton during the 1994 negotiations "that gave the DPRK [North Korea] some assurances [on security] that they at least accepted at that time." Those "assurances" led to a freeze of North Korea's plutonium facility, which was recently reopened.

While many senior administration officials have been critical of Clinton's 1994 deal, saying it allowed an inevitable problem to fester, Powell lauded what is known as the Agreed Framework. "The previous administration I give great credit to for freezing that plutonium site," he said. "Lots of nuclear weapons were not made because of the Agreed Framework and the work of President Clinton and his team." <<

I don't know if Kim Jong Il is the unforeseen October surprise that will successfully divert attention from Foley, or if Bush will successfully dodge blame and smear Clinton. So far, his insane insistence that belligerence is the only answer has proven wrong on every front. But, is the average American too frightened to recognize this?