The Japanese government is warning the North Koreans they may shoot down that North Korean "satellite" if the Japanese deem it a threat to their territory. Since the North Koreans have already said such an act would be an act of war, this could get interesting.

A Russian general says Venezuela and Cuba could provide bases for Russian long-range bombers. Since they don't really need such bases (these bombers are not "long range" for nothing), this may be just another effort to try and rattle the neophytes now running our government.

Speaking of such efforts, the number one man in China says he is "worried" about the security of American treasuries, since China owns so many of them. My guess is this is either an honest expression of worry, or an effort to rattle the neophytes running our government. Since it would be just as disastrous for the Chinese if our treasuries or the dollar collapsed in value as it would be for us, I suspect this is juts another effort to "test" Obama. Expect more such tests in the future.

But, it does appear that the Obama people are learning. Now that they presumably are all briefed up on the facts about the people we are holding down at "Gitmo", they seem reluctant to change the Bush policies concerning them. Still, they made campaign promises, so they need to at least appear to be doing something. But it all seems so much like just a P.R. effort, as the announcement made yesterday that the administration would no longer use the term "enemy combatant". Sounds bad, doesn't it? But if you read on you'll find that President Obama is essentially reserving to himself the same right to detain the bad guys as the evil George W. Bush did. I guess President Obama is beginning to realize that when you're sitting in the Oval Office, you're responsible for protecting the American people, even if it means doing some morally ambiguous things to some unsavory people. Reality sucks, eh?

Bill Kristol sees opportunities for the Republicans in the missteps and poor policy choices of the new administration.