Negotiators have reached an agreement on language for a same-sex marriage law here in New Hampshire. The bill still needs to pass the legislature, but it appears that the language changes will satisfy the Governor.

Looking for a job? Uncle Sam is hiring.

Newspapers can be saved by Federal action, without a bailout, believe it or not. They need an anti-trust exemption to allow them to charge for their online content, according to this piece.

Mark Steyn mocks the President (and others) for their inability to do anything more than talk when it comes to the threat from North Korea.

Roger Simon mocks Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh by wondering what they would do differently.

The sad fact of the matter is that unless we are willing to use military force against North Korea or Iran, then we must face the prospect of both nations achieving nuclear power status (it appears, of course, that the North Koreans are already there). We must also, though, understand that these nations present different problems. The North Koreans are unlikely to nuke anybody, in my estimation. The regime just wants to stay in power, which means they need cash. They want nukes to use as bargaining chips for aid, and to sell on the black market. Iran is dangerous because it's regime has an apocalyptic ideology which could result in the use of nukes against Israel. Both are bad outcomes because each increases the probability that some city, somewhere, will be destroyed by a nuclear bomb, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. But each situation should be handled differently.

If I were President, prior to an Iranian test of a nuclear weapon, I would secretly tell them that any use of nuclear weapons by them against Israel or any of our other allies in the region will be considered as if it were a nuclear attack against the United States and would result in a massive retaliation by our own nuclear arsenal. If that failed to dissuade them from continuing with their nuclear program, once they achieved a working nuclear weapon, I would publicly make the same proclamation. Iran's leaders must be made to believe, without question, that if they use nukes, their country will be destroyed utterly and completely. During the secret discussions I would assure them that I would prevent any unilateral actions by the Israelis. All of this, of course, would require that the Iranians (and the Israelis) believe my statements to be credible. I wonder if President Obama would carry that kind of credibility if he were to undertake that type of discussion.

As for North Korea, I would make the same assurances regarding any use by them of their nukes. If they use them against South Korea or any of our allies, we would destroy them. But, I would assure them that they would not be attacked otherwise (as I said, I don't think that is there main concern, anyway). Then, I would pay them to shut down their facilities. It stinks, I know, but other than military action, how to stop them from trading on the black market? A blockade? It would only work if China were to cooperate, which I doubt, and might lead to a massive conventional attack by the North Koreans (remember, it was the oil embargo that led the Japanese to attack the U.S in 1941).