News of the Day (June 7)

Are we using failed North Korea negotiating tactics with Iran? The U.S. is now offering "light water reactors meant for civilian nuclear energy purposes" (Irish Examiner), to the Iranian mullahcracy as part of the idiotic package of "incentives" to get the Khomeinists out of the nuclear weapons business. This is the same nonsense the U.S. tried with Stalinist North Korea in 1994. The Communist-backed mullahcracy lauded the "positive steps" in the package. No word on the reaction from the long suffering Iranian people. Michael Ledeen (National Review Online) scores the Enlightened Comment of the Day with his column title: "Is Bill Clinton Still President?"

From the Golden State - two out of three ain't bad: Well, the results are in, and Steve Westly is out (CA Gov Dem Primary results). Meanwhile, Fiona Ma cruised to victory in her primary, and if I have California election law correct (and I may not), she may have already been elected (12th Assembly District results). On the minus side, Leland Yee won his primary (thus quarter will proceed to charge the windmills with Michael Skipakevich in the general election - 8th Senate District results).

More on Communist China and the United States: The Truth, Compassion, Forbearance International Fine Art Exhibit in Albany brings out several officials, including four State Assemblymen two of which did honor to the Bronx and the Albany area by their presence (Epoch Times).

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: The Korea Liberator calls for its readers to inundate the Embassy of Laos with e-mails on behalf of Korean refugees currently being jailed in that country (this quarter joins in that call) and praises the State Department for calling it like it is on Kaesong.

More on the Communists' Korean colony: Voice of America (via Epoch Times) has the details of the oil exploration deal (seventh item). The BBC and The New Republic have the latest on the Stalinists' missile test plans. Daily NK details the massive SNK political prison system.

Google co-founder backs away from earlier surrender as its English site is blocked: Google co-founder Sergey Brin tried to explain the company's decision to cave into Communist demands thusly: "We felt that perhaps we could compromise our principles but provide ultimately more information for the Chinese and be a more effective service" (BBC). More significant was what he said afterward: "Perhaps now the principled approach makes more sense." This comes as the English-language version of Google (but not the Communist-approved Chinese language version) was being blocked inside Communist China.

More Tiananmen Square remembrances: The Communists tried to wash away discussion of the massacre on the Internet, and almost succeeded (Epoch Times); they also arrested - twice - a professor who came to Beijing to "commemorate the 17th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Democratic Movement, with actions in Tiananmen Square on June 4" (Epoch Times). A commemoration was held in London (Epoch Times).

Green politician in Australia calls for tougher action against CCP: Ian Cohen, a legislator in New South Wales representing the Green Party, called on his fellow Australians to "act, speak out, stand up against these atrocities" (Epoch Times) by the Chinese Communist Party.

Bank of China IPO passes $11 billion, the shady history of the Communist-run bank notwithstanding (BBC, see also fifth, sixth, last, tenth, and fifteenth items).

On the state of the workers in the workers' state - education: Cai Hong and Qi Yue (Sound of Hope Radio via Epoch Times) examine how the Communist system benefits - and now enriches - the cadres.

Taiwan's "pan-blues" call for Chen recall: The leading opposition in Taiwan "has backed moves to try and force President Chen Shui-bian from office" (BBC). Said opposition is attempting to make political hay out of the financial scandal centered on Chen's son-in-law (tenth, fifth, seventh, seventh, and nineteenth items).