It really is sad when life imitates "Team America: World Police." But it is. Kim Jong-il has distracted us all. From the CFR, to "Condi Rice's stenographer of choice" at the New York Times Helene Cooper, to William Arkin over at the Washington Post to Dr. Lewis, and even our Star Wars missile shield (help me Obi-wan, you're my only help!) is getting another victory lap, even though its systems are, well, shall we say, vulnerable?

But what is really going on here? Do the North Koreans just want our attention? Are they really going to launch a three stage missile that can reach the heartland of America? Or are they setting the stage so that they can demand the same deal that Iran might soon get?

I've lived in South Korea and seen behavior like this in group settings. In my opinion, it's a combination of all three: they want the same deal Iran gets, are willing to do what it takes to get our attention and might possible launch some kind of missile that no one can really identify with any serious accuracy. Kim Jong-il and associates are watching closely to see what an overstretched US military, an out of gas Presidential Administration and an hungry for oil Japan will give Iran (if anything at all) and they are making it clear that they will settle for nothing less than the same. And there is little we can do about it.

Why?

As William Arkin writes:

Amidst an Iraq withdrawal debate and an Iran nuclear crisis, amidst a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan and a grave threat to the Kabul government, amidst growing recognition of al-Qaeda gains in Pakistan, The We-Still-Can't-Resist-Putting-Any-Weapons-of-Mass-Destruction-Story-on-the-Front Page Times (David Sanger anyone? ~spk) reported intelligence leaks yesterday that North Korea was imminently going to test an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Fine pickle you've gotten us into Mssrs. Bush, Cheney and Ms. Rice. Can you please get us out now? We're really more interested in white women who've been abducted lately anyway.

Oh wait, Think Progress has identified our solution: Administration Responds to North Korea Missile Stunt With Missile Defense Stunt