Bush's Second Term Diplomacy

Very interesting article by Stephen Hayes at the Weekly Standard. The focus of the article is Condoleeza Rice and backroom diplomacy with the North Koreans but to me this was the crux of the story:

But that speech [Bush's second inaugural] is better understood in retrospect as a coda to his first term than a bridge to the current one. In the second term, those who have chosen to test America's resolve--the Iranians, the Syrians, the North Koreans--have often found it less than firm.

I understand that until Iraq is sorted out that the military's hands are basically tied but that doesn't mean I'm not uncomfortable with the kid gloves we are treating the Syrians, Iranians and North Koreans. Read the whole piece.