Whispers, I am back in action. Now that the Beer Summit has passed without ill effects, or anyone suffering from a hangover, it is worth commenting on Bill Clinton's recent semi-summit with Kim Jong Il.

The Dear Leader looked fairly robust standing next to Mr. Clinton, despite nearly a foot difference in their respective heights. This was such a good demonstration on how diplomacy, talking to people you are otherwise at loggerheads with, can result in a good outcome. Instead of demonizing the North Koreans as George Bush did by lumping them in with the Axis of Evil, Clinton and by implication Obama are giving the North Koreans an opportunity to show their better side to the rest of the world. And they responded, not with missiles and vitriol, but with a mild rebuke to the journalists for entering the country illegally and smiles for Mr. Clinton. They even suggested that they might return to the bargaining table for a resolution of their nuclear weapons program.

This is not to justify the North Korean government. There is nothing good about it, so far as I can see. But sometimes even governments box themselves farther into corners than you would imagine possible. By presenting the North Koreans with a risk free opportunity to demonstrate benevolence we encourage them to emerge from the deep corner in which they find themselves, and in which even they may not feel comfortable.

Getting back to booze, I wonder whether Bill Clinton brought a bottle of the Dear Leader's favorite beverage, America's Johnny Walker whiskey. It would be interesting to know if the two downed a couple of shots in deference to the recent Beer Summit. Our next move might be to hold a Grape Juice Summit with the Iranians.