THE PRICE OF OUR WEAKNESS – AT 9:31 A.M. ET:  North Korea has scored a key victory over the United States in its successful hacking of the American branch of SONY, and its intimidation of SONY, leading to the studio's withdrawal of a comedy ridiculing the North's regime.  North Korea is feeling victorious, and acting that way.  From Fox: 

North Korea issued a new threat against the United States late Sunday and accused President Barack Obama of "recklessly" spreading rumors that Pyongyang is behind last month's devastating cyberattack on Sony Pictures.

The long statement from the powerful National Defense Commission warned of strikes against the White House, Pentagon and "the whole U.S. mainland, that cesspool of terrorism."

Such rhetoric is routine from North Korea's massive propaganda machine during times of high tension with Washington. But the statement also underscores Pyongyang's sensitivity at a movie whose plot focuses on the assassination of its leader Kim Jong Un, who is the beneficiary of a decades-long cult of personality built around his family dynasty.

The North Korean statement offered no details of a possible response, but warned that the country's 1.2 million-member army is ready to use all types of warfare against the U.S.

This is the result of years of appeasing North Korea, and pretending that we've had successful negotiations with the regime.

"Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland ... by far surpassing the 'symmetric counteraction' declared by Obama," said the commission's Policy Department in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The latest threat came hours after President Obama confirmed that he was considering returning North Korea to the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism. Obama, who previously promised in his year-end press conference on Friday to respond "proportionately" to the attack, has termed the breach as an act of "cybervandalism that was very costly, very expensive" as opposed to an act of war.

"We're going to review those through a process that's already in place," Obama told CNN's "State of the Union" in an interview broadcast Sunday. "I'll wait to review what the findings are."

COMMENT:  Yeah, let's wait, Barack.  Like you always wait.  Wait until the anger blows over, and then do almost nothing.  And when people like John McCain call for a more effective response, call them warmongers. 

Don't worry, Barack.  Hollywood will always support you in the end.

December 22, 2014