The Anti-Sam Brownback Blog

I may joyfully rip into Senator Brownback over many issues, but in one area he does have the right idea. He has been a strong voice for humanitarian aid overseas. Sometimes the reasons may be caught up in Christian missionary needs, but food is food. Brownback is now making news because he wishes to attach human rights conditions onto the aid that the US agreed to give North Korea in exchanged for a dismantling of its nuclear weapons program. The New York Sun reports:

In order to get new aid to North Korea, President Bush will have to ask for special appropriations from Congress. One of those appropriators, Senator Brownback, a Republican of Kansas who sits on the subcommittee that approves foreign aid spending in the Senate, yesterday told the Sun that he wanted to attach conditions on the aid to the sorts of human rights reforms Mr. Lefkowitz is seeking.

“This needs to include Helsinki type provisions in the overall work with the North Korea regime,” Mr. Brownback said referring to the accords American negotiators used in talks with the Soviet Union to press for the release of political prisoners. “We need to have a human rights track in dealing with the North Koreans. I am hoping we will have some opportunities in the appropriations process with energy and other needs to come forward.”

I am sure that freedom to worship will come at the forefront of the rights requested, and I have no problem with that as long as there are others rights as well. Obviously the devil is in the details and it will be hard to enforce any rights agreements. However, I do appreciate the attempt. This is an issue that will play well with both the left and the right with particular resonance with Christian conservatives. There are not many issues out there that can cross lines like this one. It is a smart play for Brownback, and one that again sets him apart from Mike Huckabee.