LOS ANGELES "The Ear" is going to Asia, says the White House. The White House didn't put the announcement exactly this way, of course. But Dick Cheney, the U.S. vice president, is widely known in Washington to have President George W. Bush's ear. When Cheney talks, Bush listens.
And so the Ear is to visit three Asian countries next month Japan, China and South Korea, in that order. That's an interesting order.
Putting Japan first is absolutely the right thing to do; it's our long-standing ally. Ranking last the Republic of Korea, which also has placed troops in Iraq to help out, might be suspect except that the top agenda item is North Korea, and China has been heavily and helpfully involved in the diplomacy.