North Korean rocket a threat?

The launch yesterday of a North Korean rocket that inserted a satellite into orbit is very significant. What is really disturbing is the lack of any real reaction by the Obama
White House called the launch a "highly provocative act that threatens regional security,"

This is probably the understatement of the day. Aside from the fact that this launch violated various United Nation resolutions the ability to launch a satellite into orbit demonstrates the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon. Now before anyone can dismiss this idea as preposterous remember they don't need to deliver a weapon to a point target on the west coast to hurt the United States. A more effective use  would be to launch a weapon so it explodes 100 miles above the coast and let the electromagnetic pulse take down the grid and all electrical devices that are in line of site.
If this were to happen the great majority of the west coast would be in chaos as they reverted to the 1800's in seconds. An attack of this type would take the United States a generation to recover.

Most of the damage to the electrical grid could be avoided if we would actually spend money to harden it as opposed to giving free phones and foreign aid but this has been argued for by at least one congressman Roscoe Bartlett from MD who lost his last election bid and who was never able to get a bill through to solve this fixable problem.

Here is a link to the Commission that was set up by congress a few years ago to examine this EMP issue. When you read these reports you will only get more pissed off at the fools that run around D.C.
http://www.empcommission.org/reports.php
One more thing on EMP is a book that I will guarantee will make you think about the what if. It titled One Second After written by William Forstchen, here was his C-Span interview. He gives a good overview of what happens and why after an EMP nuclear attack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut3RSR0dDW0