Eye on Korea

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) today expressed hope China would come around and help "calm any passions" on the Korean peninsula following the alleged torpedoing of a South Korean vessel by the North. Some sort of retaliation following the incident, which killed 46 sailors, is sure to come from Seoul -- perhaps in the form of sanctions or "something more physical," Skelton told reporters in Washington this morning.

"Cool heads seem to be prevailing right now. But this has the potential to really get out of hand," he said.