They went to North Korea so they could be arrested, sentenced to twelve years hard labor and then get rescued in the nick of time. It was one big photo op. A setup so President Clinton and the Obama administration could look good.
You know it's coming somewhere down the road. Laura Ling was way too nice to President Clinton.
Karl Rove begrudgingly said that it worked out pretty well, but that Jimmy Carter should have gone instead. That was his troll logic.