The KTracy.com Staff and I rarely have anything good to say about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her plans. The last positive thing we said was that we were happy she wasn't running for re-election and her reign of terror would soon be over.

However, to her credit, she has been an outspoken critic of human rights abuses in China. And while we wish she would practice her faith a bit more fully and be an outspoken critic of the human rights abuses committed by the butchers working in abortion parlors across the country, we are happy she's at least critical of China.

In what may well be her last confrontation with China during her public life, the Speaker of the House wants to travel to Taiwan. The Communist Chinese government of course has thrown a childish fit because it desperately wants to annex the island; and the threat of other nations formally recognizing Taiwan's independence makes their path to taking over the small island more difficult.

Like the rest of the world, the United States does not officially recognize the sovereignty of Taiwan for fear of upsetting China. Unofficially, we protect Taiwan by selling them weapons and by maintaining a policy of "Strategic Ambiguity." In other words, if China invades, the United States may or may not participate directly in the defense of Taiwan.

China has promised to retaliate if Nancy Pelosi makes a visit to Taiwan. What that looks like is largely unknown. China may declare a No-Fly-Zone around Taiwan, they may invade, they may level economic sanctions on Taiwan, they may stop enforcing international copyright laws that are designed to curtail intellectual piracy.

Whatever China does, the United States and our partners in the Pacific have an obligation to confront China's bullying. Every time we let China exercise their influence through threats, we validate the illegal and immoral behavior of this slaver state.

The White House should not only encourage Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, they should recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Island and commit to their defense against foreign threats.