John Boehner Challenges Obama Over Russia Hot Mic Comments Now That He's Back In U.S.

WASHINGTON — Now that President Barack Obama is back on U.S. soil, the criticism of his remark to the Russians about postelection flexibility on missile defense came fast and furious.

House Speaker John Boehner, who a day earlier said such complaints were inappropriate when the commander in chief is overseas, sent a letter to Obama on Wednesday saying he was alarmed by the remark and pressed the president for an explanation.

"I and other members of the House have previously expressed concern about your administration's apparent willingness to make unilateral concessions to Russia that undermine our missile defense capabilities," the Ohio Republican wrote. "Your comments reinforce those words."

Obama got caught on tape Monday telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have more room to negotiate on missile defense after the November election. The gaffe forced him to explain his remarks on Tuesday. He said he didn't have a hidden agenda with Russia and only meant that election-year politics make any nuclear arms reduction or missile defense negotiations extremely difficult.

In his letter, Boehner argued that Russia has backed Iran, Syria and North Korea, and questioned the wisdom of rewarding Moscow's "reckless ambition."

"That has significant implications for the security of our homeland, sends a terrible signal to our allies around the world and calls into question the effectiveness of your `reset' policy with the Russian government," Boehner wrote.

On Tuesday, Boehner sidestepped an opportunity to criticize Obama for telling Medvedev that he would have more flexibility, or to back GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's remark that Russia is the U.S.'s "number one geopolitical foe."

Asked if he agreed with Romney, Boehner told reporters, "While the president is overseas, I think it's appropriate that people not be critical of him or of our country. Clearly what's going on in Russia over the last couple of years raises some concerns."

Obama returned to Washington on Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning, Republicans and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., were quick to respond when pressed on the president's comment.

"I thought that President Obama's statement to President Medvedev was disconcerting," Lieberman said at a news conference on Syria. "I don't know what the president meant when he said he'd be more flexible. I do think on the specific question on our missile defense in Europe, the president really ought to reassure all of us that he's going to stick with the program that we're on now because that program is, in my opinion, is critically important to the security of the American people for years and years to come."

Although Lieberman is one of two Senate independents who caucuses with the Democrats, he frequently has challenged the Obama administration on defense and foreign policy.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Obama's 2008 presidential rival, told reporters at the same news conference that the president was "playing fast and loose with national security."

Comments

[drinaldi4]

12:39 AM on 03/31/2012

Just keep drinking that Kool Aid...your savior Barack has everything under control.

[AccountCreationToComment]

04:40 PM on 03/29/2012

In early July of 1983, Ronald Reagan wrote a longhand note to Yuri Andropov of the Soviet Union. I can tell you from firsthand experience of those days, the USSR was the undisputed Boogey Man. Reagan was approaching an arms summit as the Soviets were going batshit about Pershing II missiles being based in Europe with a six minute launch-to-impact. Reagan wrote:

"...the government and people of the United States are dedicated to the cause of peace and the elimination of the nuclear threat... If we can agree on mutual, verifiable reductions in the number of nuclear weapons we both hold could this not be a first step toward the elimination of all such weapons?"

And later...

"...reduction talks that could lead to the total elimination of all such weapons."

The letter was later watered down considerably by White House staffers and experts who were aghast at the President's initiative. BUT, the policy debate was held within the Executive Branch, because that's who gets to make foreign policy.

Any time you see Congress taking the mic or sending letters to the President critical of foreign policy, know that it is an exercise in political theater attempting to influence public opinion, just like when the President comments on legislation currently being debated in Congress. Boehner's comments are likely just retaliation for Obama's speech about Big Oil subsidies.

[Ohio Republican]

10:40 AM on 03/29/2012

I don't understand all this craziness over the phrase "more flexibility". In 2006, Bush traded nukes to India for mangos. Now look, you can get mangos at every grocery store in America. Its hard to beat mangos, but who knows, maybe Obama can get us a good deal on rabbit fur coats and hats.

[Magrum Yuff]

01:29 PM on 03/29/2012

I live in South Florida. Mangos are free here. Every third home has a mango tree. The rabbit fur coats and hats sound good to me. There are even a couple of days during the year when the air temp is cool enough to wear coats and hats.

[WiltonDiary]

10:18 AM on 03/29/2012

Two decades after the end of the cold war, Mitt Romney still considers Russia to be America’s “No. 1 geopolitical foe.” His comments display either a shocking lack of knowledge about international affairs or just craven politics. Either way, they are reckless and unworthy of a major presidential contender.

Mr. Romney owes Americans a discussion of the real challenges facing this country and his solutions to them.

[Ohio Republican]

10:13 AM on 03/29/2012

That didn't last long. We need to boycott Cincinatti until Boehner is gone. It's time to de-bone Ohio.

[friskginger]

10:12 AM on 03/29/2012

It's amazing how stupid Boehner really is.
1+1=2 John.

[jr3houpe1849]

09:22 AM on 03/29/2012

Boehner doing another flip it only took two days this time

[jaguar59]

08:26 AM on 03/29/2012

Smiling in your face--The Backstabbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 WOW!

[lmab]

07:48 AM on 03/29/2012

The Bohner is back.

[SamiSam]

07:44 AM on 03/29/2012

Gops working as hard on this molehill as the ones in the past. When are they gonna learn they will never be mountains?

[miketothad]

08:36 AM on 03/29/2012

Yep.

[WiltonDiary]

10:21 AM on 03/29/2012

Saying he will have flexibility on missile defense doesn’t mean Mr. Obama will “cave.” Two years ago, he made a sound strategic decision, scrapping former President George W. Bush’s dubious plan to build a long-range missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. The Pentagon is deploying a less-ambitious — but-more-feasible — system of interceptors and sensors, first on ships and later on land. Russia objects to a system in Europe, saying it will put their long-range missiles at risk. That is not America’s intent — the real target is Iran — and Mr. Obama is right to work to find a compromise.

[katyland]

07:38 AM on 03/29/2012

I hope that the American people realize the deeper meaning behind those words, it implies,a second term with this president, would see changes that will alter everyones rights,
We have seen little hints to where the progressive dems would take the US, this election could determin your future and that of our children, freedom, liberty , right to privacy, your right to keep what you earn, The true liberal will vote dem/obama, and this is your right,I support that right, but most Americans are undecided, for a reason,they feel this is the most important election in their life time, I would hope that those comments by obama will worry you,

[Studebaker Hawke]

08:18 AM on 03/29/2012

If I were you, I'd switch to decaf....

[bsdiana94]

08:50 AM on 03/29/2012

Yes, it is the most important election in our lifetimes. Do we trun over our governmen to corporate owned, theologiclaly driven misogynists who care only about power over peole's lives and greed

or

do we vote for a Presdinet who actually cares about the health and welfare of ALL his citizens?

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER !!

Vote out all teapublicans who want to take away your rights..

[jr3houpe1849]

09:21 AM on 03/29/2012

No they don't worry me in the least considering the rate at which republicans are taking away the rights of women and every one else they get they chance to.You maybe right about the importance of this election we CANNOT afford to have another republican in the WH this soon that would turn us back to the reccession days of bush

[ber6965]

07:24 AM on 03/29/2012

All I want to know is, Where there Tears on the Letter??
LMAO

[ber6965]

07:30 AM on 03/29/2012

Were not Where need more coffee!!!

[TOCB]

07:19 AM on 03/29/2012

Everyone knows Obama's comment to Medvedev was common posturing while at the same time being a factual statement. Obama is in the mist of a re-election campaign. He can't promise much to anyone at this point on a long term basis. He, in fact, would have more flexibility after the election, if he wins. I ask Boehner or anyone else who is trying to make a big deal of it, on its face, is the statement true or false.

[WiltonDiary]

10:19 AM on 03/29/2012

The political atmosphere in Washington is so poisonous that cooperation on any issue right now is near impossible.

[AfisF]

04:16 AM on 03/29/2012

3. Regarding the image of the Russian gov. in the West. I watch/read a lot of western news networks, and what stands out to me is the most is the fact that the experts/pundits/commentators/sources are mostly anti-Russian government (in some cases vehemently so). Few Russian officials get to speak on the govs. behalf in the Western press. Imagine if Russian people got all their information on Obama and the US gov. from right wing republicans only (or liberal democrats), what kind of image would we have of the US? Just food for thought.
4. Just because Russia and US don't see eye to eye on some issues (albeit very serious issues) does not make us foes. The fact is for every issue we disagree on, there a dozens of issues that not only do we agree on, but are effectively cooperating on.

In the end, for those of you worried about the same old/new 'red' scare, just think 'what's in it for Russia?' and you'll realize that in all your doomsday scenarios, there is NO economic or political benefit for Russia in doing the things you think we'll do, and that all your fears rely solely on the false premise that Russians are 'evil' for the sake of being evil.

[AmericanDoughboy]

05:39 AM on 03/29/2012

Спасибо за ваши подходящие комментарии и пожалуйста не думайте, что все американцы столь же глупый как замечания, которые Вы читаете на этом blog.

[AfisF]

04:15 AM on 03/29/2012

I'm Russian, and I try to provide an opinion from our side of the spectrum. Due to character limiations I can't go into detail, so I'll make my points in brief:

1. Russia(ns) is/are not interested in conquest or world dominion or any such nonsense. The only thing we want is political and economic stability, predictability and uneventfulnes. Trust me, after centuries of upheavels the state of boredom sounds like a bargain to us.
2. Obama never canceled the Missile Defense Shield. That's a fact. He just meant that discussions of such serious magnitude should be postponed until a later date (after Putin officialy takes office , and a new US president is elected) and the political atmosphere/rhetoric in both countries calms down.

[AfisF]

04:32 AM on 03/29/2012

3. Just because Russia and US don't see eye to eye on some issues (albeit very serious issues) does not make us foes. The fact is for every issue we disagree on, there a dozens of issues that not only do we agree on, but are effectively cooperating on.

In the end, for those of you worried about the same old/new 'red' scare, just think 'what's in it for Russia?' and you'll realize that in all your doomsday scenarios, there is NO economic or political benefit for Russia in doing the things you think we'll do, and that all your fears rely solely on the false premise that Russians are 'evil' for the sake of being evil.

[TOCB]

07:25 AM on 03/29/2012

You are being sensible and pragmatic. Most of the posters here who are making an issue of Obama's statement are being political. I would like to think most observers of world and national affairs are cognizant of both.