Obama and Medvedev: The Open Mic Incident

[Foxfyre]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfUmqbtItTE]President Obama and Russian President - Caught on Open Mic !! - YouTube[/ame]

Reporters at the Nuclear Security Summit overheard Obama asking Medvedev Monday to tell incoming President Vladimir Putin “on all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him to give me space.”

“This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility,” he added.

So what do you think? Big deal? Not important? Business as usual? It will almost certainly surface in the coming months of the Presidential campaign.

After meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday, Obama was caught asking the departing Russian leader to convey a message to incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin: “On all these issues, particularly on missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him to give me space," he said.

On Tuesday, Obama said his comments, though not intended for public consumption, were "not a matter of hiding the ball -- I'm on record" about wanting to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles. Though he spoke bluntly to Medvedev, Obama insisted that the thrust of his remarks was in line with what he said in his Monday speech at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and in other public statements.

Obama's remarks -- in response to a reporter's question -- came after a string of Republicans attacked him on Monday.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said it was "an alarming and troubling development" that Obama told the Russian president he could be more flexible after November. Later, he told told Hugh Hewitt: "I don’t think he can recover from it." Though the media "may try and put this to bed, but we’re going to keep it alive and awake."

Before the president offered his clarification on Tuesday, he wanted to make sure his comments were being recorded. "First of all, are the mics on?" he asked.
Obama explains Medvedev open mic incident - POLITICO.com

 

[ABikerSailor]

Me personally? I think this is a non issue, because Obama has only 6 more months as president under his current term, and negotiating any kind of missile treaty would take a bit longer than that.

I think his flexibility term means that he can't bring this discussion up right now because he doesn't have the luxury of the time it would take to accomplish.

 

[PoliticalChic]

President Obama and Russian President - Caught on Open Mic !! - YouTube

Reporters at the Nuclear Security Summit overheard Obama asking Medvedev Monday to tell incoming President Vladimir Putin “on all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him to give me space.”

“This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility,” he added.

So what do you think? Big deal? Not important? Business as usual? It will almost certainly surface in the coming months of the Presidential campaign.

After meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday, Obama was caught asking the departing Russian leader to convey a message to incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin: “On all these issues, particularly on missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him to give me space," he said.

On Tuesday, Obama said his comments, though not intended for public consumption, were "not a matter of hiding the ball -- I'm on record" about wanting to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles. Though he spoke bluntly to Medvedev, Obama insisted that the thrust of his remarks was in line with what he said in his Monday speech at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and in other public statements.

Obama's remarks -- in response to a reporter's question -- came after a string of Republicans attacked him on Monday.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said it was "an alarming and troubling development" that Obama told the Russian president he could be more flexible after November. Later, he told told Hugh Hewitt: "I don’t think he can recover from it." Though the media "may try and put this to bed, but we’re going to keep it alive and awake."

Before the president offered his clarification on Tuesday, he wanted to make sure his comments were being recorded. "First of all, are the mics on?" he asked.
Obama explains Medvedev open mic incident - POLITICO.com

Many of the President's steps in his agenda disappointed me, or angered me....but this one produced a visceral, emotional response.

Were his suggestion not serious, or important, or damaging to America...he could have announced his secret plans out loud.

His 'flexibility' can only be severely harmful to America.

 

[Foxfyre]

As I don't know what is in the mind and heart of the President in this regard, you very well may be right ABS.

But it sure sounds bad and implies that he will tell us one thing while assuring the Russian President that, after the election, he won't be bound to anything he says now. It definitely doesn't make him appear trustworthy at least to my ears.

It also implies that he fully expects to be re-elected which would give him a lot more time to negotiate pretty much what he wants with anybody.

 

[Foxfyre]

P.C., that was my immediate reaction too. What arrogance. What utter contempt for the American people and our allies. But then, I don't know how much of my initial reaction was colored by my other suspicions re this President.

 

[candycorn]

Non issue.

 

[California Girl]

As I don't know what is in the mind and heart of the President in this regard, you very well may be right ABS.

But it sure sounds bad and implies that he will tell us one thing while assuring the Russian President that, after the election, he won't be bound to anything he says now. It definitely doesn't make him appear trustworthy at least to my ears.

It also implies that he fully expects to be re-elected which would give him a lot more time to negotiate pretty much what he wants with anybody.

It did appear as though he 'knows' he'll be re-elected.... which, given our system, is not something he can 'know'.

At best, he was being his usual arrogant ass self.... at worst... hmmmm.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Non issue.

...to non-thinkers.

 

[Foxfyre]

As I don't know what is in the mind and heart of the President in this regard, you very well may be right ABS.

But it sure sounds bad and implies that he will tell us one thing while assuring the Russian President that, after the election, he won't be bound to anything he says now. It definitely doesn't make him appear trustworthy at least to my ears.

It also implies that he fully expects to be re-elected which would give him a lot more time to negotiate pretty much what he wants with anybody.

It did appear as though he 'knows' he'll be re-elected.... which, given our system, is not something he can 'know'.

At best, he was being his usual arrogant ass self.... at worst... hmmmm.

You know CG, given the insanity of how things have been going for some time now, I am not even sure he doesn't "know" any more. I hope more than anybody could ever hope that I am not being overly paranoid about that. But I remember reading somewhere that those who vote aren't the ones who hold the power. Those who count the votes hold the power,.

 

[Sallow]

Hopefully the Missile Defense program gets deep sixed as the money pit it is..

It's amazing all the shit Republicans find to waste tax payer funding on.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Is treason one of those "high crimes and misdemeanors" that are impeachable?

 

[ABikerSailor]

As I don't know what is in the mind and heart of the President in this regard, you very well may be right ABS.

But it sure sounds bad and implies that he will tell us one thing while assuring the Russian President that, after the election, he won't be bound to anything he says now. It definitely doesn't make him appear trustworthy at least to my ears.

It also implies that he fully expects to be re-elected which would give him a lot more time to negotiate pretty much what he wants with anybody.

In order to negotiate any kind of treaty for reducing missiles (especially if they're nukes), there has to be a verification of the missiles, where they're at, what their yield is, as well as what happens to the scrap after they're dismantled. Look at how long it took Reagan to do the SALT talks.

If Medvedyev was asking Obama about another reduction, there's not enough time in the next 6 months to negotiate anything that is gonna stick, so (IMHO) based on what they'd been talking about before, if they were asking for some kind of reduction, no, Obama doesn't have the flexibility to start talking about stuff like that because there's not enough time to do all the checks to make a valid treaty.

Basically? Just another non issue the GOP is trying to scare the American public with.

 

[Foxfyre]

Is treason one of those "high crimes and misdemeanors" that are impeachable?

Yes. In fact treason was what the Founders had most in mind when they wrote the 'high crimes and misdemeanors' phrase. But while I couldn't imagine ANY former President even implying that he would cut a special deal with any foreign dignitary, most especially one who isn't that friendly to us in the first place, we would need more evidence than what was on that short clip to have an impeachable offense.

 

[Foxfyre]

As I don't know what is in the mind and heart of the President in this regard, you very well may be right ABS.

But it sure sounds bad and implies that he will tell us one thing while assuring the Russian President that, after the election, he won't be bound to anything he says now. It definitely doesn't make him appear trustworthy at least to my ears.

It also implies that he fully expects to be re-elected which would give him a lot more time to negotiate pretty much what he wants with anybody.

In order to negotiate any kind of treaty for reducing missiles (especially if they're nukes), there has to be a verification of the missiles, where they're at, what their yield is, as well as what happens to the scrap after they're dismantled. Look at how long it took Reagan to do the SALT talks.

If Medvedyev was asking Obama about another reduction, there's not enough time in the next 6 months to negotiate anything that is gonna stick, so (IMHO) based on what they'd been talking about before, if they were asking for some kind of reduction, no, Obama doesn't have the flexibility to start talking about stuff like that because there's not enough time to do all the checks to make a valid treaty.

Basically? Just another non issue the GOP is trying to scare the American public with.

We don't know specifically what it was about. It just implied that the Russians don't need to worry about anything he says now. After he is elected he will be more free to 'play ball' with them or whatever. And it was a slap in the face to all of us regardless of political party affiliation that he will tell us one thing when he intends something different., He obviously is convinced he will be reelected which extends the time frame another four years.

The GOP didn't frame him ABS. This is something he chose to do/say entirely on his own.

 

[bobcollum]

In all honesty it made me think of W's mandate talk after his reelection.

It scared the jeepers out of the left like this is doing to the right.

 

[ABikerSailor]

As I don't know what is in the mind and heart of the President in this regard, you very well may be right ABS.

But it sure sounds bad and implies that he will tell us one thing while assuring the Russian President that, after the election, he won't be bound to anything he says now. It definitely doesn't make him appear trustworthy at least to my ears.

It also implies that he fully expects to be re-elected which would give him a lot more time to negotiate pretty much what he wants with anybody.

In order to negotiate any kind of treaty for reducing missiles (especially if they're nukes), there has to be a verification of the missiles, where they're at, what their yield is, as well as what happens to the scrap after they're dismantled. Look at how long it took Reagan to do the SALT talks.

If Medvedyev was asking Obama about another reduction, there's not enough time in the next 6 months to negotiate anything that is gonna stick, so (IMHO) based on what they'd been talking about before, if they were asking for some kind of reduction, no, Obama doesn't have the flexibility to start talking about stuff like that because there's not enough time to do all the checks to make a valid treaty.

Basically? Just another non issue the GOP is trying to scare the American public with.

We don't know specifically what it was about. It just implied that the Russians don't need to worry about anything he says now. After he is elected he will be more free to 'play ball' with them or whatever. And it was a slap in the face to all of us regardless of political party affiliation that he will tell us one thing when he intends something different., He obviously is convinced he will be reelected which extends the time frame another four years.

The GOP didn't frame him ABS. This is something he chose to do/say entirely on his own.

How many of the GOP who have been fear mongering have even stopped to think about it? Like I said, look how long it took Reagan to do the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT).

If Medvedyev was asking for another reduction, Obama would have no choice other than to tell him he's gotta wait until after the election, because he would have more "flexibility" (i.e. time) to get them done PROPERLY.

What do you want him to do, put together a half assed reduction treaty that the Russians could ignore?

 

[Foxfyre]

In order to negotiate any kind of treaty for reducing missiles (especially if they're nukes), there has to be a verification of the missiles, where they're at, what their yield is, as well as what happens to the scrap after they're dismantled. Look at how long it took Reagan to do the SALT talks.

If Medvedyev was asking Obama about another reduction, there's not enough time in the next 6 months to negotiate anything that is gonna stick, so (IMHO) based on what they'd been talking about before, if they were asking for some kind of reduction, no, Obama doesn't have the flexibility to start talking about stuff like that because there's not enough time to do all the checks to make a valid treaty.

Basically? Just another non issue the GOP is trying to scare the American public with.

We don't know specifically what it was about. It just implied that the Russians don't need to worry about anything he says now. After he is elected he will be more free to 'play ball' with them or whatever. And it was a slap in the face to all of us regardless of political party affiliation that he will tell us one thing when he intends something different., He obviously is convinced he will be reelected which extends the time frame another four years.

The GOP didn't frame him ABS. This is something he chose to do/say entirely on his own.

How many of the GOP who have been fear mongering have even stopped to think about it? Like I said, look how long it took Reagan to do the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT).

If Medvedyev was asking for another reduction, Obama would have no choice other than to tell him he's gotta wait until after the election, because he would have more "flexibility" (i.e. time) to get them done PROPERLY.

What do you want him to do, put together a half assed reduction treaty that the Russians could ignore?

If that was the case, he could have said that when he was forced to defend himself the next day. What is a good idea six months from now is a good idea now. The implication that the Russians don't have to worry about what he says now, because 'it is an election year' implies that what he says now is of no consequence whatsoever.

How do you trust somebody like that?

 

[Foxfyre]

Further re my previous post, Mitt Romney is STILL doing damage control in the wake of a staffer's 'etch-a-sketch' metaphor. When asked if Romney was being forced to run too far to the right to win primary elections, the staffer said that once he had the nomination, they could shake the 'etch-a-sketch' and start over with a clean slate. Romney, on his worst day, wouldn't have made a gaffe like that, but it is out there and will show up in Democrat ads from now on.

Obama isn't dealing with an errant staffer. He made the comment himself in a non-stressful and private moment not knowing that he would be heard by anybody other than Medvedev.

That has to be seen as a lot worse.

 

[JoeB131]

As I don't know what is in the mind and heart of the President in this regard, you very well may be right ABS.

But it sure sounds bad and implies that he will tell us one thing while assuring the Russian President that, after the election, he won't be bound to anything he says now. It definitely doesn't make him appear trustworthy at least to my ears.

It also implies that he fully expects to be re-elected which would give him a lot more time to negotiate pretty much what he wants with anybody.

It did appear as though he 'knows' he'll be re-elected.... which, given our system, is not something he can 'know'.

At best, he was being his usual arrogant ass self.... at worst... hmmmm.

He's running against a weird Mormon Robot... He's knows he's going to be re-elected if they catch him clubbing baby seals in a gay bathhouse.

 

[Sallow]

Is treason one of those "high crimes and misdemeanors" that are impeachable?

Yep.

But it was never used on Ronnie "I went to Iran to win an election" Reagan.

Boy howdy..you gotta to love a guy that gives money to terrorists that rape and kill American nuns..right? And on the down low.