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.
Yes we do he told us....
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRGru2CPC4E]Barack Obama - Yes I Can Make Us Defenseless[/ame]