White House press secretary Jay Carney had an odd exchange with a reporter at today's press briefing—in Russian! Via the official White House transcript:
Q (Speaks in Russian.)
MR. CARNEY: (Speaks in Russian.)
Q (Speaks in Russian.)
Here's video:
And here's the full context of the exchange, via the White House transcript:
Q One final question. Do you believe there is any international mechanism for producing a result in Syria without Russia and China?
MR. CARNEY: We’ve made very clear that Russia and China and the United States have disagreements about Syria, and that we strongly disagree with the vetoes that those countries put forth on measures before the United Nations Security Council.
We continue to have discussions with the Russians and the Chinese in a very blunt and clear fashion about why we think we need to come together around the proposition that a transition needs to take place -- and there’s agreement on that -- and that that transition cannot include Assad. And we are continuing to have conversations with the Russians about this.
And our fundamental point is, Russia’s -- it is in nobody’s interest to stand by Bashar al-Assad. That’s our point to those in his inner circle, to those in the military and governmental leadership. We have seen a great number of defections, including a recent high-level military defection, somebody from Assad’s inner circle.
And it is our message internationally that it doesn’t make sense, as a matter of self-interest for any nation to stand by an international pariah. And it doesn’t make sense for the future relations of any country with the Syrian people to stand by Assad.
I think Jim, I owe you one.
Q (Speaks in Russian.)
MR. CARNEY: (Speaks in Russian.)
Q (Speaks in Russian.)
With the federal debt approaching $16 trillion, does the President’s call for continued tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans, as he repeatedly said today, and thus preventing huge revenue increases that would help reduce the debt -- does that represent an acknowledgement by him that the economy is still doing poorly and that his previous steps to boost it have not worked?
When Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was assassinated in Dubai last January, and his cause of death later ascribed to foul play, it didn’t take long before the British press found itself the beneficiary of a troika of good copy.
Trying to prevent terrorists from obtaining nukes should be national security priority number one. But the Obama administration's plan to combat that threat is puzzling. They've argued ad nauseam that arms reduction treaties like START are the key to keeping loose nukes out of the hands of terrorists. That's absurd. START limits nuclear weapons on bombers, submarines, and ballistic missiles -- these bombs are large and restrained by failsafe mechanisms and unlock values which make them nearly impossible to detonate. In six decades of nuclear custody, there has never been a theft of such a device in either the United States or Russia (though a few have been lost, mostly in bomber crashes during the 50s and 60s).
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