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Updated 2:43 p.m. - SAN DIEGO, CA -- Mitt Romney assailed President Obama's comments to outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about increased "flexibility" after the election this fall.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev chat following the conclusion of their bilateral meeting March 26 at the Nuclear Security Summit Seoul, South Korea.
At a medical device company in San Diego, Romney called the president's comments -- captured Monday on an open microphone -- "an alarming and troubling development" as part of a longer wind-up about the importance of missile defense and standing by our allies.
“This weekend, the president happened to be somewhere where the microphone was left open. You may have heard that. It can be revealing, in this case, it was. He was speaking with Mr. Medvedev, of Russia. And he said, ‘This is my last election, I can be more flexible after the election is over,'" Romney started.
"Now when the president of the United States is speaking with the leader of Russia saying he can be more flexible after the election, that is an alarming and troubling development," Romney said. "There's no time for our president to be pulling his punches with the American people and not telling us what he's intending to do with regards to our missile defense system; with regards to our military might and with regards to our commitment to Israel; and with regards to our absolute conviction that Iran must have a nuclear weapon."
Obama's comments were captured at the very beginning of the photo opportunity after the the bilateral meeting between the president and Medvedev, when the two leaders were leaned over and speaking to each other.
RELATED: Obama's hot mic moment
"This is my last election," Obama was heard saying, "After my election I have more flexibility."
Medvedev responded that he would "transmit this information to Vladimir," meaning Vladimir Putin, the president-elect of Russia.
A Russian journalist's recording indicates the two leaders were talking about missile defense, a touchy area in U.S.-Russian relations.
Before Romney's remarks had concluded, President Obama's campaign pushed back at the former Massachusetts governor's criticism.
“Once again Governor Romney is undermining his credibility by distorting the President’s words," Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a statement. "Governor Romney has been all over the map on the key foreign policy challenges facing our nation today, offering a lot of chest thumping and empty rhetoric with no concrete plans to enhance our security or strengthen our alliances."
Romney delivered his attack of the president during a speech that began with a critique of the President's health care law. Standing before a sign reading "Repeal and Replace Obamacare," Romney said there were "a lot of reasons not to like Obamacare," and outlined a number of his issues with the law, but stopped short of his usual direct call for the bill's repeal.
In his more than twenty minutes of remarks, Romney also never mentioned the Supreme Court case beginning today that could decide the law's fate well before the November election.
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When I heard that Obama had a HOT MIC moment,I cringed. When I saw it for the first time I thought."how is this bad?". Here was a Leader telling another leader THE TRUTH !!! and even more impressive was the body language and cordiality of the two men. Mitt should just lay down on the ground and let Newt sit on his face and fart while Santorum kick him in the vagina...I have had it with this MORON..how dare HIM insult OUR President while he is over sea's working to make the world a safer place !!! Even Boehner agrees,and for that I applaud him !!!
Yes, I give Boehner applause for his comment, (this time)
Romney wants to continue the Cold War & is pandering to the hard right & Tea Party -- Shows that Romney isn't capable of leading our country in the 21st century
Rmoney wants to bring back the Cold War?
Yep, both Romney & Tantorum do ---- Any candidate who has called this President "weak" or an "apologizer" will definitely take us directly back into the Cold War.
Did you see the size of the republican defense bill? -- A good example of "Imperialism" when we are trying to get out of decades of war & no longer are the World Police for the 1st time in our history
Does not matter he wont be in office The failure of his healtcare will be his final failure I hope the GOP keeps his traitorist hands tied and I also hope he and Holder get arrested soon He for Being an illegal POTUS and Holder for Fast and Furious those two would look more natural in orange Jump suits LOL
hope away frank.......
Frank, the VA nurse called again - double up on the Prozac.
Sorry, Frank, it appears that you are the traitor.
Counting your chickens before they hatch dude
The Supreme Court will rule on the side of the Commerce Clause, Congress nearly has unlimited power to do this as long as it doesn't interfere with other parts of the Constitution
They are not about to get rid of what Congress passed into law, it would put 60 million people without insurance & that is not good for businesses, hospital costs would jump through the roof & ER's would really become swamped with people who couldn't pay
You would be stuck once again paying for their health care
Poor Barry. He trots out more of the same old-same old failing politician BS then stomps on his airhose when he thinks nobody's looking or listening.
The good news is he was finally right about just one thing...this IS his last election. When it's over he'll be going home to Chicago wearing his_ass for a hat because it's really gonna get kicked. Hard.
yea right....MITT ROMNEY ??? REALLY !!! ???Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Romney/Rubio in a FN landslide NO DOUBT about it this country has had enough of this idiot.
Rubio's ethics violations are not cleared up yet in FL, he's asked for a rush job to clear his name.
Only far left loons and Af Americans will be voting for this Goof now that middle and Independents have seen him in action LOL LANDSLIDE BABY just like Regan-Carter 60-40 easily
Obama is #1. The US, the American People and our security is #2. How can anyone have any respect for that man?
What the hell are you talking about Gil? Are you still whining about the great job Dubya did?
Romney's the most "flexible" of them all - including Obama
What's he talkin' about??
What a truly sad world Hu...
They are resisting Obama's attempt to force them to sadimize his own children but our blood soaked bitch owns the UN with our DOD (the extreme right has it right for all the wrong reasons)...
How fast things can change in this truly repulsive nation cause I told this @!$%# how to become President but he was to scared to think...
Oh, oh here comes your individualized daily brief and the generals..not just AIPAC...
Tell the poor right that stimulus did prevent the economy from sinking faster because I should not have to loose my most basic human rights to hold than theory together...
@!$%#in sad jokes...
What a truly sad world Hu...
They are resisting Obama's attempt to force them to sadimize his own children but our blood soaked bitch owns the UN with our DOD (the extreme right has it right for all the wrong reasons)...
How fast things can change in this truly repulsive nation cause I told this @!$%# how to become President but he was to scared to think...
Oh, oh here comes your individualized daily brief and the generals..not just AIPAC...
Tell the poor right that stimulus did prevent the economy from sinking faster because I should not have to loose my most basic human rights to hold than theory together...
@!$%#in sad jokes...
What a truly sad world Hu...
They are resisting Obama's attempt to force them to sadimize his own children but our blood soaked bitch owns the UN with our DOD (the extreme right has it right for all the wrong reasons)...
How fast things can change in this truly repulsive nation cause I told this @!$%# how to become President but he was to scared to think...
Oh, oh here comes your individualized daily brief and the generals..not just AIPAC...
Tell the poor right that stimulus did prevent the economy from sinking faster because I should not have to loose my most basic human rights to hold than theory together...
@!$%#in sad jokes..
What a truly sad world Hu...
They are resisting Obama's attempt to force them to sadimize his own children but our blood soaked bitch owns the UN with our DOD (the extreme right has it right for all the wrong reasons)...
How fast things can change in this truly repulsive nation cause I told this @!$%# how to become President but he was to scared to think...
Oh, oh here comes your individualized daily brief and the generals..not just AIPAC...
Tell the poor right that stimulus did prevent the economy from sinking faster because I should not have to loose my most basic human rights to hold than theory together...
@!$%#in sad jokes..
Its just like Nixon coming to China sh sh sh sh @!$%# for brains...
Except our fierce debates and protests and rule of law having a fail safe was an asset now you are the pathetic uck so wrapped up in your own alternate reality (of taking away whats most important based on whats least important to get around bullet points and keep the simplest concepts held together by your side of PaPa's joke that always needs a right wing Jerry Springer audience to frame their competence) that our perception requires the greatest amount of power and control before you can bring anything to the table they really didn't want to hear but have too....
PaPa Bush... the haves and have nots...always was but never like this...
He's acting like this nation never had a President before and it would fall apart (not heal) if he steps down so the Jews can quit trying to get under his generalized but massive criminal position of absolute control over an entire population...
Why did you have to make me fit into NATO sh sh sh sh @!$%# for brains...
This is still the criminal justice system not every one born a potential threat for life that can be neutralized by the people we make potential threats for life around them war time platform, right???
Gee give Obama a break he didn't have a teleprompter in front of him telling him what to say.
Unlike the Retard Candidates, Obama has a brain and does not need a teleprompter.
What about Iran says the Evangelicals...
Ya, them too...
Watch these sad @!$%#s milk our ignorance in free fall cause the cold war made more sense and had more courage and dignity and I say that as a critic but this is the world vs individual people strategy...
How insightful your original post is for the 40,000 th time. Get some new material. Your posts are pathetic.
Oh please Romeny needs to get a grip everything the President said was true he will have more room to negotiate after the election. Romney's real problem is the total lack of concern the President has about beating him in November.
Romney is his own worst enemy. He repeated exposes his crassness and impolitic commentary on foreign policy. I almost feel sorry for the GOP that this is their 'leading' candidate. The man is a cretin!
Believing in the nonsense the 19th con-man Joseph Smith edited into the New Testament and spewed forth as the Book of Mormon should be enough to disqualify Mittens from office.
Romney has been dating Sarah Palin on the side. Don't tell anyone OK? They want to keep it secret & it's nobody's business
What a surprise! Like Romney was going to find some way to praise President Obama for keeping our country safe and well defended, for promoting peace among nations, for rescuing the country from the toilet where President Bush left us, for raising America's image, for killing Bin Laden, for ridding the world of Qaddafi without the loss of a single American life, for strangling Iran economically until Achmadinijad gives up his nuclear weapons, for increasing oil exploration to the highest level we've ever know, and for the charisma Obama was born with that Romney will never have.
Like I said, any candidate who has called this President "weak" or an "apologizer" will definitely take us directly back into the Cold War. -- It shows they aren't fit to lead this country in the 21st century.
We are trying to get out of decades of war & no longer are the World Police for the 1st time in our modern history
He's pandering to the hard right & the Tea Party
God forbid - but if Romney does manage to become President - he is going to have a real nice relationship with Russia. That should make all you conservatives feel safe - we can dredge up the cold war and go to war with Iran and give all of you guys something else to hate and fear.
Did you see the size of the republican defense bill? -- A good example of "Imperialism" & an indication of their addiction to more wars around the globe
Jim - you are so right. These guys with their guns and conspiracy theories and the enemy at the gates are living in the past when the "Commies" were around every corner They better wake up and realize that this is a complicated world and it is no longer about us and them. We all have too much to loose. When two people are standing in a bucket of gasoline, you don't argue about who has the biggest match (or gun or penis).
What part of "SHUT UP" does Rummy not understand? He is a LOSER supported by LOSERS.
Conservative's own redstate.com also tells you Romney is a loser. But let them run with it, Obama will light fire to Mitts mittens
I don't think that Medvedev has any idea what an Etch-A-Sketch is,or how Romney will use it.