President Barack Obama is the true Etch A Sketch leaders, says Sen. John McCain, adding a new twist to the political implications of the 1950s toy that enveloped Mitt Romney last week.
The Arizona Republican, a Romney supporter, tweeted his contention that Obama deserves the moniker for suggesting to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he can switch his policy on missile defense after he is re-elected.
During negotiations between the United States and Russia Monday over plans for a U.S.-led NATO European missile defense system, a microphone picked up Obama’s request for patience, saying he will have “more flexibility” after the election in November.
The comments came across a microphone that the two leaders apparently didn’t know was live.
“President Obama tells Medvedev he'll be more ‘flexible’ on missile defense — that's a real ‘Etch A Sketch’ leader!" McCain wrote on Twitter today, according to
The Hill.
McCain, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, holds hawkish views on foreign policy. He often has been at odds with Russia’s current prime minister and president-elect Vladimir Putin. The 2008 Republican presidential nominee has argued with the Russian strongman in person. In the overheard conversation, Medvedev promised to relay Obama’s message to Putin.
Last week, Republican presidential front-runner Romney took untold degrees of heat for an aide’s comments that his campaign will reset for the general election, just like an Etch a Sketch toy.
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