Angie Craig: “But in the area of Russia, for example, this administration appears to think that they can go to the [Russians] and…”

“But in the area of Russia, for example, this administration appears to think that they can go to the [Russians] and demand that Russia follow our policies in Iraq and insist on their support on Iraq, but at the same time this administration proposes an expansion of NATO. You have to recognize, if you were a Russian leader, you would find a certain irony in a request that was coupled in that terminology. Because, of course, an expansion of NATO, especially to Poland, is an expansion that can only be viewed in Russia with some concern and possibly viewed by some as an outright threat . . . So you can understand that Russia might view a push to expand NATO at the same time as we are asking them to support us in Iraq as being inconsistent and a bit ironic. And it reflects, unfortunately, I think, this administration's failure to understand the linkage--and linkage is the right term--between working with a nation like Russia and our capacity to do things in the Middle East and moving forward with the NATO expansion at the exact same time.”