Following up on Chuck Hagel’s assertion earlier today in the course of his confirmation hearing that the Iranian regime is “legitimate” and “elected,” CNN’s Jessica Yellin asked White House press secretary Jay Carney whether the president agrees.
Carney dodged the question this way: “I think our views on the last presidential election were clearly expressed, the president’s views on that matter and our views on the behavior of the regime in Tehran are expressed again and again and again.”
President Obama was, in fact, clear on this point–clear that he wouldn’t take a clear position. He said only, “I can’t state definitively one way or another what happened with respect to the election.” If nothing else, the White House has been consistent on this front.