As President Joe Biden refused to back down from comments he made at the weekend saying Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power, a photographer managed to snatch a picture of a list of “tough Putin Q&A talking points” he was carrying at a press conference. Under a question about what he meant when he said Mr Putin “cannot remain in power”, it reads “I was expressing moral outrage I felt toward the actions of this man” and “I was not articulating a change in policy”.
The pre-scripted responses tallied with the president’s given answers to questions about his remarks, which caused consternation among Russia’s allies. “I’m not walking anything back,” he told NBC News reporter Kelly O’Donnell on Monday at the White House. “The fact of the matter is, I was expressing the moral outrage I felt toward the way Putin is dealing and the actions of this man.”
Meanwhile, the president yesterday unveiled his budget proposal for the next fiscal year. Among other things, it calls for higher taxes on the wealthy, lower federal deficits, more money for law enforcement, and greater funding for education, public health, and housing.
