"We did not anticipate that it would be taken that way, because its kind of hard to take it that way when you look at the actual words. ... There was some anticipation that someone might say you know its an expression of rebuke to former President Carter for having met with Hamas. that was something that was anticipated but no one wrote about it or raised it."
"The fact is that if you look at the words, they're pretty consistent with what the President has said in the past, and frankly consistent with what many of them have said. They have said that -- I think most have said that we shouldn't negotiate with terrorists or extremists. Most have said that we should not allow for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon; that would not be in the world's interests. Most have said we should stand by Israel as an ally in the Middle East and a democracy there. So I don't know what -- again -- what sentence they consider to be outrageous or reckless"
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