The Press Conference

++President Obama was asked about Hillary Clinton's announcement and whether he advised her to run on his record. He said that she had been a formidable opponent in 2008,a great supporter in his election then, and then served as an extraordinary Secretary of State and she was his friend. He thought Hillary would be an excellent President. 

++He was asked repeatedly about the Iran Deal. Reporters quoted the Supreme Leader as saying the United States was misrepresenting the deal and that sanctions had to be removed immediately. 

++He answered that we have to wait until the final deal is agreed to before we can any judgments about whether it fulfills our practical goals of preventing Iran from getting a nuclear arm. 

++He admitted that Bibi was against it but he did note that the same questions about this deal were raised about the interim agreement and that it was argued about and was implemented and it is agreed that Iran kept its side of the bargain. He said it was ironic that those same critics now want to keep the interim agreement.

++He blasted John McCain for saying that John Kerry,a Vietnam War hero and Secretary of State, was less trustworthy than the Supreme Leader, who McCain thinks is the enemy.

++He said this meant that politicization had gone way too far. He talked about Tehran Tom's letter to someone the GOP considers an enemy. 

++He pointed out Mitch McConnell letter to the UN to ignore the commitments made by the United States on climate change.

++He talked about some of the initiatives at the Summit of the Americas. 

++One reporter asked what he thought about Raul Castro's compliments about his as a person and whether he thought Raul was honest and trustworthy as Raul said about him. He avoided a direct response but said their two conversations and their meeting were candid and honest about the issues that divide them.

++Karen DeYoung went further with the Iran issue trying to portray the State Department's interpretation of the Iran Deal as set in stone. President Obama reiterated that many specifics had been worked out but there were certain elements which would require intense negotiation. He defended the State Department's interpretation.

++Karen DeYoung raised the 45 day waiting period after President Obama lifts the terrorist tag on Cuba. President Obama talked about the difficulty Cubans will have in accepting an American embassy and that we were used to re-establishing relations.

++He did say,"America is not into "regime change" with regards to Cuba",which is a dramatic change from the past.