WASHINGTON–Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joked about sending White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to Moscow on Friday to finalize a nuclear arms deal.
Emanuel’s reputation for arm-twisting members of Congress–grown larger with the successful passage this week of the health care bill–gave Clinton grist to suggest he be sent to the Russian Duma to twist some arms there.
“Just as we have to go to our Congress, President Medvedev has to go to the Duma. And I think President Obama has said that he would send Rahm Emmanuel to Moscow and we all immediately endorsed that offer. You know, if President Medvedev wants to take us up on it, we’re ready,” Clinton said.