White House Reacts to Dennis Rodman Diplomacy

Actually, White House spokesman Jay Carney didn't take the bait when asked what he thought of Dennis Rodman's trip to North Korea and his meeting with Kim Jong Un, and whether the celebrity encounter undermined any official talks.

Carney said at today's press briefing that "instead of spending money on celebrity sporting events to entertain the elites of that country, the North Korean regime should focus on the well-being of its own people who have been starved, imprisoned, and denied their human rights.

"We have urged the North Korean leadership to heed President Obama’s call to choose the path of peace and come into compliance with its international obligations.  North Korea’s actions, however, directly violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and threaten international peace and security."

Asked again what Obama thought of the Rodman visit, Carney added, "I don't have a readout specific to the President to give to you.  I think that what I just said makes clear that North Korea ought to be focusing on its own citizens and opportunities to improve their lives.  And the United States has channels of communications directly with the DPRK and those are the channels we choose to employ."