Barack Obama and the Chinese naval mooning episode

This is not transparency we can believe in: on the White House website, the transcript of a “background readout to the travel pool by senior administration officials on President Obama’s meeting with Chinese President Hu” identifies the briefer only as “senior administration official.” I could do without the secretive bullshit – and the press corps that enables it.

From that briefing: “Tibet was discussed. ... And he made clear our concerns about human rights in Tibet and our hope that China would make progress and (inaudible).” I don’t know about progress, but China is certainly working on making Tibet inaudible.

Also from the briefing:

Q: The Chinese naval mooning episode, where the two ships came awfully close last month, was that discussed at all?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Military-to-military relations were discussed and President Obama referred to the episode, yes.

I wonder if Obama used the phrase “naval mooning episode” when speaking to Hu.