White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Wednesday dodged questions on a potential Olympic boycott should Russia offer asylum to fugitive security contractor Edward Snowden.
“The Olympics are a long way off,” Carney said in a press briefing.
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) had suggested Tuesday that the U.S. boycott the 2014 winter games in Sochi to send an “unequivocal signal” to Russia that offering Snowden asylum would be a breach of the law.
Carney emphasized that the boycott was suggested by a lawmaker, and that the U.S. is focused on resolving the matter by working with Russia through typical law enforcement channels. When asked if the boycott was a bad idea, he said “yes.”
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) disagreed with Graham’s suggested boycott Wednesday, saying the idea was “dead wrong.”
