The AP's Matt Lee is one of the reporters to actually ask difficult questions of the government. Which is how exchanges like this happen.
MATT LEE, ASSOCIATED PRESS: And then the last one is – and every time this happens, the line comes out from people in this Administration and other governments as well, is that we will not accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, and yet, it is. You also say this about other things too. You say you will never accept Crimea as a part of Russia. And yet, it is. Isn’t it time to recognize these things for what they are and not live in this illusion or fantasy where you pretend that things that are, are not?
KIRBY, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: The short answer is no.
QUESTION: No?
MR KIRBY: But I would challenge --
QUESTION: It’s preferable to live in a fantasy world?
MR KIRBY: I would challenge this idea that it’s a fantasy world. Just because – let me put it this way. At this level of foreign policy, you have to make choices. And you don’t have to accept everything --
QUESTION: You have to accept reality, though.
MR KIRBY: -- even at face value. No, you – we are not going to accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, and we’re not going to recognize that. We are, however, going to deal with their efforts --
Obama Inc. will continue letting North Korea go nuclear. Just not officially. Because our foreign policy is a lovely little fantasy living in the minds of our best and brighrst.