Obama to GOP: Stop 'Casual' Talk About War in Iran

President Obama hammered Republican presidential hopefuls today for their "casual" talk of the possibility of war with Iran. "What is said on the campaign trail—those folks don’t have a lot of responsibilities," Obama said in his first White House press conference since October. "They are not commander in chief. When I see the casualness with which those folks talk about war, I am reminded of the costs involved in war." Discussing previous decisions to enter wars, he noted that "when we haven’t thought it through, and it gets wrapped up in politics, we make mistakes."

"Typically, it’s not the folks who are popping off who pay the price," he said. "It’s these incredible men and women in uniform and their families." On Super Tuesday, Obama went strongly political, attacking his opponents on a range of issues, including the housing market, the Washington Post notes. Obama announced two initiatives: One would cut refinancing fees on FHA-insured loans; the other would call on banks to review five years' worth of data to make sure troops didn't suffer wrongful foreclosures. "I’m not one of those people who believe that we should just sit by and wait for the housing market to hit bottom," he said, referring to Mitt Romney. Obama also addressed Rush Limbaugh again: Click here for that. (More President Obama stories.)