WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden went after Mitt Romney on Sunday for the Republican candidate's remarks on Russia last week, saying they revealed antiquated views on the U.S. relationship with that country.
Romney had attacked President Barack Obama for telling Russian President Dmitri Medvedev that he would have more "flexibility" in missile negotiations after the 2012 elections. The former Massachusetts governor, in response, had called Russia the United States' "number-one geopolitical foe."
"Governor Romney's answer I thought was incredibly revealing," Biden told Bob Schieffer on CBS's "Face the Nation. "He acts like he thinks the Cold War is still on [and] Russia is still our major adversary. I don't know where he has been."
Romney's comments on the incident also prompted a cold response from Medvedev, who told him to "listen to reason" before making such statements.
Biden said Sunday that the president was "just stating the obvious": that it would be difficult to negotiate given the divided Congress and the upcoming election. Biden also joked about the risks of an open mic, as Obama had last week, saying, "I know a little bit about unguarded moments with microphones."
The rest of the "Face the Nation" interview was more serious, albeit still full of attacks on Romney. Biden said he expects Romney to be the Republican presidential nominee.
He called Romney "out of touch," noting the candidate's comments about letting Detroit go bankrupt and his opposition to Obama's health care reform law.
"I understand the Republicans talking about Obamacare. I get that -- they've been against that from the beginning," Biden said. "But you know, you go out there and take a look, Bob, and everywhere I go in the country there's millions of people out there that are benefiting."
"What is the Romney answer? There's nothing," he added.
Biden said he would not speculate on what would happen if Obamacare were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court because he does not believe that will happen. The White House has "no contingency plan," White House spokesman Josh Earnest had said last Wednesday.
"First, I think we should bring the temperature down," Biden said Sunday. "You and I have watched the Supreme Court for years. No one has made any money making bets based on the oral arguments and the questions asked. We think the mandate in the law is constitutional, and we think the court will rule that way."