Karl on Cuba: If Engagement Works, Why Hasn’t Obama Engaged with North Korea?

Karl Grills Earnest on Cuba: If Engagement Works, Why Hasn't Obama Engaged With North Korea? (RealClearPolitics)

At Thursday's White House press briefing, ABC News' Jonathan Karl asked White House press secretary if the United States can normalize relations with Cuba, why can't we do the same with North Korea.

"If engagement works when you're dealing with a country with a bad human rights record or a country that behaves poorly, why not North Korea? Can you explain the difference?" Karl asked. "Can you explain why given what you just said about how you think that kind of engagement is what works?"

"The point is that that policy had failed and it's time for us to try a new strategy to get the Castro regime to better implement policies that don't oppress the basic universal human rights of their people," Earnest replied. "Our concerns about North Korea's behavior are certainly include their deplorable human rights record, but they also other things, too. It includes significant concerns with their nuclear program. It concerns the threatening statements they have made about their neighbors who happen to be strong allies of the United States of America."