Washington – President Obama and three House Democrats, including Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, played a round of golf in the sweltering heat at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland Sunday, but no one says politics was discussed on the green.
Obama likes to play golf, but usually with family and friends.
There was some speculation Obama was reaching out to Democrats who might be open to the Iran nuclear deal.
Courtney — who called a pending agreement between the United States, five other world powers and Iran a “hopeful development” — was teamed with the president.
Also playing were Reps. John Yarmuth of Kentucky and Ed Perlmutter of Colorado.
Yarmuth is Kentucky’s first Jewish member of Congress, but he often breaks with other Jewish members on Israel and has said the deal will effectively block Iran from building a nuclear weapon.
Perlmutter has praised Obama’s efforts in trying to rein in Iran, but like Courtney says he is still reviewing the 150-page document released last week.
Perlmutter told the Denver Post the men discussed sports, family issues and social media while they played — not politics or world affairs. Permutter also said he won $3 from Courtney, and Yarmuth won $3 from Obama.
Courtney spokeswoman Liz Donovan said, “To my knowledge, the Iran agreement was not discussed.”
“This golf outing with President Obama was planned a long time ago with Reps. Perlmutter and Yarmuth, and was scheduled recently,” she said.