Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called President Obama an "Etch a Sketch leader" on missile defense after the president told Russian officials not to pressure him about missile defense policy until after the 2012 election, when he has more "flexibility."

"Pres Obama tells Medvedev he'll be more 'flexible' on missile defense - that's a real 'Etch A Sketch' leader!" McCain tweeted this morning. McCain was referring to the hot mic'd conversation between Obama and outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in which Obama said "on all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for [Vladimir Putin] to give me space . . . After my election I have more flexibility."

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The senator was also alluding to a gaffe by Eric Fehrnstrom, a top aide to Mitt Romney. "It’s almost like an Etch a Sketch,” Fehrnstrom said last week when asked if Romney was taking positions that are too conservative to carry into a general election. "You can kind of shake it up, and we start all over again," he said of the transition from primary to general election campaigns.

McCain endorsed Mitt Romney before the New Hampshire Republican primary in January.