Obama distant but in touch on Copenhagen climate summit

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President Obama will not arrive at the Copenhagen climate summit until Friday, its final day, but he worked the phones Monday to push world leaders to cut a deal on a new global-warming agreement.

“The president’s been very engaged on this issue,” Todd Stern, Obama’s special climate envoy, told reporters at the summit Monday. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs confirmed the calls to reporters in Washington and said Obama would stay engaged all week.

“When the president picks up the phone and calls world leaders, I would define that as personally involved,” Gibbs said.

Read more at Greenspace.

-- Jim Tankersley in Copenhagen, with Christi Parsons in Washington