US News

Bam back to biz

WASHINGTON — President Obama yesterday promised Russia he would put his muscle behind efforts to win congressional approval of the START nuclear-weapon reduction treaty that has been stalled in the US Senate.

“I reiterated my commitment to get the START treaty done during the lame-duck session, and I’ve communicated to Congress that it is a top priority,” Obama said after meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Japan.

The meeting capped Obama’s 10-day trip across Asia and set the stage for his return to Washington, where he’ll face a Republican opposition emboldened by massive midterm-election gains.

Before heading home, Obama managed to slip in a quick side trip to the sacred Great Buddha statue in Japan — noting he was “only 6” when his mother first brought him to see the 44-foot-high bronze statue.

“The first time I was here, I was this big,” he said, putting his left hand up to his waist.

The president, making a surprise visit to reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One, pledged to return to the basic principles that drove his thinking when he arrived at the White House, including a more bipartisan tone.

He spoke of moving from an “obsessive focus” on policy and making changes to his approach after the humbling losses to the GOP.

smiller@nypost.com