Axelrod: I Regret Using Obama as an ‘Announcer for the Government’

KING In your book ░░░░░░░░ tick off a laundry ░░░░░░░░ of things that the ░░░░░░░░ has accomplished and you ░░░░░░░░ it in great detail ░░░░░░░░ said though David you ░░░░░░░░ about Michael Bloomberg Barbara ░░░░░░░░ and Nancy Pelosi were ░░░░░░░░ hammering you all about ░░░░░░░░ re not getting your ░░░░░░░░ across You guys are ░░░░░░░░ getting it right Why ░░░░░░░░ that keep happening do ░░░░░░░░ think time after time ░░░░░░░░ Well first of all ░░░░░░░░ will say people were ░░░░░░░░ generous with their advice ░░░░░░░░ I was in the ░░░░░░░░ House KING Don t ░░░░░░░░ like unsolicited advice ROSE ░░░░░░░░ it welcome AXELROD Sometimes ░░░░░░░░ yes and sometimes no ░░░░░░░░ the reality is we ░░░░░░░░ a triage unit when ░░░░░░░░ arrived in the White ░░░░░░░░ and I describe this ░░░░░░░░ the book We were ░░░░░░░░ that there was a ░░░░░░░░ in three chance of ░░░░░░░░ second Great Depression Every ░░░░░░░░ we were taking the ░░░░░░░░ signs of the U ░░░░░░░░ economy hoping that we ░░░░░░░░ keep it pumping And ░░░░░░░░ had to take a ░░░░░░░░ of steps the president ░░░░░░░░ that were as unpopular ░░░░░░░░ they were necessary And ░░░░░░░░ distracted from our ability ░░░░░░░░ deliver the kind of ░░░░░░░░ we wanted I regret ░░░░░░░░ we used him too ░░░░░░░░ as kind of an ░░░░░░░░ for the government instead ░░░░░░░░ the narrator of a ░░░░░░░░ theme That was a ░░░░░░░░ that I take some ░░░░░░░░ for KING You say ░░░░░░░░ in the White House ░░░░░░░░ like working in a ░░░░░░░░ hard to get a ░░░░░░░░ on the pulse of ░░░░░░░░ when you re looking ░░░░░░░░ the country through a ░░░░░░░░ AXELROD Yeah KING So ░░░░░░░░ some respects maybe you ░░░░░░░░ didn t get it ░░░░░░░░ yourselves AXELROD Well look ░░░░░░░░ tried very hard and ░░░░░░░░ spent my days reading ░░░░░░░░ group reports and polling ░░░░░░░░ and so on But ░░░░░░░░ is really hard And ░░░░░░░░ think it s Washington ░░░░░░░░ problem generally Gary Hart ░░░░░░░░ former senator once told ░░░░░░░░ that Washington is always ░░░░░░░░ last to get the ░░░░░░░░ I think that was ░░░░░░░░ because it s so ░░░░░░░░ But the White House ░░░░░░░░ worse ROSE One of ░░░░░░░░ criticisms is that guys ░░░░░░░░ you the political team ░░░░░░░░ too much influence and ░░░░░░░░ lot of the policy ░░░░░░░░ complained about it all ░░░░░░░░ the time AXELROD Well ░░░░░░░░ know Charlie actually what ░░░░░░░░ remember is telling him ░░░░░░░░ health care was going ░░░░░░░░ be a real politically ░░░░░░░░ thing to do telling ░░░░░░░░ that rescuing the auto ░░░░░░░░ was very unpopular I ░░░░░░░░ t tell him recommend ░░░░░░░░ didn t do those ░░░░░░░░ but I had to ░░░░░░░░ him that And I ░░░░░░░░ joked that I liked ░░░░░░░░ so much because he ░░░░░░░░ to me so little.”