David Axelrod: ‘Organized policy from the beginning’ to thwart Obama

Echoing a sentiment floated by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Tuesday, former White House adviser David Axelrod said Wednesday that the kind of obstacles President Obama is facing pales in comparison to those that dogged former President George W. Bush.

“The notion that somehow George Bush faced what this president faced just isn’t true,” he said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “This has been an organized policy from the very beginning to try and thwart this president, and now he has to find ways to move the ball forward, even if Congress isn’t willing to act.”

Mr. Obama said in Tuesday’s State of the Union Address that he would use his executive authority on a dozen issues including income inequality and job training to spur “a year of action” for his stalled agenda. Host Joe Scarborough challenged that the “hatred and vitriol spewed against George W. Bush during his eight years in office” would easily match statements about Mr. Obama.

Mr. Axelrod called those things “reprehensible” and said Mr. Obama was one person who stood up to denounce them.

“But that’s different than cooperating when there are urgent national needs,” Mr. Axelrod said.

Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, argued Tuesday on MSNBC that while Democrats opposed Mr. Bush on many issues, including the Iraq War and his efforts to privatize Social Security, they also worked together on many issues such as the Wall Street bailout and energy legislation.

“We did not treat President Bush this way,” she said. “We thought we had a responsibility to work with the president to get a job done for the American people and we did. This obstruction to President Obama is something quite stunning. It’s something quite different.”