David Axelrod

" If it. A few weeks away yes. You know -- thing. I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna major do you view. Precise deadline of the president is is is working through. The options focusing on the objective that he began with -- and will continue to focus on which is how you. Best. Disrupt dismantle and destroy -- al-Qaeda and -- you would embrace. Strategy and Afghans and Afghanistan that -- facilitates that and hill and and make a decision soon. Based on a thoughtful review of all the options. It's. It's it's. All -- absolutely. I think that you know that the troops that he ordered in March charges now. Completing. Their arrival and and the next troops and that would -- you do there until the spring and summer and and his time to make this decision and do and in the thoughtful. There it. The answer is that whenever you. Deploy troops to make decisions relative to war. You ought to make them based on the best information and then and then and then get the strategy right. Make sure that the strategy -- your your goals. And that you are. You you're making the right decisions and we he owes that to the service men and women. Who are going he owes it to the effect of that to their families he -- it -- the American people. It's hard. Well we want to get this done it's been a long process. A lot of good work has been done. We're very close to finishing. A lot of the -- right now has to do with. The Congressional Budget Office reviewing the Senate proposal. And scoring it for cost and impact and so on. And that's delayed the process we've got houses in the way and so on. But we hope the Senate will work through and and and did and get it on the house seems to -- the more expedited schedule. So we have the ability to get this done we'd like to do."

" We want to get done. There are protests mystery. As being prize this. Girls what is real and arms and possibly from the -- and he has blonde. What is the overall climate right now let's play process. Speak. Israel continued clothing on the little imagery we'll see what his oldest --"

" Well we've made it clear to Iran and that. That there's a proposal on the table that would allow them to help. There -- people. And would that get that uranium out. And of Iran and and and satisfy the international community that that -- that uranium would not be used for weapons grade. Purposes and they ought to seize this opportunity to one thing that's happened last nine months is the international community has come together and -- it wasn't. Before so the international community is more united and Iran is more divided and if our leaders. -- look at those developments tonight. Factor them into my decision. It's. Well I don't think. I don't think the administration. Is. At all naive about. What we're dealing with -- and obviously we've we operate in and in in a climate in which. In which you know -- there's there's wariness. And there should be. And but the point here is that there is a there is a crossroads here and and Iran though ought to take. The right -- because what they're looking at now is -- a united international community. The Russians of student stood firmly with us the French. And and other nations in who they're willing to act in concert so. This ought to be a source of concern two and then an encouragement to do what would be plainly the right thing here one. Part. -- Well I think you have to look at what those races words in New York 23 erase. Was the one race that was really a microcosm of the national debate. The other races in Jersey and in. And in. Virginia were really state races very much focused on state issues in Jersey was very much focused on. Governor. Corzine but in New York 23. -- raise the issues that we're discussing every day in Washington were very much on the ballot. And particularly because of the purge of the Republican candidate by the right. It became even more so in what you saw was -- pretty vigorous. Turn out there yesterday and the district has been held by Republicans for a 140 years. And the democratic candidate won I think that sends a strong message him well. -- Yeah and I didn't do that point made when mr. Christie got 49% injures as to the Republicans and -- didn't get a majority so we're discounting. Our victory the point here is that a Democrat hasn't held that seat for a 140 years. And one. Running. On the Obama. Platform. So vice president Biden was in there the day before the election campaigning vigorously. For him so we're pleased -- result we think it sends a message to two other Democrats that. We we when we stick together and we fight for the good the right things. Would -- do well. --"

" It. Should and its. -- and I don't know."

" Major that the that the independents who voted yes they were necessarily all independents who voted for. Obama I think there -- a lot of people who didn't vote yesterday in the the goal. Looking forward to 2010. When we will have infected brought national election for -- for congress. Is to motivate. Those independent voters who voted for us last time but stayed over this time many of them -- young. I mean there was a tremendous drop off for example in Jersey and in. In Virginia in participation by young voters whom you know voted for us -- very large numbers. We need to engage our voters for 2010. And we and we well."

" Horse of -- year it's very. After reading David's book. -- says the audacity of winning has given way to the timidity. Of government."

" Well you know look. Like -- and she does a great -- driving people to her. Blog she has a different job that we do we actually have to govern the country and we're interested. In moving the country forward -- and making real progress and not simply symbolic victories. And and and we've done and an awful lot. Two toward that end so. We're gonna keep on trying to make progress and it's not always gonna please everyone on the left or the right."

" But it will ultimately make this a better and stronger country and that's that's why we're here we're not here to to -- the -- And you. And President Bush straight forward. We want. It's. That. It. -- It. Well I've."

" Look I've looked I've looked through those numbers and many other numbers and I actually think the president's numbers are holding up. Pretty well even in yesterday's races -- a positive. Job approval rating in the two states where Republicans were. Elected. Governor. I think people understand he's he's governing in a difficult time and relative to others. -- other presidents in similar situations -- numbers are actually very. A strong but look the bottom line is we're not running for office we're trying to. We're trying to to move the country forward and we don't sit there day after day pouring over poll numbers. Learning about fluctuations up and -- we worry about is how you get the American people back to work. Had -- we a deal with the threat of terrorism and Afghanistan. Had a we deal with people people's concerns around healthcare. Had a we get clean energy economy. Going -- reform our education system. And if we do those things the rest of take care of itself. And disease. -- well understand everything is relative to the pace. Of where you started I mean that -- were the numbers were. Extraordinarily. High to start -- that's what happens at the beginning of -- presidency but there were higher than normal. And you know so we've come down from the stratosphere I still think -- great confidence. In this president and and the other thing is if you want to put an electoral context then read the numbers about the Republican Party in the confidence of people have and then they're at all. They're at a twenty year low in terms of people identifying themselves. As Republicans in the same Wall Street Journal. A poll nineteen only 19% said. That they had confidence in Republicans to make the right decision. For the country so when when the American people ultimately do get to make a choice. I think there gonna make the right choice in the right choices to continue down the road. To progress that the president has -- Great to see it."