June 1, 2010: The Promise: President Obama, Year One

 

>> Rooney: JONATHAN

ALTER HAS JUST WRITTEN A

NEW BOOK ON BARACK OBAMA

"THE PROMISE."

AND HE MADE THE COMMENTS

THAT SOME OF THE STUFF

BEING SAID ABOUT BARACK

OBAMA IS SO NEGATIVE, SO

UGLY, IT BORDERS SEDITION.

DO YOU STAND BY THAT?

>> IT'S A RETORICAL

FLURRY.

THE NOTION THAT PEOPLE

WOULD SAY THE OPPOSITE OF

WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS,

NO MATTER WHAT THE

PRESIDENT SAYS.

IF THE PRESIDENT SAYS,

CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS,

I THINK YOU'RE IDEA IS A

GOOD ONE.

TODAY THEY WOULD SAY, WE

DON'T STAND BY THAT IDEA

ANYMORE.

>> Rooney: DO YOU THINK

THAT HAPPENED UNDER THE

BUSH ADMINISTRATION?

>> I'VE NEVER SEEN

ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

>> Rooney: DO YOU THINK

THAT'S BECAUSE WHERE

YOU'RE COMING FROM

IDEOLOGICALLY?

>> NO, I DON'T THINK SO.

WHEN I WORKED WITH BILL

CLINTON IN THE CLINTON

ADMINISTRATION, THERE WAS

THE -- WHAT WAS IT CALLED,

THE GINGRICH RESOLUTION,

WHEN GINGRICH BECAME

SPEAKER --

>> Rooney: 1994 OR

SOMETHING.

>> THE CONTRACT ON AMERICA

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> Rooney: THE CONTRACT

ON AMERICA.

>> I HAD GOOD WORKING

RELATIONS -- IT BECAME

MUCH MORE PARTISAN, BUT I

HAD GOOD WORKING RELATIONS

WITH EVERYBODY IN THE

HOUSE.

BUT YOU COULD WORK

TOGETHER.

AND I'VE GOT EXAMPLES OF

THAT.

BUT YOU DON'T GET ANY OF

THAT SENSE TODAY IN THE

CONGRESS.

>> Rooney: GOVERNOR

DEVAL PATRICK, THANK YOU

FOR KICKING OFF OUR

SERIES.

>> I APPRECIATE IT.

>> Rooney: WE CONTINUE

ONE YEAR IN ON JONATHAN

ALTER, WHAT YOU DIDN'T

KNOW ABOUT BARACK OBAMA'S

PRESIDENCY.

>> Rooney: PRESIDENT

OBAMA TOOK OFFICE IN THE

MIDST OF THE MOST SEVERE

FINANCIAL CRISIS SINCE THE

GREAT DEPRESSION.

NOW IN HIS NEW BOOK "THE

PROMISE."

JONATHAN ALTER BRINGS US

INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE FOR

A LOOK AT THE MANAGEMENT

STYLE OF THE PRESIDENT

DURING HIS FIRST YEAR IN

OFFICE.

AND JONATHAN ALTER IS

HERE.

WELCOME, JONATHAN.

>> HI, EMILY.

>> Rooney: GREAT TO SEE

YOU AGAIN.

I LOVE YOUR OPENING LINE,

THIS IS LIKE TAKING A

PIECE OF POTTERY OUT --

YOU'RE NOT SURE HOW IT IS

GOING TO COME OUT. THIS

IS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE

PRESIDENT.

>> I TRIED TO BE HONEST

AND SAY THIS IS A

DEFINITIVE BOOK ABOUT

PRESIDENT OBAMA.

WE'VE HAD BOOKS ABOUT HIS

BACKGROUND IN INDONESIA

AND CHICAGO.

BUT WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS

TAKE PEOPLE BEHIND THE

CLOSED DOORS OF THE OVAL

OFFICE, AND THE SITUATION

WITH THE CABINET, AND TELL

PEOPLE WHAT IS THIS GUY

LIKE WHEN THE CAMERAS ARE

OFF.

HE IS THE MOST OBSERVED

AND LEAST UNDERSTOOD

PERSON ON THE PLANET.

>> Rooney: AND YOU GOT

SOME REALLY COOL

ANECDOTES.

AND YOU HAVE A WHOLE

CHAPTER ON HIS TEMPERMENT.

JUST TO SET UP, YOU TALK

ABOUT DURING THE END OF

THE CAMPAIGN WHEN JOHN

MCCAIN AND BARACK OBAMA

ARE SUMMONED TO THE WHITE

HOUSE TO JOIN IN THE

DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TARP

MONEY, BARACK OBAMA -- WE

SORT OF HAD A SENSE OF

THAT IN THE MEDIA WORLD,

BUT YOU REALLY WRITE IN

DETAIL HOW HE TOOK THAT

MEETING OVER.

>> HE DID.

AND BY THE END OF THE

MEETING, ONE REPUBLICAN

EQUIPPED SAID THAT.

HE WAS A QUICK STUDY, AND

HE WAS UP ON THE

DETAILS --

>> Rooney: AND McCAIN

WASN'T THAT INTO IT --

>> McCAIN DIDN'T REALLY

SPEAK FOR ABOUT 40

MINUTES.

THEY GO OUT INTO THE HALL

OUTSIDE THE CABINET ROOM,

AND OBAMA SAID, SH-SH-SH,

THIS PLACE MIGHT BE

BUGGED.

HE TALKS ABOUT THE WHITE

HOUSE HE IS GOING TO

OCCUPY, AND THE DEMOCRATS

ARE CONSULTING IN THE

ROOSEVELT ROOM, AND HANK

PAULSON KNOCKS ON THE DOOR

AND GETS DOWN ON ONE KNEE

AND BEGS NANCY PELOSI NOT

TO BLOW UP THE TARP DEAL.

AND BARNEY FRANK --

>> Rooney: YOU DON'T

HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING

THIS --

>> I GOT THIS ON THE

RECORD FROM ROBERT GIBBS

AND JIM MANLEY AND OTHER

GUYS WERE HERE.

BARNEY FRANK -- EVERYBODY

KNOWS HE HAS A TEMPER.

HE COMES IN AND A THROWING

THE "F" BOMBS.

BLOW UP THE DEAL, IT IS

YOU GUYS WHO BLOW UP THE

DEAL, THE REPUBLICANS.

AND GIBBS THOUGHT IT COULD

GET PHYSICAL RIGHT IN THE

CABINET ROOM, BARNEY FRANK

AGAINST PAULSON.

AND OBAMA STANDS UP

BETWEEN THEM LIKE A

TEACHER IN THE PLAYGROUND

SEPARATING TWO KIDS.

AND HE SPREADS HIS HANDS

LIKE THIS AND GOES, EASY,

BARNEY.

HANK, GO BACK AND TALK TO

THE REPUBLICANS.

GET THIS STRAIGHTENED OUT.

AND HE TAKES CHARGE THERE,

TOO.

ON THE CONFERENCE CALL

WITH HIS PEOPLE ON THE WAY

BACK TO HIS HOTEL, HE SAID

LOOK, I MIGHT NOT BE

PRESIDENT, BUT THIS OTHER

GUY, McCAIN, CAN'T BE

PRESIDENT.

HE DESCRIBED IT AS THE

MOST SURREAL MEETING.

>> Rooney: YOU TALK

ABOUT HOW BARACK OBAMA

CAME TO THE PRESIDENCY

WERE YOU MORE WOES AND

TROUBLES IN AMERICA THAN

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, AND

GOT MORE DONE THAN ANY

PRESIDENT.

SO MANY THOUGHT YOU'RE SO

BUSY CAMPAIGNING, YOU'RE

NOT REALLY ON BOARD WITH

THE MISSIONS YOU'RE FACED

WITH AS PRESIDENT.

BUT HE WAS.

>> HE TOLD AN AIDE DURING

THE CAMPAIGN -- REMEMBER

THE MOVIE "THE CANDIDATE"

WHERE ROBERT REDFORD SAYS,

WHAT DO WE DO NOW AFTER WE

WIN THE ELECTION?

OBAMA SAID, I'M NOT GOING

TO BE THAT MAN.

WE'RE GOING TO PLAN AHEAD.

THEY HIRED 600 PEOPLE

SECRETLY TO PLAN THE

TRANSITION.

THEN WHEN HE GETS IN, FROM

THE DAY AFTER HE ELECTED,

HE IS MAKING $100 BILLION

DECISIONS.

HE WAS THE MOST ACTIVE IN

HISTORY IN TERMS OF MAKING

KEY DECISIONS.

EVEN MORE THAN ROOSEVELT

IN 1932, '33, WHICH I

WROTE MY LAST BOOK ABOUT.

THERE WERE BIG, BIG

CHOICES THAT HE MADE,

WHICH IN SOME WAYS TIED

HIS HAND AS PRESIDENT THAT

RELATED TO THE BUDGET AND

THE STIMULUS.

>> Rooney: THE WARS, THE

ECONOMY, HEALTH CARE -- I

MEAN ALL OF THIS IN THE

BACKDROP OF THIS UGLY

PUSHBACK.

NOT JUST FROM THE

REPUBLICANS, BUT REALLY

FROM THAT WHOLE TALK RADIO

WORLD.

THE BERBER MOVEMENT, ALL

THAT STUFF.

HE COULDN'T REALLY IGNORE

THAT.

HE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THAT

STUFF.

>> HE COULDN'T IGNORE IT.

BUT ARGUABLY I THINK MAYBE

HE DID IGNORE IT TOO MUCH.

WE EXPECTED HIM TO

STRUGGLE WITH SECRETARY

LEADERSHIP, AND --

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP.

AND HE ACED EXECUTIVE

LEADERSHIP.

AND I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED

BY WHAT AN ABLE EXECUTIVE

HE WAS.

YET IN COMMUNICATIONS HE

HAD STRUGGLED.

AND HE HAS NOT FOUND HIS

RIGHTFUL VOCABULARY.

AND THAT HAS BEEN A REAL

PUZZLE.

SO THE BOOK IS WARTS AND

ALL, BUT I DO THINK THERE

ARE A LOT OF THINGS HE DID

GET ACCOMPLISHED THAT HE

DOESN'T GET NEARLY ENOUGH

CREDIT FOR.

STARTING WITH HEALTH CARE,

WHICH HE DID OVER THE

OBJECTIONS OF EVERYBODY.

WHEN I WAS REACHING "THE

PROMISE," THIS WAS REALLY

MY BIG DISCOVERY.

SURPRISING MOST.

JOSEPH BIDEN TOLD HIM,

DON'T DO IT.

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T

EXPECT YOU TO DO THIS

RIGHT AWAY.

RON EMMANUEL TOLD ME, I

BEGGED THE PRESIDENT NOT

TO DO HEALTH CARE.

AND AXELROD AGREED.

AND I ASKED THE PRESIDENT,

WHY DID YOU DO IT?

>> AND HE SAID, I TOLD

NANCY PELOSI I'D GO DOWN

10 TO 15 POINTS IN THE

POLLS.

AND I SAID, MR. PRESIDENT,

WHY DID YOU DO IT?

>> HE SAID IF WE DIDN'T DO

IT NOW, WE'D NEVER GET IT

DONE.

AND HE WAS CLEANING UP

AFTER THE BUSH'S

ADMINISTRATION.

AND HE THOUGHT THAT THE

STATUS QUO IS REALLY

UNSUSTAINABLE.

>> Rooney: I SHOULD

FINISH THIS BOOK BEFORE

THE BRITISH OIL SPILL.

IS THIS THE KATRINA.

IS IT GOING TO SHAKE HIS

RE-ELECTION CHANCES?

>> I THINK KATRINA IS TOO

EASY OF A COMPARISON.

ALL THAT PRESIDENT BUSH

HAD TO DO IS TURN ON THE

TV AND SEND THE BUSES TO

THE STADIUM.

OBAMA IS NOT AQUA MAN.

BUT THE WAY HE RESPONDS TO

THE CLEANUP, WHEN THE TAR

BALLS HIT THE BEACH, THIS

WILL BE A CRUCIAL TEST OF

HIS PRESIDENCY.

SO FAR HE HAS NOT DONE

PARTICULARLY WELL.

HE HAS BEEN ON TOP OF IT

SUBSTANTIALLY, BUT HE

HASN'T COMMUNICATEED

PROPERLY ON THIS.

I'M REMINDED OF A STORY

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT TOLD

ABOUT FRANKLIN D.

ROOSEVELT, AFTER HE DIED,

A GRIEVING MAN FELL TO HIS

KNEES IN GRIEF.

AND THE MAN NEXT TO HIM

HELPED HIM TO HIS FEET.

AND HE SAID TO THE

GRIEVING MAN, DID YOU KNOW

THE PRESIDENT?

, AND THE GRIEVING MAN

SAID, NO, BUT HE KNEW ME.

AND OBAMA IS A GIFTED

POLITICIAN, AND GENERALLY

A MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL

PRESIDENT THAN HE HAS BEEN

GIVEN CREDIT FOR IN SOME

QUARTERS.

BUT HE DOESN'T GIVE PEOPLE

THE SENSE HE REALLY KNOWS

THEM AND THEIR PROBLEMS.

HE IS GOING TO NEED TO DO

THAT IF HE IS GOING TO BE

SUCCESSFUL IN THE

LONG-TERM.

>> Rooney: ANOTHER

ANECDOTE NEAR AND DEAR TO

US IS THE RACE FOR SENATE

AGAINST SCOTT BROWN.

MARTHA COAKLEY -- I TALKED

TO HER.

THERE IS NO DENYING THAT

SHE SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT

ME TO DO, STAND OUTSIDE OF

FENWAY PARK WHEN IT'S

FREEZING COLD SHAKING

HANDS.

OBAMA COULDN'T BE SHE SAID

THAT.

AND THEY FLAT OUT

CATEGORICALLY DENY SHE

WENT ON VACATION.

NEVER WENT ON VACATION.

NEVER LEFT BOSTON.

WENT TO THE CAPE FOR A

HALF DAY.

SHE CLAIMS IT IS ONE OF

THESE URBAN LEGENDS THAT

WENT VIRAL.

>> EVERYBODY SEEMS TO

BELIEVE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

WHAT I TRY TO DO IS GIVE

PEOPLE THE BACK STORY.

TO EVERY EVENT, THERE IS

ALWAYS A BACK STORY.

>> Rooney: THAT WAS A

NEGATIVE ONE THAT WAS

UNFAIR.

>> IT TURNS OUT THERE WAS

A FIFTH MAN AT THE BEER

SUMMIT.

HE BROUGHT HIS UNION REP,

SERGEANT O'CONNOR.

AFTER THE CAMERAS LEFT,

THEY BROUGHT HIM OUT.

ON THE COAKLEY THING, I

WANTED THE SCENE WHEN THE

PRESIDENT LEARNS ABOUT IT.

THE PRESIDENT LIKES TO

WANDER AROUND THE WEST

WING.

AXELROD IS READING THE

GLOBE ON LINE, AND HE

READS THIS QUOTE, WHY

SHOULD I SHAKE HANDS OUT

OF FENWAY PARK.

AND OBAMA KNOWS FENWAY IS

A SHRINE FOR

MASSACHUSETTS.

HE KNOWS INSTANTLY IT'S

OVER.

TWO WEEKS TO GO, IT'S

DONE.

HE'S GOING TO GO AND

CAMPAIGN FOR COAKLEY, BUT

THERE IS NO POINT.

HE KNOWS IT IS OVER.

AND HE GRABS AXELROD BY

THE SHIRT AND SAYS, TELL

ME SHE DIDN'T SAY THAT.

TELL ME THAT IS NOT TRUE.

HE KNEW THAT HER DREAMS

WERE SHATTERED.

WHAT I WANT TO DO IS GIVEN

PEOPLE, AND I THINK IN

"THE PROMISE" I'M SOMEWHAT

SUCCESSFUL.

THE FLY ON THE WALL

QUALITY.

>> Rooney: IT IS

FANTASTIC.

I LOVED IT.

JONATHAN ALTER, THANK YOU

FOR COMING IN.

A REMINDER TO TUNE IN FOR

MY RADIO SHOW FOLLOWED BY

CALLIE CROSSLEY.

AND TOMORROW NICE, THE

GOVERN CON SULE OF ISRAEL,

THAT AND MORE AT 7:00.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.