Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/axelrod-reflects-on-struggles-over-stimulus-troubled-cabinet-bids Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod discusses President Barack Obama's stance in the struggle to pass a stimulus bill and reflects on errors made in how the Obama team has handled some of the nominations to top administration positions. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. JIM LEHRER: And now to our Newsmaker interview with White House senior adviser David Axelrod, substituting for White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel who was scheduled to be with us tonight.Mr. Axelrod, welcome.DAVID AXELROD, Senior Adviser to President Obama: Thanks, Jim. JIM LEHRER: And thanks for doing this for us tonight. You're in Colonial Williamsburg tonight at, what, the House Democratic retreat, correct? DAVID AXELROD: Exactly. Exactly, yes. JIM LEHRER: Now, tell us what you know from there, what you've heard, and can — you can tell us about the state of the negotiations over the economic stimulus plan. DAVID AXELROD: Well, Jim, as you know, all the action's in Washington, not here in Williamsburg today. This is on the Senate side. And I think discussions are still going on.I hope that one thing that will have a sobering influence on these discussions is that unemployment figures from this morning, 600,000 more jobs lost last month.To put that in perspective, that's equivalent to all the jobs in the state of Maine and all the jobs in Pittsburgh, in the Cleveland area, and it's a devastating number. And it's only going get worse unless we intervene and do something that's big enough and bold enough to make a difference.That's what the president wants, and I think the American people want it, too. And I hope that that's what the Senate decides to do tonight. JIM LEHRER: Is there any evidence that there is a cause and an effect on that? DAVID AXELROD: Well, I don't know. I mean, I'm not there. I would hope so. I think that there are serious talks going on right now.You know, what you have is a situation where a majority of the Senate wants to move forward with this package, but there's a minority under the Senate rules who have the ability to block it.The problem is that, as they engage in parliamentary back-and-forth, there are families all over this country who are suffering, people who've lost their jobs who are wondering how they're going to pay their bills or stay in their home or take care of their kids, and they're looking to us to provide some relief and some hope.So, you know, I hope that they will wrap their negotiations up and we can move forward.