Americans who voted for hope and change in 2008 are going to have to wait a little longer, according to President Barack Obama.
In a taped interview aired on “CBS Sunday Morning” this weekend, Charlie Rose asked the president to reflect on his election four years ago, when many anticipated he would bring sweeping change to Washington. In a stunning admission, Obama said Washington is still “broken” despite his efforts.
“Well, it is funny,” Obama said. “I just came back from a bus tour in Ohio, and we’ve now started to get in the campaign swing. And I tell people this campaign is still about hope. If somebody asks you, it is still about change, Washington feels as broken as it did four years ago. And you know, if you ask me what is the one thing that has frustrated me most over the last four years, it is not the hard work. It is not, you know, enormity of the decisions. It is not the pace. It is that I haven’t been able to change the atmosphere here in Washington to reflect the decency … and common sense of ordinary people — Democrats, Republicans and independents who I think just want to see their leadership solve problems. And, you know, there is enough blame to go around for that.”
Rose asked Obama if he blamed himself, and the president admitted he had made a miscalculation.
“I think there is no doubt that I underestimated the degree to which in this town politics trumps problem solving,” Obama added.