David Axelrod says Obama is 'energized' without the 'burden' of a Democratic Congress

David Axelrod dishes on Obama and his party

(Image credit: The Daily Show)

Former top Obama adviser David Axelrod was on Tuesday night's Daily Show to promote his new book, Believer, and Jon Stewart asked whether President Obama feels like the leader of the Democratic Party. Axelrod said that Obama isn't interested in the "small politics of Washington," and that causes some friction with members of both parties.

So, Stewart pressed, does Obama feel "liberated by the Democrats' loss of Congress" last November — if Obama has, well, senioritis? "He'll still show up for class," Axelrod said, but agreed with the sense of freedom Obama feels. "I've known him for 20-some-odd years, and I've never seen him more energized than he is right now. And part of it is that he may sniff the finish line, but I think a lot of it is he thinks he can get some big things done." Obama made some accommodations for congressional Democrats before the election, on immigration and Cuba, but "he doesn't have that burden right now," Axelrod said. Watch the interview below. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.