In the Hot Seat on
NPR's "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" program, White House senior adviser
David Axelrod, bushes off questions about his influence over President
Obama and makes a joke at Carrie Prejean’s expense.
NPR's "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" is modeled after
old fashion quiz shows and test a contestants knowledge of current news
stories. The program is hosted by playwright Peter Sagal and newscaster
Carl Kasell.
Mr. Axelrod is former journalist with a reputation for his "snappy sound bites." And he did not disappoint during his
appearance on the program.
He joked about subjects ranging from Obama's perfection to the current
dust up caused by Carrie Prejean with her comment at the Miss America
contest.
When he was queried about his influence about the choice of the
First Dog Bo Axelrod came back with “I was only called in for the final
three, and one was Miss California.”
When Peter Sagal asked him if whether he's "an evil or a benevolent
genius” Axelrod took that as a comparison to former White house adviser
Karl Rove. He fired back that he was nothing like Rove who he says
"tried to run the Republican Party [from] out of the White House.” Also
noting that "he's not an ideologue but an idealist whose goal is to
help communicate whatever message the president decides is best."
When he was pushed harder on the subject of his influence over
President Obama he said that his it was "minimal" and that his big play
to give his advice to the president was done by “passing a note to the
person on the left.”
The strangest statement of the night came when the hosts tried to
poke fun at President Obama with question related to "obscure failed
Utopias" In response Mr. Axelrod strongly insisted that "despite
hurdles in the campaign, the Obama administration was meant to be."