Obama: People Don't Feel I've Been Successful In Changing Washington (VIDEO)

President Obama conceded recently that his campaign message of changing the way Washington works is not viewed by the nation as a fulfilled goal.

Asked in an interview by Colorado's 9NEWS to judge his ability in the first two years of his presidency to alter what has long been characterized as a Washington that is broken, Obama admitted that people saw progress as minimal, but said that he had actually made some ground on the issue.

"I don't think there's a sense that I've been successful, I think that people feel that Washington still is dysfunctional," Obama said, before challenging that sentiment. "We've actually made some improvement, mainly in areas where I've got complete control."

Obama explained that he had taken measures to make the White House more transparent, improve the flow of information to the American people, and cut down on lobbyist influence on his administration, but that actually repairing Washington in the way people wanted to see it fixed would take a more concerted effort in the next two years.

"So there are a bunch of things that we've done, but I think people still feel that overall, Washington is about a lot of politics, it's lot of special interests, big money, but that ordinary people's voices too often aren't represented," Obama said. "My hope is that we are gonna be continuing to work towards rebuilding a sense of trust in government. That's gonna require some cooperation from Democrats and Republicans. I think part of what frustrates people is also just the constant partisanship and the constant looking at what's gonna happen in the next election instead of trying look out for the interests of the American people."

In an interview with CBS News's "60 Minutes" over the weekend, incoming Speaker of the House John Boehner may have led some to wonder if that sort of collaborative effort would be likely going forward, when he refused to say that compromise would be an option in dealing with Democrats during his tenure.

WATCH (comments begin around the 6:20 mark):

Comments

[Paul Sta]

05:51 PM on 12/17/2010

"My hope is that we are gonna be continuing to work towards rebuilding a sense of trust in government."

Start by holding the financial institutions accountable, for destroying the economy,

[skeptical2]

07:33 AM on 12/16/2010

The citizens who voted for Obama were counting on hope and change from Bush's policies, not coziness among politicians. His base expected change from the status quo.

[K August]

03:35 AM on 12/16/2010

Are Progressives Losing Touch With Reality?
Some of you need to read this....actually all of you should!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/are-progressives-losing-t_b_797470.html

[markie G]

06:00 AM on 12/16/2010

sorry K---much of cesca's article is as out-of-whack on the facts as moulitsos' comments, esp regarding his timeline of the pres' abandonment of the public option---it was never seriously considered--

we may be over-reacting, but bob's a little too kind or blind to the fact that we have a corporate stooge in the white house

[tcalger87]

07:26 PM on 12/16/2010

A bit harsh.
I agree that the Public Option was not a possibility.

[tcalger87]

07:29 PM on 12/16/2010

The President is winning back the majority of those who really feel left out Moderate Dems and Independents.

He also, although the left will never give him credit, thru his efforts on the tax bill managed to get the DADT and START Treaty to the Senate floor. Reid tried w DADT last week and it was premature. I think Reid was petulant cuz he felt left out.

Only the President has the ability and inherent power of his office to get these things accomplished.

Politically brilliant manuever.

[Pierpier]

03:30 AM on 12/16/2010

MODERATED SITE ?

why do you sllow comments liker these ?:

"No they allow FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Mike Huckabbe and Thomas
Eugene Flanagan get to call openly for the assassinat­ion of
Julian Assange, hence *I* get to call for the assassinat­ion of
your president,­Barack "Goldman Sachs" Obama.

Deal with it. "

[tcalger87]

07:35 PM on 12/16/2010

Everyone take a deep breath.

Nobody should be talking about violence against anyway.

We need to maintain some decency and almost everyone on the HP does.



I am definitely a Dem, but I think a moderate.

I don;t "hate" people on either side of the spectrum who I disagree with.

Demonizing others is far easier than coming up w support for ideas w which others disagree.

I've been insulted and attacked by a few miscreants on the site, but I tend to ignore it.

The above post is bordering on dangerous and I hope others agree w me.

[phanauer]

01:23 AM on 12/16/2010

President Obama will go down in history as the first Democrat since the New Deal to barter away our social safety net.and as the person who destroyed the Democratic Party. He has done and continues to do so many things that are diametrically opposed to Democratic Party ideals and to his own campaign promises that he will split the party in two in 2012 and leave the country to the vagaries of the fascist Republicans.

[Navy Chief]

03:03 AM on 12/16/2010

He is a major disappointment,and one more reason why we need real campaign reform. Unfortunately, we will probably have to take to the streets in protest to bring it about.

1) We need term limits. In reading the "Federalist Papers" I doubt that the founding fathers ever envisioned a senate or house position being a life-time job. I suggest a maximum of two-terms.

2) Congress be prohibited from raising its own pay or creating tax payer funded retirement and health care. The people should set the salaries and base raises on cost-of-living. Give them $250 per month per term (maximum of $500 per month) beginning at age 65.

3) Campaigns should be limited to 60 days for local, 90 days for state and congressional, and 120 days for presidential elections.

4) Candidates must raise filing fees through individual or corporate donations limited to a maximum of $25.00 per individual or corporation. Candidates may not use more than $500.00 in personal or family funds towards their filing fee. Once they successfully meet the filing requirements, they can no longer accept campaign contributions from any source. Each candidate will be provided a public funding based on the office they are seeking election to. $5000 for local, $100,000 for state or congressional, and $250,000 for national or presidential. 527, 501, and PAC's will be abolished.

In short, we get unlimited campaign funds removed from the election process. Any other ideas???

[missouriwatcher]

12:09 AM on 12/16/2010

Mr. President, you haven't changed it very much.  Indeed, how can you play the game and follow the rules of the game?  In order to accomplish that, one has to change the game.  I do give you credit, however, for trying to play the game the way it was intended; unlike your predecessor.

[fairwayhill]

11:57 PM on 12/15/2010

... because Washington has changed 0bama.

[Coyote1177]

10:45 PM on 12/15/2010

Don't feel so bad Obama. it is not all your fault. Successful people have two choices to be givers or takers. When you succeeded you chose to give. Of course your giving was blocked. Now the other team has it's turn and they have shown themselves as usual to be the takers. Taking all for themselves selfishly and not evolving to the next level of being one step above gross materialism. iIt is definately a lesson that cannot be anymore dramatically played out.

[andy dorren]

10:29 PM on 12/15/2010

President Obama, I made a mistake voting for you. I have nearly 2000 facebook friends who feel the same way. Sir, you've betrayed us...you've compromised your principles...you've lied, to put it simply. Your policies are to keep the rich getting richer at the expense of the middle class. There are no other ways of looking at it so PLEASE...save us the explanations!

Think about Sasha and Maliyah. No...actually they'll be alright because you are one of the rich. So think about the boys and girls their age. Think about the world YOU are creating for them by your decisions. If you have a conscience, then find the courage to fight the Republicans tooth and nail. Otherwise, you are not going to be re-elected, and neither will any Democrat in 2012.

[Drew Sargent]

01:55 PM on 12/16/2010

Look for deeper sources. Think of how entrenched the political machine is. President Obama is chipping away at the establishment with a fork, just as handful of other great Presidents did in the past. It will require TNT to make significant change in an establishment driven by greed.

We currently have a Plutocracy, run by the wealthiest class for the wealthiest class. Do you honestly think that a slingshot is going to change matters within one term of the Presidency? It's a brutal tightrope President Obama walks: unpopular compromise and misunderstood decisions in order to get re-elected. The fire will come in his next term if he gets one.

[LeeCalif]

10:05 PM on 12/15/2010

I h ate republicans. Any color.

[LeeCalif]

10:04 PM on 12/15/2010

Obama's made it worse. He's legalized tortu re .
He's allowed a crack in SS with this new bill.

SS will now be obliterated thanks to Obama.

[johngary66]

01:16 AM on 12/16/2010

I'm afraid your right LeeCalif, I think he signaled he would cave on Social Security when he set up the deficit commission. He sends a lot of signals that make me wonder if he is enjoying some private game. I think rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful at Harvard seduced him into thinking he could be one of them. I wonder if he joined one of their secret societies. Why would anybody still believe he is on the side of the people when the evidence to the contrary is piling up all the time.

[John Robert]

09:53 PM on 12/15/2010

Of course he did, he showed a non-American could become president !!

[msstrick40]

10:05 PM on 12/15/2010

Pretty original....aren't you.

[DemsAreProfoundFools]

10:35 PM on 12/15/2010

Good try TardBagger !

Give a kiss to Sarah's Downey Kid !

[TonkaTruck]

09:39 PM on 12/15/2010

People don't think it or feel it; they know it.

[Flight]

09:38 PM on 12/15/2010

Pleez, Mr. Prez....don't insult our intelligence. You obviously live and function in the world of 'the more things change, the more they stay the same.' 2012 can't get here fast enough, but then you have to survive challenges from within the party itself first. Your list of 'changes' won't carry water based on your track record of promises already broken.

[markie G]

09:37 PM on 12/15/2010

that obama, he's a regular perceptive-al GE-NI-US----so he wonders why people think he hasnt done anything to change DC---and then today, has a nice little meeting with the top 20 or so CEO's to make sure he's done all he can for the big boys at our expense --2 weeks after he had a nice little meeting with the repubs on how best to stab his own party in the back----pathetic