Axelrod says he won’t be another Rove

Incoming White House adviser David Axelrod said Sunday that
he will focus on helping the country and not spend his time worrying about
President-elect Obama’s reelection.

“Our view is that we’ve got tremendous challenges in this
country right now, and what we should be thinking about is how we’re going to
address those and not the next election,” Axelrod said on NBC’ “Meet the Press”
when asked to compare his role to that of former Bush adviser Karl Rove. “And
if we do that well, the next election will take care of itself.”

{mosads}Axelrod stated that his job would be to help “disseminate
the message of Barack Obama, working with the communications team to make sure
that we’re true to the ideals and the values and the programs that he wants to
advance in this country.”

He added that “the American people are not looking for
more politics, they’re looking for solutions, and that’s what we want to
provide.”

Axelrod said the Obama administration would do “something
big” to help the economy, but added that “we want to do it in a way that will
leave a lasting footprint.” He mentioned not only infrastructure investments
but also a focus on alternative energy, health and education.

“These are things that will put people to work, but also
that will strengthen our economy in the long run, and that’s where we’re
focusing our attention,” he said.

Axelrod stressed that the Obama plan would include a tax
cut for the middle class but would not speculate whether tax increases on the
rich would be delayed.

Lastly, the adviser defended the decision to give Rick
Warren a role at Obama’s inauguration.

“You have a conservative evangelical pastor who’s coming
to participate in the inauguration of a progressive president, and this is a
healthy thing and a good thing for our country,” Axelrod said, reacting to
criticism from gay rights activists.

He praised Obama, saying that he is seeking to include
people from across the ideological spectrum but remaining true to himself.