Bromance

How Obama Won Over David Brooks

Columnist calls Axelrod "a hero."

How did conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks become a greater admirer of the Obama White House than liberal Paul Krugman? It seems there’s been some romancing. “I feel like I can call anybody,” Brooks told The New Republic about his access to top officials like David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, and budget chief Peter Orszag. Brooks said he has been following the career of Axelrod, the president’s senior adviser, for many years. “He was a hero,” Brooks said. The pundit has grown to appreciate the president for his intellectual background. “He can do the political philosophy, and he can do the politics,” Brooks said. His affection for Obama has made the columnist a little lonely among fellow conservatives. He said, “I do wish more people walked up to me and said, ‘I’m a conservative and I love you.’ But, mostly, they don’t read the Times.”