David Brooks Blames Obama’s Lack of ‘Personal Relationships’ for Trade Bill Defeat

On Friday’s broadcast of PBS’s “NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks sounded off on the defeat of the trade bill legislation in Congress earlier in the day and put the blame on President Barack Obama.

According to Brooks, the bill isn’t dead and he said he supported the effort, but criticized Obama, particularly for his halfhearted effort in visiting Capitol Hill Friday morning before the votes on the various pieces of legislation.

“You have got to have relationships,” Brooks said. “And this has just been a constant theme of the administration, especially in the second term, a lack of that personal relationship. And going up there and being sort of a stranger and — the not taking questions is inexplicable to me, to be honest. But it’s been a — you know, every president has strengths and weaknesses. The personal relationship obviously has not been President Obama’s strength.”

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor