my partner in crime david axlerod and barack obama were friends -- >> charlie: that was the chicago thing. >> right. and got us involved in the senate race when he started out in fifth place and no one gave him a chance to win, somewhat like the presidential race. >> charlie: and david axlerod joined you in chicago politics, it says he has confidence in you. >> right. i think if you look at when i worked with barack obama through that senate campaign, did i say this is a future president? of course not. that's what makes the story so improbable. four years laterrers he was elected president of the united states. but he was someone of high integrity. politics tend to attract people of high ego, people who aren't always consistent. day in, day out, same person, measured, normal human being. >> charlie: but reporter after reporter, people like david brooks say to me they've never met anybody in politics more confident of his own skills and his own intelligence. >> well, he's obviously got off the charts intelligence. he's a very competent person. he has a clear sense of the direction the cou

>> my partner in crime, david axlerod, and barack obama were friends. y got us involved in the senate race when he started out in fifth place and nobody gave him a chance to win. >> david axelrod joined you in chicago politics and that says he has confidence in you. >> when i worked with barack obama in that senate campaign, did i say this was the future president? of course not. that is what makes this story so improbable. he was elected as president. he was someone of high integrity. politics tend to attract people of high ego. people who are not always consistent. day in and day out, same person -- measured. normal human being. >> reporter after reporter, people like david brooks say to me, they have never met anybody in politics more confident of his own skills and his own intelligence. >> he is obviously off the charts intelligent. he has a clear sense of the direction he thinks the country needs to go. he is a very good decision-maker. we would spend a lot of time making sure we made good decisions but once you make them, you have to move on. >> ho