WASHINGTON » A senior political adviser is defending President Barack Obama’s campaign-style travels to sell his jobs program, saying "he’s out there because the only people who are going to move these Republicans are the American people."

Speaking to MSNBC Tuesday, David Axelrod said Obama’s re-election effort was always going to be difficult. Axelrod said that "by definition," the 2012 will be rough because Obama came into office amid economic hard times and wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Axelrod also accused House Republican leaders of being "in the thralls of extremists" and said Obama had no choice but to go outside Washington with his arguments.

He said even though Democrats had "all the wind at our back the last time," 47 percent of the American people still voted for someone else.