The following comments were made by Hersh in an interview on Amy Goodman's show. Hersh's sources are always reliable so I don't doubt what he reports.The bold text is mine.
And I’ll tell you the biggest problem he has, as awful as those things are, as counterproductive, and as much as he’s following, oh, yes, Bush and Cheney in those policies—and I think the President—I’ll be writing about this—I think he was really sandbagged by the Pentagon after he got into office, when he was new and innocent. And I still think—I think right now—I would almost use the word "cult" to describe what’s going on in the White House. Everything is political. He’s isolated. Very good people say they’ve never seen a president this isolated, in terms of being unable to get to him with different opinions, etc. So here’s really captive of a few people there. I know this may sound strange, but I know what I’m talking about. You can’t get to the guy—and even, for example, Pickering, as competent as he is. And Pickering has done some wonderful stuff for the United States intelligence community undercover, and so he’s known as a trusted guy. Those guys who have been involved in talking to Iran off the record, Track II policy talks, for years can’t get to the President. He may not even know they’re looking for him. I just don’t know.
And so, here we have this very bright guy continuing insane policies that are counterproductive, do nothing for the United States, ....
Hersh's comment was made in reference to Middle East policy but given Obama's economic policies I would bet the isolation and limits to alternative opinions extends to this and other areas. The comment from his recently resigned economic adviser was that an FDR type works program was never, and is still not, on the table. I admit I was shocked by that statement. My opinion is that Obama is a captive of his backers on Wall Street and a believer in the Chicago School economic theories of "free markets." But given the success of FDR's programs it is disheartening to think that putting people to work rebuilding infrastructure was not and is not being considered.