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Obama VS. David Axelrod on the surge

Matthews To Obama Camp: No "Dicking Around"

My Articles

Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08

Ben Wallace-Wells, "Obama's Narrator," The New York Times, 4/1/07

Greg Hinz and Paul Merrion, "Obama Guru's Moment Of Truth," Crain's Chicago Business, 4/26/08

David Axelrod
Who Am I?

"David Axelrod Has Long Been Known For His Political Magic. Through His AKP&D Message & Media Consultancy, The Campaign Veteran Has Advised A Succession Of Democratic Candidates Since 1985, And He's Now Chief Strategist For Senator Barack Obama's Bid For President." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)

  • "Obama's Chief Strategist, David Axelrod, Combines Big-Picture Idealism And Chicago School Politics Of Hard Knocks." (Richard Wolffe and Evan Thomas, "Sit Back, Relax, Get Ready To Rumble," Newsweek, 5/19/08)

"From The Same River North Address, Axelrod Operates A Second Business, ASK Public Strategies, That Discreetly Plots Strategy And Advertising Campaigns For Corporate Clients To Tilt Public Opinion Their Way." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)

  • "[Axelrod] And His Partners Consider Virtually Everything About ASK To Be Top Secret, From Its Client Roster And Revenue To Even The Number Of Its Employees." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)
  • "ASK's Site Is Minimalist, Revealing Little More Than That Its Three Partners Do All Their Work Themselves. Sedler Says, In Fact, That In His Six Years At ASK, He Had Never Done An Interview With The Media Before." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)

"ASK's Predilection For Operating In The Shadows Shows Up In Its Work." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)

  • "On Behalf Of ComEd And Comcast, The Firm Helped Set Up Front Organizations That Were Listed As Sponsors Of Public-Issue Ads. Industry Insiders Call Such Practices 'Astroturfing,' A Reference To Manufacturing Grassroots Support." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)

"ASK's Relationship With ComEd Goes Back Much Further: The Chicago-Based Utility Says ASK Has Been An Adviser Since At Least 2002. ASK's Workload Picked Up In 2005, As The Exelon Subsidiary Was Nearing The End Of A 10-Year Rate Freeze And Preparing To Ask State Regulators For Higher Electricity Prices." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)

  • "Pollster Geoff Garin…Says His Research Showed That After The Advertising Campaign, ComEd Customers Were More Supportive Of A Rate Hike Than Customers Served By Other Electric Utilities Elsewhere In Illinois." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)

"'[Blagojevich] Had Been My Client And I Had A Very Good Relationship With Him, But I Didn't Sign On To The Governor's Race,' Axelrod Said." (Ryan Lizza, "Making It," The New Yorker, 7/21/08)

  • "Gov. Rod Blagojevich Has Been Interviewed Multiple Times By Federal Investigators Looking Into Allegations That He And Key Members Of His Administration Offered Contracts And State Work In Exchange For Campaign Fundraising Help, According To Documents Unsealed Thursday." (Jeff Coen and Bob Secter, "Feds Quizzed Blagojevich," Chicago Tribune, 6/27/08)

"[E]xecutives At The Prestigious University Of Chicago Medical Center Were Concerned That An Increasing Number Of Patients Were Arriving At Their Emergency Room With What The Executives Considered To Be Non-Urgent Complaints." (Joe Stephens, "Obama Camp Has Many Ties To Wife's Employer," The Washington Post, 8/22/08)

  • "The Visits Were Costly To The Hospital, And Many Of The Patients, Coming From The Surrounding South Side Neighborhood, Were Poor And Uninsured." (Joe Stephens, "Obama Camp Has Many Ties To Wife's Employer," The Washington Post, 8/22/08)

"In December 2006, The Medical Center Hired A Public Relations Firm, ASK Public Strategies, To Help Sell The Urban Health Initiative. ASK Is Co-Owned By [David] Axelrod, Obama's Chief Campaign Strategist.'" (Joe Stephens, "Obama Camp Has Many Ties To Wife's Employer," The Washington Post, 8/22/08)

  • "Axelrod's Firm Recommended An Aggressive Promotional Effort Modeled On A Political Campaign -- Appoint A Campaign Manager, Conduct Focus Groups, Target Messages To Specific Constituencies, Then Recruit Religious Leaders And Other Third-Party 'Validators.'" (Joe Stephens, "Obama Camp Has Many Ties To Wife's Employer," The Washington Post, 8/22/08)

"[ASK] Also Stressed That In Selling The Program To The Public, 'Credible Validators Are Critical; Public Health Experts And Ministers Trump Politicians.'" (Joe Stephens, "Obama Camp Has Many Ties To Wife's Employer," The Washington Post, 8/22/08)

Facts About Me and Barack

"David Axelrod Is The Top Strategist For The Obama Campaign. He Was Obama's Media Consultant For His 2004 U.S. Senate Race. A Former Chicago Tribune Political Writer And Columnist, He Went On To Create A Powerhouse National Media Firm Headquartered In Chicago." (Lynn Sweet, "The Inner Circle," Chicago Sun-Times, 3/9/08)

"[B]arack Obama Paid About $338,000 To AKP Message & Media, The Firm Of His Campaign Manager, David Plouffe, And Media Consultant, David Axelrod." (Michelle Tsai, "How Much Do Campaign Staffers Make?" Slate, 2/7/08)

"He Was Obama's Media Consultant For His 2004 U.S. Senate Race." (Lynn Sweet, "The Inner Circle," Chicago Sun-Times, 3/9/08)

My Donations and Bundling for Barack

David Axelrod Has Contributed $9,687 To Obama Since 2002. (CQ Money Line Web Site, cqmoneyline.com, Accessed 10/2/08)

"Axelrod's Public And Private Efforts Bump Into Each Other At ComEd, Too. Illinois Employees Of The Utility And Its Parent, Exelon, Have Contributed $181,711 To Obama's Presidential Bid—More Than Workers At Any Other Company In The State." (Howard Wolinsky, "The Secret Side Of David Axelrod," Business Week, 3/14/08)

What Barack Says About Me

"Axelrod Has Known Obama Longer Than Any Of His Other Close Political Advisers And, Other Campaign Officials Say, Is Now Obama's Chief Strategist And Someone He 'Trusts Implicitly.'" (Ben Wallace-Wells, "Obama's Narrator," The New York Times, 4/1/07)