The man behind BO. How interesting.

[Mags]

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. But on the down low, Axelrod moonlights in the private sector.

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. He 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. But customers and public records confirm that it has quarterbacked campaigns for the Chicago Children's Museum, ComEd, Cablevision, and AT&T.


http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/mar2008/db20080314_121054.htm

[anonymous171]

1. A CHILDREN'S MUSEUM! OH THE HORROR!

[Mags]

3. did you read the whole article. Evidently your attention span wouldn't let you.

[endarkenment]

14. Here is a clue: get to the point.

If there is something in the article cited that you think is important, put it in your OP.

[NYCGirl]

5. Well, he's no Mark Penn and his company is no Burson-Marsteller.

Thank God.

:evilgrin:

[JuniperLea]

13. B-M (always loved that!)

Really will accept ANY client with a wallet, won't they? Jeez.

Yeah, I think this is all smoke and no fire.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

40. and Clinton campaign reputed to owe Penn $10 million bucks right now

perhaps she can't ditch him because of this.

[McCamy Taylor]

45. They are programmed to say "Children's museum" when you bring this topic up.

I think it is in some official Obama camp talking point memo. They all do it, every single time.

[NoodleBoy]

2. OH MY DOG!!! SOMEONE HAS A JOB DURING THE MONTHS NO ONE IS CAMPAIGNING!!!!!!!!

Scandal!!!!!!

[jsamuel]

4. To be fair, Penn was attacked for activity outside the campaign

[Ned_Devine]

6. Because he was making deals with the Colombians that HRC was railing against

[melody]

11. No Penn was attacked for hypocritical, self-serving activity outside the campaign

There's a BIG difference between Axelrod and Penn. It's not just the work, it's the nature of the work.

[Barack_America]

53. ...and DURING the campaign, to boot.

That's the kicker, IMO. The Colombians themselves said it was unclear who he was representing; his lobbying firm or Hillary.

That's a problem.

[Texas Hill Country]

7. IIRC, Axelrod was the campaign advisor for Odinga too, BO's cousin in Kenya that

tried to over throw the country (which resulted in thousands of deaths) and promised to institute Sharia law...

nice, huh?



****Edit****

Sorry, Dick Morris... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102136_pf.html

[Cooley Hurd]

15. IIRC? Links?

[Texas Hill Country]

19. looking

[americanstranger]

25. Unless he moonlights under the name 'Mohamed Sihakiah'...

...you're wrong.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102136_pf.html

With Kenya's presidential election drawing near, campaigns here are for the first time making widespread use of opinion polls, text messaging, teleprompters, spin doctors, $15,000-a-plate fundraisers and even high-powered foreign political consultants such as Dick Morris, a former adviser to Bill Clinton, who swooped in for a few days to counsel opposition candidate Raila Odinga.

Dick Morris = not David Axelrod.

While massive rallies remain the staple of electoral politics here, the new style of campaigning is being driven by such factors as the proliferation of cellphones and Internet connections and the flow of information from abroad. Kenyans in the United States are e-mailing in tips derived from the U.S. presidential race. A younger, more media-savvy electorate is also exerting influence, with Odinga's campaign, for instance, hiring a 20-year-old music producer from a recording company called Blue Zebra to work on its events.

'20 year old music producer' = not David Axelrod.

Still, Mohamed Sihakiah, Odinga's campaign manager, said that in sum the new campaign methods represent a positive development: an attempt to be more responsive to the electorate. "In many ways, the very process itself is furthering democracy," he said. "By the 2012 elections, Kenya may be among the very few countries on the continent that have an advanced democratic process."

Mohamed Sihakiah = not David Axelrod.

On edit: Just noticed you posted the same link.

- as

[Texas Hill Country]

34. yep, corrected myself. thanks :-)

[Barack_America]

54. Mohamed Sihakiah, David Axelrod...c'mon, that's a mistake anyone could make.

Given a certain sleep debt. They do sound alike, you know.

;)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
:rofl:

[Texas Hill Country]

I was wrong... it was Dick Morris that was Odinga's campaign advisor.. sorry

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102136_pf.html

[Cooley Hurd]

21. Thank you for the clarification...

:hi:

IIRC - Morris used to work for Bill Clinton?:D

[Texas Hill Country]

33. yes, he did, but he is now an Obama supporter fyi

[americanstranger]

18. Link?

'IIRC' = not a credible source.

- as

[JuniperLea]

8. There's nothing wrong with a PR firm keeping quiet on clients

Client issues, etc. Same goes for media training and advertising. It's just how the business has always been.

I'm all for shining the harsh light of day on ALL political candidates and those who support them, but this is a bit of a stretch. And the short list of clients seem rather good, actually.

I'm not for either candidate, but will vote for whomever gets the nomination... and I feel that has YET to be determined.

[butterfly77]

9. So!

[rocktivity]

23. I'm putting you on "Alert"

for plagiarizing Dick Cheney!

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[Mags]

27. oh, good

[BlooInBloo]

32. Nah - Cheney was "So?"

[americanstranger]

10. He's a freakin' genius.

Hillary should have hired him. She'd probably be winning right now.

But she hired a coupla hacks who only know how to run a campaign that would work in 1996.

David Axelrod is the Carville/Begala of the 21st Century.

Her mistake.

- as

[JoFerret]

51. A genius - ? on who's behalf though

Not the American people. That is for sure.

[endarkenment]

12. Did you have a point?

Axelrod runs a related business that does pr for the private sector as well. Are we supposed to be horrified by this?

[Mooney]

16. Yes!

Be horrified! Now!

[Mags]

17. If you don't get it, I am not surprised, you folks couldn't care less

about anything but BO winning the primary. That's amazing.

[tyne]

20. Don't forget

that we hate America too....just like Obama!

Whoopee!

[Mags]

26. I'm not surprised about that at all.

[movonne]

22. Well if we don't get it please explain...instead of making nasty remarks

about our caring ability..

[Terran]

30. Why don't you enlighten us?

'Cause I guess I'm so stupid, I fail to see anything even slightly controversial in that article. Do you expect a person running for US President to NOT employ media professionals these days? Is Mrs. Clinton NOT using such a firm? Please help us understand!

[pocoloco]

35. Tell us o wise one

is this as big as Bittergate???

I need to know whether or not to be worried??


On second thought.....

cackle cackle giggle cackle

[paulk]

47. the point is that Penn has been criticized for the same behaviour

by the Obama faithful.

the point is that many Obama supporters don't see their own hypocrisy.

[endarkenment]

52. I thought Penn was 'fired' for some rather specific activities

that were directly contrary to Clinton's stated current position regarding NAFTA and other 'free' trade agreements. Perhaps you have some other information that indicates that there is something similar here?

[cliffordu]

24. Blah de blah de blah blah blah. We got it, on to the next, please.

Have you used up your three posts, yet???

[Mags]

28. I just can't for the life of me , get over the naivete of you Folks.

[cliffordu]

29. I can't get over the willfull ignorance of you, either.

edited for speling (sic)

[Terran]

31. And I can't get over

your strange reluctance to explain what the issue is here.

[americanstranger]

37. There IS no issue.

He's fervently hoping for one to materialize.

Anything to save a failed campaign, I guess.

- as

[cliffordu]

43. That's right, there is no issue,

just slime spreading out from the rotten center (hill) to try to attach itself to everything, eventually even attempting to slime Obama friends, associates and campaign managers.


There doesn't have to be anything like issues, just the stench of desperation.....

[Catherina]

36. Very interesting article. David Axelrod rocks. He managed Clinton and Edwards too

Axelrod raised eyebrows in liberal circles for working on the mayoral campaign of Democrat Richard M. Daley, son of the man who brand-named Chicago's political machine, but his client list generally runs to progressive Democratic candidates. Obama was a natural fit.

He had left the Chicago Tribune in 1984 to manage the Senate campaign of Paul Simon, then a socially liberal Illinois congressman.

...

At one point or another, Axelrod worked for five of the eight candidates for 2008 Democratic nominee. He was part of John Edwards' White House bid four years ago, and he helped get Tom Vilsack elected -- and reelected -- as the first Democratic governor of Iowa in 30 years. He has worked for Clinton and Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, both of whom -- along with Edwards, Obama and Clinton's husband -- have returned the favor, pitching in for a cause close to Axelrod's heart: raising money for an epilepsy cure.

Axelrod's daughter Lauren, who is in her mid-20s, lives in a group home because of brain damage sustained in a lifetime of seizures. A decade ago, his wife, Susan, helped found Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy. Axelrod is an honorary member of CURE's advisory board.

...

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/mar2008/db20080314_121054.htm

[intaglio]

38. So there is nothing against Axelrod

Except he ***SHOCK*** advised a succession of Democratic candidates since 1985


AND ***HORROR***


He operates a public relations firm.

When will this terrible, terrible man be escorted away. He should have bowed down to the inevitable Hillary and her genius advisor Mark "I love Columbian products" Penn, (part time campaign advisor and lobbyist)

If this carries on Mags may have to invent even ***MORE*** stuff against Obama to allow us to continue to laugh at Mags and the ever expanding range of idiocy

[Mags]

39. hahahaha

laugh all ya want, just remember who will be laughing during the GE

[intaglio]

41. You imply that Hillary will lose the nomination

and McCain will win the GE - are you really a Democratic party supporter? or just a cheerleader, like Dubya?

[Mags]

42. Oh, yeah, you can think what ever, if by chance he could , some way.

go ahead and make the racist, republican, I'm for Mccain call. How long have you been voting in your state and who for?

[intaglio]

44. I just observed the logical conclussion to take

from your remark.

BTW I mentioned nothing regarding racism, nothing regarding your party afillation and nothing about how you will vote. If I was uncharitable I might say it sounds like a guilty conscience.

As to my own voting I have voted in every election since 1970 and with one exception my chosen candidates have been Liberal or Labour. I post here because of friends in the US who require a Democratic President, decent healthcare (come back Dennis - please), assistance with jobs and tax. For myself I want a US leader who will not dump my country deeper in the 5h1t than it already is.

[Mags]

46. ya better be getting one in in your Country.

[graycem]

48. Uhm.. he also

was a part of Hillary's senate campaign, and what is Barack supposed to do? Go door to door? They are doing their job well, competing in a presidential campaign requires talented people to help you in the media, and marketing... where's the problem?

[GoldieAZ49]

49. and probably gets 'earmarks' aka kickbacks for clients from his senator buddy

like Michelle's employer did, but hey it netted her a $200,000 a year raise

[academico77]

50. I see nothing wrong with Axelrod

I dont' see any ethics or law breach in Axelrod's past. He's clean.