a political operative has sued presidential campaign adviser david axelrod over axelrod's claim that he came up with the attack strategy that saved an embattled philadelphia mayor in 2003 philadelphia campaign consultant frank keel said it was his idea to blame republicans for an fbi listening device found in democratic mayor john street's office keel considers the decision to attack then president george w bush's republican administration 'a defining moment' of his career, according to his lawsuit 'his brazen and successful handling of the crisis launched keel to the forefront of his profession,' said the legal filing, filed earlier this week and first reported on by the philadelphia inquirer in his book 'believer: my forty years in politics,' axelrod takes credit for the plan to accuse president george w bush's justice department of trying to sink street's re election bid david axelrod, obama's senior campaign strategist in 2012, is under fire on at least two fronts for claims he made in his new political memoir  whose idea was it? philadelphia mayor john street (right) swept to a re election victory in 2003 after his campaign aides hatched a plot to blame republicans for alistening device the fbi planted in his office  the fbi bugged street's office as part of a 'pay to play' probe that led to the indictments of a city treasurer, a top street fundraiser and 10 others the mayor himself was never charged and denied wrongdoing street had initially been quiet about the bug found in his city hall office but went on the attack as the campaign claimed that republicans did it weeks later, he won re election in a landslide axelrod, in a statement, said his book does not rule out the possibility that other advisers 'arrived at the same conclusion or proceeded on parallel tracks' but the lawsuit claims axelrod was unreachable on the day keel came up with the strategy – and later opposed it shawn fordham, mayor street's 2003 campaign manager, submitted a statement with the suit saying that axelrod eventually 'got on board' and called keel a 'hero' keel also sued penguin random house, axelrod's publisher it dismissed keel's claims as 'utterly absurd' axelrod served as president barack obama's chief campaign strategist in 2008 and 2012 now the founding director of the institute of politics at the university of chicago, axelrod cut his political teeth at age 27 as a city hall correspondent and columnist at the chicago tribune three years later he jumped to politics with a communications director job for sitting us senator paul simon mitt romney's personal assistant garrett jackson (right) saw and heard everything the gop candidate said and did during the last presidential race, and he said axelrod lied about the 2012 election night concession call to make the republican look like a race obsessed sore loser  in addition to the street campaign, axelrod later managed the re election campaign of harold washington, chicago's first black mayor, he later worked for then senator john edwards' 2004 presidential campaign and latched on to obama's 2008 effort ultimately he became one of the president's most senior advisers before departing the white house in 2011 his career has also included political consulting for liberal candidates in canada and italy 'believer: my forty years in politics' came out in mid february and has already brought complaints from two people who say axelrod lied in the memoir  this year he's consulting with britain's labour party in advance of may 7 elections labour has said axelrod is being paid a 'six figure salary' for his advice, and that he is working with douglas alexander, labour’s shadow foreign secretary – largely via telephone conference calls the street case is the second claim that he lied in his memoir the personal aide of one time republican presidential nominee mitt romney blasted him last month for writing that romney had claimed president barack obama's 2012 election victory was the product of an aggressive get out the vote operation tageting blacks garrett jackson told cbs news that axelrod told a 'ridiculous  lie' about a phone call between obama and romney on election night the republican nominee, according to axelrod's account, angered obama when he called to concede the race – saying, 'you really did a great job of getting the vote out in places like cleveland and milwaukee' that's how obama remembers it, axelrod wrote 'in other words, black people,' his book records the president as saying, 'that's what he (romney) thinks this was all about' garrett claimed he was in the room listening to romney's end of the conversation, and it never happened separately, axelrod made news in february with a speech at the university of chicago institute of politics by claiming that the obama presidency has seen 'six years in which there hasn’t been a major scandal' that claim drew a mix of applause and laughter from his audience
axelrod gop fbi philadelphia democratic obama mitt romney republican election night 2012 britain labour party
axelrod took credit in his memoir for a plan blaming gop dirty tricksters for a listening device the fbi planted in a philadelphia mayor's office as part of a criminal probe . but another democratic operative claims it was all his idea – and axelrod thought it was a bad one . it's the second time the obama confidant's book has been branded dishonest . a mitt romney aide said last month that axelrod lied when he wrote that the republican candidate suggested on election night 2012 that obama only won because his outreach targeted black voters . axelrod has a long career in democratic politics and landed a six figure consulting contract with britain's labour party during this year's elections 