Obama advisor David Axelrod endorses Patrick Murphy for AG
David Axelrod, President Obama's chief campaign strategist, endorsed former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy of Bucks County today in the April 24 Democratic primary election for state Attorney General. As we reported 10 days ago, it was pretty clear that Murphy was hoping for some support from Obama's camp and maybe even a pre-primary visit from the president.
Obama advisor David Axelrod endorses Patrick Murphy for AG
Chris Brennan
David Axelrod, President Obama's chief campaign strategist, endorsed former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy of Bucks County today in the April 24 Democratic primary election for state Attorney General. As we reported 10 days ago, it was pretty clear that Murphy was hoping for some support from Obama's camp and maybe even a pre-primary visit from the president.
That's not going to happen, Axelrod said while noting that Obama and Murphy have strong political and governmental ties. Obama endorsed Murphy early in his first run for Congress in 2006. Murphy was an early Pennsylvania endorsement for Obama's presidential bid. In Congress, Murphy worked with Obama to scale down the Iraq war and to end the military's Don't-ask-Don't-tell policy.
"I don’t think Barack Obama has had a better friend in politics or in government," Axelrod said at a Murphy campaign event at the Center City law firm Berger & Montague. "Patrick was with us early and that was really meaningful to us. But also in the Congress he was a go-to guy for us, as young and as junior as he was in terms of seniority there."
Former Lackawanna County assistant district attorney Kathleen Kane, Murphy's primary opponent, was endorsed two weeks ago by former President Bill Clinton. She served as then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's volunteer coordinator in Northeaster Pennsylvania in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary election.
Axelrod pitched his support as a "purely positive endorsement' for Murphy and said Kane's efforts for Clinton were not a motivating factor. He took two clear shots though at Kane, noting that she doesn't have much statewide name recognition and is trying to address that with a heavy rotation of campaign ads on television being paid for by a $2 million loan she and her husband gave her campaign.
"I'm sure to many she's a character in a television ad," Axelrod said. "It's always easier when fund-raising consists of a family meeting. It's harder when you have to do it on a broad base."
Just what we need, a Chicago machine pol shilling a Philly Machine pol. Can you get any more corrupt than that?— tr88- Just what we need, a Chicago machine pol shilling a Philly Machine pol. Can you get any more corrupt than that?— tr88
- Nobody from Bucks County wants him back in any elected office. Fined by the Federal Election Commission. Used election-time hijinks on the part of his campaign manager Tim Persico typical of Philly/Chicago politics. Never worked in any DA's office, very limited courtroom experience... almost every former Bucks County DA is far more qualified for the State AG job than Murphy. Worst part is that he knows it. He won't be able to carry a simple majority even in his own "County of residence". (This also proves how far out of touch Axelrod is, not that Rob Gleason is any better.)— factcheck
Comment removed.- Stonewall, Your facts are wrong. Murphy prosecuted hundreds of cases in the army. But you aren't the kind of guy who lets facts bother you, are you? Pennsylvania sided with the United States in that war, and your namesake was among its enemies, killing far more Americans than Bin Laden ever did.— chuck.goodwin
- Yeah, lots of not guilty verdicts in the Army. Hard for any Army prosecutor not to bat .900. Those article 15's are real "Law and Order" trial law. Murphy is as qualified to be A.G. as Santorum is to be president.— jimmymack
- Looks like Murphy's law is applying in his campaign for AG, whatever can go wrong in a campaign is going wrong when the David "the Axe man cometh" Axelrod endorses your campaign. Doesn't Murphy understand the only Axelrod is good for is doing a hatchet job on campaigns, this is what this guy likes to do wittingly or unwittingly— Speak-truth-2-power
- Endorsements by unions and Soros' administrator, Axelrod, should be enough to convince any person possessing a modicum of morals and ethics to cross Patrick Murphy off the list of viable candidates for any office.— Chantal
- Did that guy really suggest something negative about personally financing a campaign while sitting in the office of a special interest group? Wow.— JessieB
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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