Read Believer: My Forty Years in Politics Online
Authors: David Axelrod
Del Cecato, John, 167, 199, 228, 263
Demers, Jim, 288
Democratic National Convention:
(1968), 20, 22, 24, 28, 33, 107, 322, 480
(1984), 64–65, 160
(1996), 107
(2004), 155–60, 443
(2008), 300–302
(2012), 460–62
Democratic state convention, Florida (2005), 171–72
Des Moines Register,
218, 240, 246–47
Despres, Leon M., 31, 32, 34
Dillard, Kirk, 228
Dixon, Alan, 101–4
Doak, David, 75, 79, 83, 104
Dodd, Chris, 182, 241, 250
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010), 365–68, 420
Dole, Robert, 109
Donilon, Tom, 309
Donovan, John, 48
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, 350, 428, 430, 483
Dornfeld, A. A., 40
Douglas, Paul, 32
Dowd, Maureen, 294
Doyle, Patti Solis, 288
DREAM Act, 428, 430, 446, 457
Dukakis, Michael, 425, 453
Dunn, Anita, 278
Durbin, Dick, 159, 168, 180–81, 212, 328
Edgar, Jim, 160
Edley, Chris, 225
education reform, 372
Edwards, Elizabeth, 149–53, 264
Edwards, John:
and Florida convention, 172
and health care reform, 222
as potential candidate and client, 148–53, 154, 197, 201, 206, 246
and presidential primaries (2008), 182, 183–84, 192, 197, 226, 231, 232, 237, 241, 245, 246, 248, 250, 256–57
and war in Iraq, 152
Egypt, Obama’s travel to, 405–9
Emanuel, Rahm, 165
and Afghanistan, 394–95
background of, 125
and Chicago mayoralty race, 423, 430
as chief of staff, 325, 328–29, 331–32, 343, 344–46, 356, 385
and Clinton, 96, 109, 125–27
and congressional race, 125, 126–27
and DCCC, 178–79, 180
and financial crisis, 334, 353–54, 358–59
and health care, 371, 374–75, 376, 377, 381–82, 384, 385–86
and inauguration, 338–39
and midterm elections (2006), 189; (2010), 421, 422
and oil spill, 418
and Simon’s Senate campaign, 62–63
Epton, Bernard, 57, 78
Eskew, Carter, 66, 67
Europe, debt crisis in, 416
Evans, Lane, 322
Fairchild, Mark, 77
Fairey, Shepard, 316
Falwell, Jerry, 197
Favreau, Jon “Favs”:
and Clinton’s convention speech, 461
and debate script, 468
and Election Day speech, 281, 283
and Florida speech, 172
and JJ speech, 236, 237
as Kerry’s speechwriter, 158, 166
and New Hampshire primary, 253
and Obama’s acceptance speech, 300, 302
and Obama’s formal announcement, 209
as Obama speechwriter, 166
and Obama’s speech on race, 272–73
and Obama’s speech to Congress on the economy, 441
and Wordsmiths, 346–47
Federal Reserve, 309, 332, 333, 368
Feinstein, Dianne, 287
Ferrer, Fernando, 93–94, 167
Field, Marshall III, 15
financial crisis (2008–2009), 307–12, 332–35, 351–61
and AIG, 309, 359–60
and auto industry, 361–64
and banking crisis, 356–60, 365–66
and debates, 309–12
and Dodd-Frank reform act, 365–68, 420
and federal bailouts, 309–10, 312, 316, 352, 359–60, 363, 365–66
and Federal Reserve, 309, 332, 333
and global recession, 403, 416
and Lehman failure, 307–8, 312, 313
and lending, 360–61
lingering effects of, 416
and McCain, 308–9, 310–11, 312
and midterm election, 327
and mortgages, 316, 366
and Obama’s reelection, 449
and other programs, 377
and recovery, 364–66, 451, 483–84
and stimulus plan, 334–35, 337, 345, 353–55;
see also
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
and Summers, 309, 331–32, 333, 334, 356–60, 366, 368
and system meltdown, 308, 311, 316, 324, 333
and “too big to fail,” 365
and transition period, 330, 332
and Volcker Rule, 368
Wall Street excesses, 443
Finkelstein, Jerry, 22
Fitzgerald, Peter, 123, 135, 136
Fitzsimmons, Frank, 41
Florida, 282
Florida state Democratic convention (2005), 171–72
Forbes, George, 91, 92
Ford, Gerald R., 25
Founding Fathers, 382
Fournier, Ron, 258
Fourteenth Amendment, 421
Fox News network, 424–25
Franken, Al, 384–85
Gabrieli, Chris, 176
gas tax, 279–80
Gates, Robert, 295–96, 330, 391, 394–95, 420
gay marriage, 446–47, 452–53
Geisel, Theodor (Dr. Seuss), 16
Geithner, Tim, 331–32, 333, 356–60, 361, 366–67, 368, 429
Gelb, Leslie, 385
General Motors (GM), 361–64
Gephardt, Dick, 82–83, 152
Germany:
Berlin Airlift, 292, 293
Obama’s travels to, 292–94, 409–10
Giangreco, Pete, 129–30, 146, 148, 157, 206
Gibbs, Robert, 210, 227, 242, 318
and Bill Clinton, 257–58, 429
as communications director, 157, 207–8, 363, 398, 412, 425–26, 430
and Democratic National Convention (2004), 157, 158–60
and election issues, 229
and Florida keynote speech, 171–72
and JJ speech, 240
and Kerry campaign, 157, 200
and military actions, 395
and move to White House, 326, 336, 347
and news media, 207–8, 218
and Nobel Prize, 401
and Obama as U.S. Senator, 166, 168
and Obama campaign/communications team, 157, 175, 191, 192, 193, 200, 247, 316, 422, 445, 476
and Obama’s candidacy, 187–88
and overseas travel, 182, 291, 292
and stimulus bill, 345, 363
and Supreme Court, 170
and TV appearances, 157–58, 159, 169, 185, 316
Gillespie, Ed, 336
Gingrich, Newt, 107, 112, 454, 482, 483
Giuliani, Rudy, 93–94
Goodwin, Doris Kearns, 330
Goolsbee, Austan, 332
Gore, Al, 113, 115, 191, 201
government:
bipartisanship in, 385, 475, 483
factionalism in, 380, 382–83, 384, 426, 442, 482–83, 487
intrigue stirred up in, 386
intrusive, 375
patronage in, 481
public disdain for, 375, 487–88
runaway spending by, 378
Grassley, Chuck, 376
Great Recession, 352;
see also
financial crisis
Greenfield, Jeff, 160
Grisolano, Larry, 206, 207, 233, 263, 349, 442
Gross, Doug, 128
Grunwald, Mandy, 115
Guantánamo Bay prison camp, 399–400, 407, 446
Gulf of Mexico, oil spill in, 416–19
Gutiérrez, Luis, 78
H1N1 virus, 412
Halperin, Mark, 447–48
Hanhardt, William, 53
Harkin, Tom, Steak Fry of, 183
Harpootlian, Dick, 258
Harstad, Paul, 129, 183, 206, 227, 240, 245, 280–81, 295
Hart, Gary, 58–59, 76, 82, 100
Hartigan, David, 76
Hartigan, Neil, 75–77
Hastert, Dennis, 73–74
Hastings, Michael, 419–20
health care, 369–89, 416, 426, 446
and abortion, 388
Blair House summit on, 388
and budget reconciliation, 384
costs of, 370–71, 373, 377, 378
health insurance exchanges, 376
industry lobbying, 371, 374
mandate, 371, 372, 373, 376
media focus on, 375, 379
Obama’s bill [Affordable Health Care Act], 3, 216, 388–89, 457–58, 485
Obama’s plan as election issue, 264, 266, 372, 377
opposition to, 371, 374–78
public forum, 221–22
resurrection of, 384, 387–88
and Supreme Court, 457–58
and taxes, 371, 372
and trade-offs, 374–75
and uninsured, 373, 375
universal coverage, 371, 377
vote on, 388–89, 397, 415
Hecht, Ben, 16
Heilemann, John, 448
Helms, Jesse, 108
Hersh, Seymour, 40
Hickman, Harrison, 150, 151, 153
Hildebrand, Steve, 191, 192–93, 226, 258, 262
Hofeld, Al, 102–3, 124
Holder, Eric, 295, 348–49
Holewinski, Mike, 48, 81
Hollings, Fritz, 166
Holocaust, 409–10
hope:
American public wanting to believe in, 84, 137, 216–17, 476, 483
audacity of, 184, 270, 274
as campaign vision, 195, 204, 239, 255, 316, 483
for change, 137, 476, 483
and economic recovery, 451, 483
Obama as symbol of, 217, 245, 274, 316, 321, 403, 405, 476
Hoppner, Bill, 100–101
Horwitz, Erwin “Izzy,” 32, 90
House Republican Caucus, 353–54
Huffington Post,
276
Hughes, Harold, 82
Hu Jintao, 414
Hull, Blair, 124, 144–45, 155, 180
Humphrey, Hubert H., 21, 23
Hurricane Katrina, 169–70, 171
Hurricane Sandy, 475
Hussein, Saddam, 174, 405
Hyde Park Herald,
29–31, 33
Hynes, Dan, 124, 137, 144–45, 146, 180
Hynes, Thomas, 78, 124
Ickes, Harold, 108
Idaho, 263
Ide, Reed, 28–29
Igoe, Mike, 34
Illinois, state legislature, 139–41
immigration reform, 373, 424, 427, 428, 446, 457, 486
Indiana, 272, 278–79, 280–81, 320
Internet, and political campaigns, 152, 451
Iowa:
Jefferson-Jackson Day in, 234, 236–40, 245, 443
Obama’s campaigns in (2008), 3, 6-7, 8-9, 219, 220-22, 227, 229-31, 232-34, 235-49; (2012), 475–76
polls in, 183–84, 231, 232, 233, 240, 245, 246–47, 248
presidential campaigns in (1984), 58-59; (1988), 82–83
senatorial campaigns in, 111–12
Iowa State Fair, 231
Iran, nuclear ambitions of, 404, 406, 411, 483
Iraq:
bringing the troops home from, 451, 487
Obama’s travel to, 291, 292
transition in, 330, 391–92
war in, 3, 129–30, 141, 152, 157, 171, 174, 181, 186, 201, 214, 216, 217, 218, 230, 244, 311, 330, 396, 403, 405, 407, 416, 483
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), 396–97
Israel:
and Egypt, 406
Obama’s travels to, 291
and Palestine, 63, 404, 405, 406, 446
right to exist, 408
Jackson, Rev. Jesse, 80–81, 259, 322
Jackson, Jesse Jr., 120, 135–36
Janowitz, Morris, 26
Jarrett, Valerie, 280, 349
and campaign direction, 224, 225, 232
and Chicago government, 190–91
and Michelle, 191, 232, 277
and move to White House, 328, 329
and personnel, 200, 357
and public relations, 425–26
and Senate appointment, 328–29
Jasculca Terman and Associates, 68
Jefferson-Jackson Day (Iowa), 234, 236–40, 245, 443
Jobs, Steve, 220–21
John Birch Society, 425
Johnson, Lyndon B., 6, 19, 21, 106, 320, 483
Jones, Emil, 121, 137, 180
Jones, Jim, 419
Jordan, Michael, 239
Joyce, Jeremiah, 48
Judge, Bernie, 40, 42, 43, 51, 52
Kagan, Elena, 420
Kaine, Tim, 295, 296, 298–99
Kantor, Mickey, 97
Karzai, Hamid, 392, 396
Kaszak, Nancy, 126
Katz, David, 137–38
Kearns, Mary Lou, 74
Kennedy, Caroline, 260–61, 295, 296
Kennedy, Edward M. “Ted,” 75, 178, 306, 381
and Biden, 296
and Byrne, 47–48
and Clintons, 244, 260
death of, 383
endorsement of Obama by, 259–61
filling the seat of, 383–84
Kennedy, John F., 18–21, 317
assassination of, 18–19, 21, 260
author’s early memory of, 1–2, 18, 20, 488
Berlin speech of, 292, 293
and Cold War, 229, 410
and Daley, 24, 27, 47, 481
press conferences of, 444
Kennedy, Patrick, 106, 260
Kennedy, Robert F., 160, 194
assassination of, 20, 22, 282
campaign (1968), 20, 21–22, 23, 205
as crusader, 23
and U.S. Senate, 19, 164
Kennedy, Vicki, 382
Keppra (anti-epilepsy drug), 115
Kerrey, Bob, 101
Kerry, John, 212
and campaign team, 166, 200, 290
and debates, 464, 465, 470, 471–72, 473
and Democratic National Convention (2004), 155, 157, 158
Obama endorsed by, 246–47, 256
and presidential campaign (2004), 148, 152, 153, 155, 183–84, 236, 290, 296, 320, 453
and Ted Kennedy, 296
Keyes, Alan, 160–61, 198
Khrushchev, Nikita, 410
Kim Jong-Il, 412
King, Don, 80
King, Martin Luther Jr., 21, 33, 212, 301, 322, 401
Klain, Ron, 309, 464, 465–66, 467, 469, 473
Klein, Joe, 187
Koch, Ed, 65
Kohl, Herb, 189
Korshak, Marshall, 31–33, 34
Korshak, Sidney, 32
Kroft, Steve, 210
Kucinich, Dennis, 92, 93, 250
Kupper, John, 111, 167, 191
Kushnir, Joan, 19
LaBolt, Ben, 462
Lambrew, Jeanne, 372
Landau, Susan,
see
Axelrod, Susan Landau
Larkin, William, 22
LaRouche, Lyndon, 77
Last Campaign of Lady Jane, The
(documentary), 56
Lathrop, Ross, 34–35
Lauer, Matt, 355
Lazio, Rick, 116
Lehman Brothers, 307–8, 312, 313
Lehrer, Jim, 311, 312
Leibovich, Mark, 387
Leno, Jay, 348
Letterman, David, 348
Levi, Edward, 25
Levi, Primo, 409–10
Lew, Jack, 470
Lewinsky, Monica, 100
Lewis, Ben, 32
Lewis, Michael, 366
Lieberman, Joe, 303–4
Lightfoot, Jim Ross, 112
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, 350, 483, 487
Limbaugh, Rush, 306
Lincoln, Abraham, 208, 213, 330, 379
Lindsay, John V., 19–20, 29
Lingle, Jake, 53
Lippert, Mark, 171, 182
Locke, Gary, 413
Love, Reggie, 235
Lugar, Dick, 167, 168
Luntz, Frank, 375