David Axelrod pens obituary for late mother

As featured in Politico Playbook, former Obama administration official David Axelrod's obituary for his mother who died Tuesday:

Myril Axelrod Bennett, a former journalist who helped break barriers for women on Madison Avenue and popularize the use of focus groups in advertising, died early Tuesday at her home in Newton, MA. She was 93.

The cause of death was heart failure, according to the family. ...

At a time when women in newsrooms were often relegated to society coverage, Mrs. Axelrod rose to City Desk reporter [at the New York City PM], writing about labor, law enforcement, and breaking news, with a stint covering education. After PM folded in 1948, she stayed on with its successor, the New York Star, before spending most of the 1950s freelancing pieces for national magazines. ...

Mrs. Axelrod is survived by a son, David, of Chicago, the former senior adviser to President Obama; a daughter, Joan, of Arlington, Mass., an educational consultant; and five grandchildren.