Axelrod defends Emanuel

White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod defended Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, downplaying the "palace intrigue" that he says is part of Washington culture.

Emanuel has been the subject of numerous profiles recently, both flattering and negative. Observers have endlessly speculated on what role, if any, Emanuel has had in helping facilitate these stories to boost his image.

Some Democratic lawmakers have also blamed Emanuel for failing to successfully execute Obama's legislative strategy. The chief of staff has reportedly urged Obama to take a more pragmatic approach, but has not always come out on top in internal deliberations.

Axelrod said such talk is pointless. 

"These stories are what Washington does,” he told CNN's "State of the Union. "When people think there are political challenges, then the ‘palace intrigue’ stories get written and so on. We are a tight group. We are all committed to the same thing and I would discount those stories."

Axelrod continued: "He is a close personal friend of mine and I have enormous respect for him. He is a tremendous asset to this administration. I think he has been incredibly faithful to the vision of the president and many of the things we achieved, we would not have achieved without his leadership."