MSNBC hires Obama adviser David Axelrod

A high-ranking member of President Barack Obama's administration is headed to NBC.

The Huffington Post reports that David Axelrod, former White House senior adviser and political strategist has agreed to lend his expertise to NBC News and MSNBC as an official senior political analyst.

Axelrod was one of the chief architects of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and last year's re-election bid. He joins fellow Obama staffer Robert Gibbs, who just began his own contract with the news network last week. Other contributors to the network include former John McCain adviser Steve Schmidt, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, and former RNC chairman Michael Steele.

Prior to getting involved with politics, Axelrod was a long-time reporter and contributor at the Chicago Tribune, where he spent eight years as a political writer and columnist. He has appeared on numerous networks to provide political insight, particularly during the 2012 presidential campaign. Axelrod is already a frequent guest on various MSNBC shows, most notably partaking in a bet with "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough that saw the political strategist shave his signature mustache.

Today's deal will restrict his involvement with other competing networks, the announcement stating Axelrod "will contribute frequently across all broadcasts and platforms of both networks."