Mitt Romney Retreat To Feature David Axelrod, Chris Christie

Former Republican presidential candidate and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced Tuesday the list of high-profile speakers who will appear at a June retreat he will host -- including David Axelrod, a key player in both of President Barack Obama's presidential election campaigns, The Boston Globe reported.

In an announcement emailed to supporters, Romney detailed the all-star roster of speakers who will address attendees of the four-day Park City, Utah, retreat. In addition to Axelrod, the line-up includes New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), Romney's former running mate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and former debt-reduction commission chairmen Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson.

As a well-known ally to Obama, Axelrod stands out among the speakers. The Democratic political consultant served as Obama's campaign adviser in 2008 and his senior strategist for the 2012 campaign that defeated Romney.

During Obama's reelection campaign, Axelrod was critical of Romney, even saying he was "living on a different planet" in relation to his views on education.

According to The Washington Post, Axelrod and his wife, Susan, will steer away from the topic of politics and discuss an issue that has affected them personally.

"My wife and I were asked to come and speak about our daughter Lauren's lifelong struggles with epilepsy, and CURE, the research foundation Susan launched 15 years ago to try and address a scourge that claims 50,000 lives a year," Axelrod told the Washington Post. "We were pleased to accept, because we believe our common humanity in coping with disease far outweighs our political differences."

Romney echoed Axelrod's bipartisan statement in his email, saying that he "made sure to invite presenters from both sides of the aisle," according to the Boston Globe.