BS: Mark Penn's Hats

Subject: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Ron Davies
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 11:25 PM

From the WSJ today 4 April 2008:

"Hillary Clinton's chief campaign strategist met with Columbia's ambassador to the US on Monday to discuss a bilateral free-trade agreement, a pact the presidential candidate opposes. Attendance by the advisor, Mark Penn, was confirmed by two Columbian officials. It isn't clear if Mr. Penn was there in his campaign role or in his job as chief executive of Burson-Marsteller Worldwide, an international communications and lobbying firm".

Burson-Marsteller is part of an outside effort working on behalf of the Columbian government.....to lobby on behalf of the deal" said the spokeswoman for the Columbian embassy.

In other words, his firm is lobbying to pass a deal his candidate supposedly strongly opposes.

His response: "The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it".

Best comment I've seen on it was Clinton's own words in OH recently: "I don't think people should come to Ohio and tell the people of Ohio one thing and then have your campaign tell a foreign government something else behind closed doors."

Bingo.

One union has already called for Hillary to fire Penn for this.

This may not play well for Hillary in PA, especially combined with the evidence that she in fact led at least one meeting in 1993 in support of NAFTA.


One more thing. Another client of Penn's firm:   John McCain

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 11:36 PM

Another article I liked to on this form said that Clinton owed Penn 2.4 million, which he will probably forgive as a cost of access to important people.

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 01:54 AM

The Clintons $109 Million in 7 (or is it really 8?) years sounds pretty good....I'd like to have that kind of income. I guess it's been a while since Bill and Hillary had to 'sling hash' for a living. Or worry about paying the heat/electric bill.


Where, oh where, did I go wrong? (Well, a degree in PolitSci and a minor in Lying might help...eh?)

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Ron Davies
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 07:50 AM

We can debate the merits of the proposed trade agreement with Columbia til the cows come home, but the fact is that Hillary publicly strongly opposes the pact, while her top advisor is also advising the Columbian government on how to promote it.

Exactly as she claimed, just before the Ohio primary, the Obama campaign was doing. Except the allegation before the Ohio primary was not that the Obama campaign was being paid anything--while it is likely Penn is being paid by the Columbian government. Or perhaps he's doing it out of the goodness of his heart.

Conflict of interest?   Perish the thought.

As a union spokesman put it: "How can we trust that a President Hillary Clinton would stand strong against this trade deal when her top advisor is being paid by Columbia to promote it?"



It might be also interesting to explore just how Mr. Penn's firm is representing both Hillary and John McCain at the same time.




And as far as the Clintons' $109 million income since 2000, this will be interesting for Hillary supporters who are skipping lunch etc, and running up their Visa bills in order to contribute to Hillary's "cash-strapped" campaign. A campaign which found it necessary to rent expensive hotel rooms and have lavish spreads for supporters, among other things.

As well as---full circle--to pay Mr. Penn's firm an estimated $10 million.

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Ron Davies
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 08:56 AM

Just read Mark Penn is also representing Blackwater. Don't have confirmation yet--but I suspect it's out there.

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Ron Davies
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 08:20 AM

Interesting that aside from Jack. Sorcha, and I, no Mudcatter seems to realize the importance of this issue--going as it does to Hillary's most serious weakness--judgment.

If this has legs--and it should--already being promoted by at least one union in PA--it could easily sink Hillary's campaign.

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Ron Davies
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 09:01 AM

Just read (WSJ online) that Columbia has now fired Mark Penn's firm--because of questions on his dual role.

Hillary's bad judgment in picking Penn's firm for her campaign--a company rife with conflicts of interest--should now be obvious.

Next question--why is Penn's firm still representing John McCain?

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 09:32 PM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Mark Penn, the pollster and senior strategist for Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid, left the campaign Sunday after it was disclosed he met with representatives of the Colombian government to help promote a free trade agreement Clinton opposes. "After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton Campaign," campaign manager Maggie Williams said in a statement released Sunday. "Mark, and Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, Inc. will continue to provide polling and advice to the campaign."

By the way, the country is ColOmbia. The river, the district and the province are ColUmbia.

Subject: BS: Mark Penn quits Hillary
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 09:52 PM

Apparently he was asked to resign.

"After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as Chief Strategist of the Clinton Campaign; Mark, and Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, Inc. will continue to provide polling and advice to the campaign. Geoff Garin and Howard Wolfson will coordinate the campaign's strategic message team going forward."

LA Times report.

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 10:12 PM

I tried to start a thread to discuss the separate issue of the Penn resignation on the campaign. I should have said more I guess. But not in the title of course.... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Azizi
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 10:45 PM

Mark Penn hasn't left. It's just smoke and mirrors. He just gave up the title of chief strategist, but he will still be advising Clinton.

See this post:

"CLINTON DROPS PENN, SORT OF...After months of criticism and allegations of conflicts of interest swirling around Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton's "chief strategist," the Clinton Campaign announced on Sunday that Penn is losing his title. A terse statement from campaign manager Maggie Williams says:


After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as Chief Strategist of the Clinton Campaign; Mark, and Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, Inc. will continue to provide polling and advice to the campaign. Geoff Garin and Howard Wolfson will coordinate the campaign's strategic message team going forward.

Garin officially began polling for the campaign last month, a major sign that senior Clinton aides doubted not only Penn's judgment, but also his numbers. This announcement aims to reduce Penn's visibility, but obviously he will continue his high-paying job providing "polling and advice" to Sen. Clinton. Tweaking titles does nothing to address the serious questions about Penn's potential conflicts of interest, which The Nation's Ari Berman began reporting as far back as last May."

Posted by Ari Melber at 04/06/2008 @ 6:36pm

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=307141


[my addition of bold font for emphasis]

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Amos
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 10:48 PM

How serious a ding is this to the campaign's cooridination, or to her "image".?


A

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 10:52 PM

At least I won't see his smirking face on TV bullshitting for Hillary.

It has to hurt her campaign. It speaks to her leadership skills. If she can't pick a campaign manager, how is she going to pick a cabinet?

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: Donuel
Date: 07 Apr 08 - 02:38 PM

Since Penn's firm represents Blackwater, Countrywide Mortgage and other nefarious firms, I think it was a mistake for Hillary to fire him.

I did not even know these things about him before he was fired.
And I suspect many other people did not know it either.

I bet Hillary knew.

Subject: RE: BS: Mark Penn's Hats
From: GUEST,heric
Date: 07 Apr 08 - 04:31 PM

It's a beautiful snapshot of how government works, though, isn't it?