The Clintons and Their Sordid Colombia Advocacy

[Judi Lynn]

Apri1 11, 2008

How Obama Could Seize Pennsylvania
The Clintons and Their Sordid Colombia Advocacy
By NIKOLAS KOZLOFF

With the Pennsylvania primary fast approaching on April 22, Barack Obama will have the opportunity to end the race for the Democratic nomination once and for all. If he wins by only a slim margin in the state, the "punditocracy" will declare him the presumptive choice of the party and the pressure will build on Hillary Clinton to withdraw. Obama should do well in Philadelphia amongst black voters and will probably pick up a decent percentage of the white affluent vote in the city's suburbs.

In order to clinch the victory, however, Obama will have to make inroads amongst blue collar workers in the more industrial, western section of the state. In Ohio, Obama lost that constituency to Clinton and he's desperate to cut into her lead amongst this critical voting bloc. But with less than two weeks to go, how can he turn things around?

In one word: Colombia.

The Scandal Breaks

Recently, Clinton handed Obama a golden opportunity to sew up the nomination when her chief strategist, Mark Penn, was caught up in a scandal involving the pending free trade deal with Colombia. Bush has been pushing hard for the agreement, which would allow for duty free commerce with the United States. Many Democrats and most unions oppose the initiative because of Colombia's appalling labor record.

Penn's ties to Team Clinton go back some time: the PR man was originally admitted to Bill's circle by consultant Dick Morris in an effort to shore up the 1996 presidential campaign. Penn headed up a global public relations firm called Burson-Marsteller; the company has offered public relations help to such unsavory entities as Blackwater, the security contractor accused of killing Iraqi civilians, and Countrywide, a major lender of risky subprime mortgages.

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/kozloff04112008.html

[aquart]

1. Mark Penn is no longer with the Clinton campaign.

Guilt by association is GOOD when it attacks Clinton. BAD when it attacks Obama. Amazing how that works.

[BunkerHill24]

2. Profiteering from Bad trade is immoral, regardless...n/t

[lob1]

3. Penn is still with the Clinton campaign.

He just changed his title, but he's still there as a "pollster and advisor" to Clinton. I bet he hasn't taken a cut in pay, either. It was bait and switch routine.

[bluesmail]

4. I love blowback.

and she's cheating as I type. Morally and ethically broke.