Breaking: Penn OUT as Top Clinton Strategist

[Eurobabe]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080407/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_penn;_ylt=AqFgeOQh3sNaMk3YPr7dbZys0NUE

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - 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.
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"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."

Communications director Howard Wolfson and pollster Geoff Garin will direct the campaign's message and strategic efforts for the campaign going forward, Williams said.

[quakerboy]

1. He's no longer with us

"honest, for reals!!!!"

[Political Heretic]

3. Actually, if he asked to quit than he probably really is gone

From what I can gather from fragmented reports, there has been massive, massive fighting in the clinton campaign team and I think that combined with the near end to the campaign is causing people to jump off the sinking ship.

[quakerboy]

6. and yet

his company still works for them? Unless they just told him they couldn't pay, I doubt he is giving up the $$ just to pull his name.

[Political Heretic]

17. What's the motivation? It's terrible press for Clinton in a week of bad news.

It's quitting-but-staying doesn't help her at all.

[quakerboy]

22. Quitting is aimed to "clear the decks", to try to end the terrible press

Generated by the Columbia thing and just being Penn in general.

staying on anyway is supposed to be below the decks where no one looks. Time will tell, I suppose.

[Eurobabe]

2. Think he's dead to them? n/t

[Swamp Rat]

4. Too late.

The damage is done.

[ORDem]

5. The walls are closing in on them. Penn could see the writing on the wall, he is stupid, but not

that stupid!

:spank:

[gateley]

8. I don't believe he asked to go --

he HAD to go after the Colombia thing. No way could Hillary have kept him on after that.

[Cooley Hurd]

11. The PA SEIU called for his ouster...

...and, for once, the Clinton campaign listened.:D

[gateley]

7. So.....

Hillary fired him, Colombia fired BM, I'm waiting to see if the stockholders are going to demand his termination.

I am absolutely stunned at how STUPID he was to attend that meeting -- what on earth did he think? That nobody would mention it? :eyes:

[goclark]

10. The entire campaign staff is one of entitlement"

Reminds me of the current administration.

Did you see HC boarding the plane and acting like she couldn't hear the questions?

Reminded me so much of Bush.

[gateley]

12. Bwah!

Didn't Reagan do that? I seem to recall him heading somewhere -- onto a plane, into a door -- smiling, waving, nodding, cupping his hand behind his ear indicating he couldn't hear...

Didn't see the incident you're referring to.

[Eurobabe]

13. hey gately what'ya doin up?

it's late!

[gateley]

16. Naw, it's early -- only 2am!

When I was younger, I still had 4 or 5 more hours to go 'til I made my way home!

Actually, now that I'm NOT younger, I was just thinking of heading up to bed.

How's school -- and did you guys get snow there recently??

[Fabio]

9. While I'll have very little sympathy for Mark Penn,

calls for his head and this "firing" i find unsatisifying. He is a functionary, not a leader, and therefore his client list (as counterintuitive/hypocritical as it may seem) I dont see as a pock on the Clinton Campaign.

[Eurobabe]

14. don't be so naive. n/t

[Political Heretic]

18. His client list isn't the issue. He is the issue.

He's a scumbag in his own right that the world would be better off without. You don't even need to talk about his client list.

[Tesha]

20. I dunno; it was an issue to me that Blackwater Security was one of his clients.

It kinda casts doubts on how serious Hillary was
about ending the war and stuff.

Tesha

[kwenu]

15. A campaign in shambles should look really impressive to the PA voters.

[AtomicKitten]

19. Sounds like he's working out of a back room now.

Not a particularly convincing firing, eh? Hell, he's practically a mascot now! A genuine article representative of the campaign. Ugh.

[C_U_L8R]

21. Only in a Clinton world

does being fired mean you still have a job.
That darn "meaning of IS"

[Baby Snooks]

23. It's a little late...

The point the Clintons should have disassociated themselves was the point that it was revealed that Mark Penn represented Blackwater.

That was really the point at which quite a few decided to really take a look at the Clintons. Too bad so many still refuse to do so.