Penn admits his resignation was a sham/Obama leads Clinton by 10 nationwide; they’re tied in PA

[kpete]

Penn admits his resignation was a sham
April 8, 2008 - 6:19am

Mark Penn, the highly-paid "senior strategist" fired from the embattled Presidential campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton over the weekend, told his company Monday that the whole thing is a sham and that he is still a major player in the faltering organization.

Penn, in a conference call with Burson Marsteller managing directors, said the whole thing was nothing more than a name change.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/07/penn-speaks-in-private-wi_n_95508.html

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/5911

UPDATE

Per TPM: http://tpmelectioncentral.talk.....lltracker/
— Obama leads Clinton by 10 nationwide; they’re tied in PA
— Obama tied with McCain nationwide
— McCain leads Clinton by a couple of points nationwide.
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/polltracker/

[MrSlayer]

1. Duh.

Only a fool would have thought otherwise.

[izzie]

6. Right. I do not think Clinton or McCain know what to say

Each day they seem to have a new list of things that I am sure some one is handing them. I am to old to have 8 years of either of them on TV every day.

[flor de jasmim]

2. It speaks volumes about Hillary's values and priorities

Well, more power to the unions, who are getting behind Obama.

[mod mom]

5. I'd like to hear how Clinton supporters feel about Hillary's decision to keep Penn on

in an "Advisory" role. Do they believe he is doing the campaign good? Are they not repulsed like the rest of us?

[kevinmc]

3. He spoke Clintonese ... I think most here knew it was BS from the start. n/t

[woodsprite]

4. I've just started reading up about him, but isn't he kinda like the

democratic equivalent to Karl Rove? His looks, at least in a few of his pics I've seen, give me the heebee jeebees.

[MagickMuffin]

11. John Edwards had formerly compared Penn to Karl Rove

So, yes the Rove Penn connection is appropriate.

:puke:

[Boz]

16. He would love to be thought of that way, he is a mediocre pollster and bad strategist, who got lucky

In predicting some of the needed numbers when Bill Clinton was running for his second term.

There was no cause and effect, it was much like a broken watch being right twice a day.

He then parlayed the win into a pollster self help concept of "micro demographics" book it only held up for a few months, was outdated almost as soon as it was published and the world changed out from under it, but they didn't realize it and thats why shes been off in general.

Almost every "face" of Hillary and the reason most people think she is two faced or will just say what you want to hear is becasue she will based on what one of these micro demographic polls says she should say to you.

Hillary lost this as soon as she put her campaign strategy in the hands of her pollster who by design does everything in single serving, non complex sound bite world.

But Hillary is complex and layered person, and so is the public and so are the issues, they have been so microed they cant see the campaign (forest) for the trees because of this guy.

[C_U_L8R]

7. This is exactly what a Clinton presidency looks like.

Vote for it or against it but go in with eyes open
cause this is exactly what you're gonna get.

(or if we're fortunate... not get)

[mod mom]

8. Here's a good NYT article (can't post at my 3 limit): Lobby for Colom Trade Pact Casts a Wide Net

Lobby for Colombia Trade Pact Casts a Wide Net

By ERIC LIPTON and STEVEN R. WEISMAN

Published: April 8, 2008


WASHINGTON — There have been all-expense paid trips to Colombia for more than 50 members of Congress, featuring coffee tastings and dinner at a posh restaurant inside an old Spanish fort. The Colombian president has visited Washington to make personal appeals. Major corporations like WalMart and Citigroup are taking up the cause. And former Clinton administration officials have landed lucrative lobbying contracts.



This barrage of activity is over the trade pact that cost Mark Penn, a top adviser to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, his job over the weekend. Mr. Penn had been working for a presidential primary candidate opposed to the trade deal with Colombia, while also running a public relations firm hired by the Colombian government to promote it.

The debate has been quietly brewing ever since the Bush administration finished negotiating the pact to ease trade restrictions in late 2006. Human rights groups and labor leaders have urged Congress to put off considering the deal or to reject it outright, citing paramilitary violence against labor activists in Colombia.

-snip

The ties between the lobbying firms and the Clinton campaign illustrate the complexity of Washington’s political world, where players are often switching positions or playing multiple roles. While Mr. Wolfson has taken a leave from Glover Park, for example, he still has equity in the firm valued at $500,000 to $1 million, according to a disclosure form.

-snip
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/washington/08lobby.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1207653609-nzmdGg8ulZe8COfEGwwX9g

IT'S ALL A GAME TO THESE GUYS-THEY'RE OPEN TO THE HIGGEST BIDDER! THEY ATTEMPT TO SPIN THAT THEY ARE THE POPULISTS WHILE WORKING THESE BACK ROOM DEALS ON THE SIDE!

[Political Heretic]

9. Well its still bad press for Clinton and good news for Obama scince Penn is a major architect of

...this colossal failure of a campaign.

[MagickMuffin]

10. Oh Happy Days.... Penn's in it to win it

:rofl:

Kinda knew he wouldn't be going anywhere. Kinda like his campaign strategy, going no where.

:kick: & RRRRRRRRR

[DemVet]

12. They ARE NOT tied in PA

Hillary still leads.

[yellowcanine]

17. Ok, keep whistling in the dark and that is NOT a graveyard over there either.

[DemVet]

19. I would reply to that, except it...

...makes no sense.

[elfin]

13. Playing both ends - I think he made the Colombia trip because

he knows Clinton is losing and he is looking out for himself and his "real" job.

He didn't mind betraying her - or else he knows it wasn't a betrayal because he knows she really isn't against the new trade deal.

Which is it?

[Medusa]

14. Told you so.

The Clintons were still consulting Dick Morris long after they "broke up" in public. This speaks a great deal to her judgement--and it ain't good. But it's great for Obama. Thanks Hill!

[ashrob123]

15. I don't think that anyone is suprised that he's staying on

in a general sense but the Unions don't like it and if the Unions don't like it Clinton better watch out. It's a horrible move to allow someone who is accused of being a union buster as a key person in a state where unions are strong and are listened to.

Another bad decision by Clinton and it's not even 3am.

[MethuenProgressive]

18. The fake "Penn admits" headline is disproved by your HuffPo link.

You echo the blogger's hysteric blatherings as though they were true.

[mtnsnake]

20. Some of you get so stressed out over the goofiest things that don't amount to squat

[sniffa]

22. .

[ORDem]

21. K&R

:kick: