Mark Penn is resigning as Chief Strategist of the Clinton campaign:
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.
There was always a huge conflict of interest within the campaign with Penn being both pollster and chief strategist — especially since Penn was a pollster whose results frequently seemed massaged to achieve a predetermined result. He never seemed to have any sense of limits, and his most recent decision to meet with the government of Columbia as the head of Burson-Marsteller regarding the Columbia Free Trade Agreement, even as he was working for the Clinton campaign, was unfathomable.
The idea that success in politics entitles you to be Chief Thief is one I think safely left to the Republicans.
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I wonder what other countries Hillary’s campaign employees are doing business with?
Nah nah hey hey, kick him goodbuy?
Jane!
What a shame.
was stunned he lasted this long – knowing the Columbian leak would really hurt the campaign with Pennsylvannia workin folk – told mr cbl I had ’saturday’ in the pool
btw, who has the responsibility for restraining Lanny from dancing on the still warm corpse ??
Awww… Couldn’t happen to a nicer feller… Don’t let the door knob hit ya, where the good lord slit ya…! ;-)
It’s too late, baby.
Jeebus, the mind boggles as to how this would have played had it happened after Iowa instead? There is loyalty. And then there is shooting yourself in the ass with a tranquilizer dart gun…repeatedly.
Heh, the damage has been done…!
Wiping liquids off monitor.
Could this be about money? The Clinton campaign owes Mark Penn millions of dollars, and although Clinton raised “$20 million” last month, some (more than half?) of those dollars cannot be spent on the primary campaign. Did Penn finally realize that his invoices to the campaign will not be paid…and that serving the campaign is costing him paying clients?
Hey, Jo! I’ve just posted an interesting read and Erdla popped by…! 8-)
Raspenntin !
Punaise would be proud!
Will we party like this when Hillary says bub-bye?
If he didn’t figure that out long ago…he’s a bigger ______ than I thought.
Maybe he knew it and has now decided the gamble is no longer worth it. (sinking ship and all.)
well thank god Wolfson will step in to the breach *g*
By my count, it took Maggie three months to throw Penn out; she’s losing her edge.
Heh, CNN is just now reporting Penn’s departure…!
… with glee or as concern trolls ?
Friends and foes of the Clinton campaign united in their rejoicing.
Who can we kick out of McCain’s campaign?
Staying as chief pollster? This is really no change at all, just mere wordplay.
His polling will still determine what messages work via focus group testing. This so-called demotion is merely intended to limit the length of coverage given to Penn’s presence, to limit the distraction.
Meanwhile, McCain’s biggest liability – John McCain – refuses to resign to permit Dubya to be elected US Emperor For Life by John Yoo and Niccolo Addington.
LOL … who knew Penn was Uniter all along ? *g*
McCrazy
Heh, just reporting it, I’m pissed about my Bosox! Have you clicked on my name recently? *g*
Joe Lieberman.
Ole Squint eyes AC will delve more deeply into it I’m sure … *g*
Don’t worry, this is a Toronto legacy … strong start and invisible by the end … *g*
McNasty
Most reminiscent of when Richard Perle resigned as chair of the Defense Policy Board but, of course, not from the board itself.
Hey CT … someone’s stolen your Nom de Blog, done a pretty smart blog and attached it to your name … *g*
Hey Kevin, send me an email… I have like 6 addresses for you, and none seem to work. Love to chat about some blogging.
Oh boy. Hillary’s brother in action…
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/f…..&spon
Speaking of dumbasses…yes!…let’s kick Joe Lieberman out of McCain’s campaign as suggested above. *tapping chin* Now let’s see here…where should we start? Maybe haunting his office tomorrow with phone calls?
Heh, 8-P!
Wow, it was incredibly bad management to keep him around this long, if he was in fact dispensable. Who’s on Penn’s team and likely to also leave the campaign this week? Is there time to correct for Penn’s errors? I think not.
Nicely done, Mr. Treasurer !
((( Teddy )))
I’m with those who believe this is a superficial change and will be behind the curtain, doing what he’s always done … except interviews …
Dinner Bell rings … love to all of you …
It never ends. I can’t believe this is the first I have heard about it.
An annoying off-topic moment…
CTuttle, did you design your blog banner at the top of your new blog? If so, if it’s simple to do, can you email me at whitenoiseinsanity@hotmail.com to explain how to add different images in the banner or maybe send me the code so I can do try it out? I’m working on a new blog and I’d like to put the same image on the left & right side of the banner, but I can’t get the code right. It’s “either or” meaning…I can only add it to the right or to the left but not both.
Thank you! If you didn’t design it and have no idea what I’m talking about, I’ll spend the next 6 minutes giving myself a spanking for you for taking up your time, okay? :-)
What’s funny is that the Colombian government also fired Penn’s firm.
That brings me joy. :)
It would be nice if Hill would concede to the inevitable… Let us concentrate on the job at hand, rather than continue this internecine warfare…!
The Columbians also fired Burton Marsteller.
I know. It appears the Clintons just found out about the payment, but after watching Hillary lying to the public over the past few weeks, how can we believe them at this point?
This is an example of how lying is a very bad thing. It comes back to haunt you and when you need someone to believe you it’s too late.
Penn is supposedly going to still give advice and to poll for HRC campaign.
He is stepping down as chief strategist.
OK, it sounds like he is still on the payroll, doesn’t it?
Does this mean Hillary isn’t denouncing ‘n rejecting him, or what?
You’d have to talk to JoFish, I was merely drafted into the job! I have no web design capacity… Sorry, Ma’am…!
Sounds kind of Orwellian doesn’t it, you know, kind of like the behavior we’ve witnessed over the past eight years where the members of the White House publicly do the right thing, but the next thing you know the person is getting the Medal of Freedom or some other high recognition!
Darn it. Spanked myself for nothing! LOL Thanks CTuttle for the info.
sounds like kabuki to me. make it looks like he’s getting kicked out, while keeping him in charge.
suddenly Dick Morris finds himself anxious about his place at Fox . . .
It seems Jo has left the building, but, if you click on his name at comment#2 you could leave a message at his blog!
What’s your definition of what? *g*
1,804 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
“The idea that success in politics entitles you to be Chief Thief is one I think safely left to the Republicans.”
Hell ain’t they all “Republicans”…shit the other half of the senior management of Penn Schoen and Berland Associates runs the McCrazy campaign, don’t it? How long is it gunna take for the experience of this campaign to sink in to Democrats…the Clinton’s are NOT Democrats, not liberal and they certainly ain’t “progressive” in any sense a the word. In a perverse but beautiful irony, Mrs. ClintoMcCain may be the unifier of the newly energized Democratic Party base…the rejection of ClintoMcCain and her corporate politics and her limited political vision clears the way for a real change in leadership goin’ forward.
KEEP THE FAITH ANDREMEMBER FEAR IS JEST A WORD!!
How about McCain?
Norske, did you see the new report released by the crew that advised the ISG? They posed 14 good questions that our critters need to ask Betrayus and Crock o’shit on Tuesday…
http://media.washingtonpost.co…..8040502204
hey firedogs – have Axelrod with Charlie Rose on the tivo – anyone else seen it ? worth my time ?
just finnished a long drive north and listened to air america on my phone, heard christy on sam sedar and she is simply amazing’
an incredible piece, sorry to go off topic but wanted to commend our keepers of the lake, I’m sure it was done already but I needed to do it too
This was ONLY the biggest run, the hugest stand in her entire life, this campaign!!
And I cannot help but wonder if under those circumstances, the people she chose to accompany her into HISTORY, have all been shaken out of the tree, so to speak, I MUST wonder how does this translate, how will this look when she’s choosing a cabinet, a staff, a WHITE HOUSE of people who will pull us out of this mess we’ve been thrust into by dumbya.
I really don’t think or feel we can take this kind of chance on a leader. We DO NEED someone ready on DAY ONE.
She obviously wasn’t here. She obviously won’t be THERE. How can anyone still support her??? I know there are those who do, but I cannot imagine HOW.
Obi. STILL, OBI. All the way!
(oh, and we’ll all just “never mind” the lies, since they didn’t seem to matter much anyway. *sigh*)
Oh wow. He is on this thread. Thanks CT! ;-)
Greenwarrior, great idea! Kicking out McCain should be our first move. LOL
Na
Tie Holy Joe around McSame’s neck
I am just catching up on the chain of news events over the weekend. If I am correct, it’s worse that I thought! The nation of Columbia fired Penn before team Clinton demoted him and only then does Penn step down.
Colombia sacks Mark Penn
This is just another sad reminder that so much of our country’s political establishment is bought and paid for… my question is, if Penn was part of a sitting Clinton, Obama or McBush administration instead of an under-pressure campaign, would he have been allowed to keep his job? Alas, sadly, I’m presuming that the answer is yes.
Two words for Mark Penn. The first is “Good” and the second is not buh-bye.
As a kid we had an expression: good riddance to bad rubbish. Suits.
Just watched 60 Mins on Feith, Siegelman, and the mortgaging of America to the Chinese. Think the 29%ers might finally take notice?
The 28%ers trust in authority figures…. even ones caught red-handed picking their pockets.
The 29%ers notice nothing…well…unless George Bush gets a new belt buckle because that’s where they’re looking most of the time.
Hmmm… Sounds like a great lineup! I still have another 4 hours to wait…! ;-)
What is scary to me is finding out John McCrazy has been selling arms to al-Qaida/al-Sadr to get them to decrease the violence right before the November election?
Hey, this kind of crap has happened before! Remember? LOL
Didn’t you know that the function of foreign wars is cynical domestic political manipulation? 100 years war = Orwell’s permanent war, indeed. I really wish our leaders would read “1984″ as the cautionary tale it was intended to be, and not as an operations manual for how to govern.
K in Maine @ 21
a. Joe Lie-berman–speaks for itself
b. Karl Rove–actively consulting while getting paychecks from Faux News and “News”week.
c. John McCain–actively working on his hot temper tho apparently nobody’s asking how and we don’t know since he has released neither his medical records nor his tax returns.
I opt for d. All of the above.
Don’t miss 60 Minutes!
CT, Are the questions only available for viewing via your pdf. link?
edwards says he’s not gonna be vp, anyone believe that?
I just ponder how the campaign could have allowed Penn to remain chief negotiator over a treaty that they so clearly want to avoid appearing to support? You’d think it would have been written into his contract that he couldn’t be involved in actions or work contrary to the policies of the candidate?
Meanwhile the Iraqi political parties think they’ve got Sadr in a corner.
Sadr Told To Disband Mahdi Militia
But notice that they don’t intend to actually fight him themselves. What they’ve done is set up a set of conditions that could lead to Civil War, and then said “The Americans will fight you.”
Nice! The Iraqis want us to fight their civil wars, too. I guess dealing with al Qaida wasn’t enough.
So how long did McCain say he want’s us in Iraq?
Still not paying her bills:
“1984″ was scary to rational peace loving people. For the rest, it was the Bible. See? Just like Reagan, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out McCain is making backdoor deals NOW to make himself look like a gawd come election time. Endless wars means endless war profiteering!
after reading some yoo, i’m pretty sure that the only thing that would take us out of a “wartime” would be if the usa had not one enemy in the entire war. otherwise it’s wartime all the time.
anyone guessing hillary leaves the trail this or next week?
their questions are good, but their goals suck.
i wouldn’t take that bet. I’m thinking she’ll stay till we are on the floor in the Pepsi Center.
*sigh*
and
sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh!
and is anyone guessing she’s the vp?
I don’t want her to be, she was my first choice for president but I have to admit obama has grown exponentially
I remember watching the tapes of jfk, he certainly did not start out the confident presidential figure he became
same thing has happened to obama
now we need to protect the votes and we are gold
I didn’t post’em on my site! I could paste it here in the comments… They’re on page 8 and 9 of the pdf file…
b b b b b b b bb bb b b b b b but
i thought i just read that they had it together,
and that the Clintons are RICHE RICHE RICHE.
wtf?
I’m taking the bet against myself, I believe she’s out this week or next.
I believe she makes a play for vp but obama would be out of his bird to take it
however he might be forced by the party behind doors
a little something for the clinton fans.
That’s OK. Just had to ask before I dl’d the pdf. Thanks.
WOULD that you are right, perris. I’ll be watching closely, as usual.
If you are, I would like to buy you a drink!
I heard it here from you FIRST, and I do not forget such things.
I won’t argue that, I only report ‘em… *g*
I do like the fact they promote no future surges, tho…!
pics of self please *g*
The incestuous conflicts of interest a la Penn are on full display these days. From the preening rude vanity of Cokie Marie Antoinette to the banality of evil that is useful idiot Douglas Feith, this has been a day chock-full of pulling back the curtain on Oz and finding Bedlam. On the heels of Yoo, too. One wonders how these people can live with themselves, much less get hired by once-respected universities.
Heckuva job, Village.
One hopeful sign, the 60 Mins report on Siegelman shortly before his release from prison may have been their Ralphie moment, when they finally realized they didn’t have to kowtow to BushCo’s bullying. They’re looking like real journalists again these days. ABC, not so much.
Do see In the Valley of Elah. Maybe it would have done better at the box office with a juicier title. But it’s one of the most important movies made in recent years.
and Obama will NOT consider her for VP. they are at opposite ends of the “rainbow”, so to speak.
He doesn’t need her. SHE needs HIM, but as the case with many females, (and males alike) HE does not in any way need her (them).
Politics is a hard game. Now let us see how she does in the Senate for the rest of her term, which was, for the most part, posturing for this, I think.
Try commenting on a pro Clinton Arkansas blog with criticism of the Clinton School hiring John Yoo. Then sit back and watch Dems ardently defend Clinton/Rutherford hiring Yoo…and one quickly learns just how far our party has to go.
The sad part…Clinton’s “stuff” is also out in plain view and she still has her fans. George Bush, Dick Cheney also had their stuff out in plain sight and they still to this day have their fans.
Obama once said that he’s not against war….he’s just against stupid wars. For me, I’m totally against war, but unfortunately there will always be a large population who is okay with it. Sucks. I think at the very least Obama will give the world someone to relate to and he’ll be way more rational before putting boots on the ground compared to the assholes we’ve had in office.
are you sure this is the same group that advised the isg? i didn’t see that… and it kinda doesn’t sound like the same group. did i miss something?
speaking personally, I’m still trying to figure out what makes Yoo tick. I mean, is he just another cynical opportunist and panderer, or is he Albert Speer — a true-believing enabler of despotism?
seems like we could include obama in the list too.
but the thing is, i don’t need to be a fan (and i most definitely am not). but that doesn’t mean i don’t have my preferences (not mccain). i just don’t get the fan thing.
LOL
you won’t be disappointed. i PROMISE.
LOL
Nope, here’s where I first saw it…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..id=topnews
LOL Wasn’t the link you posted above all about Obama and how his fans are overlooking who he really is? I was responding to that by adding Clinton to the mix that she too (and McCain and Bush and Lieberman and [insert a name]) has her stuff out there and still has blind loyalty by some.
I still want Kucinich on the ballot. See? LOL
The only contributor to the ‘06 report absent is Howard Baker, at the behest of the WH…! Hmmm… I wonder why…?
Well, I really don’t think she’s gonna to that. And Democrats, those who want to win over McSame, better hope she does not.
Because….
Although Penn is a self-aggrandizing asshole I do not believe he’s been indicted for misuse of Federal Funds like….
Mr. Rezko….interesting photos of Barry’s signature all over letters from his Illinois legislature office attesting to the fine character of Rezko and his company…and asking for taxpayer funds on Barry’s pal’s behalf!….yeah, interesting.
Nor is he considered to be involved with Nahmi Auchi….last I heard anyway.
But by all means let today be ‘Pillory of Hillary’ day. She’s very nervy broad asking to be President and all…do yer good to get taken down a peg…right?
Have I got that right?
well, maybe… but it says the september group was reconvened – not the original group. basically, i’m wondering if wayne white is on it.
I vote Speer, especially if it helps get him into the Slobodan Milosevic suite in the Hague a bit sooner.
The whole sham of BushCo and “stuff” from either side of the aisle is only possible with a cooperative, enabling, lazy, compliant, supplicant, quail wing cravin’ press–”he nicknamed me, he really, really likes me….”
dday over at digby’s got a great post up on The Blithering Idiocy of the DC Establishment
Gonna go watch John Adams on HBA now. The Founders must be appalled.
oh, do you have a list of names?
OR kicking him out but making it look like it is not a big deal and he is not being totally dumped.
ah, my mistake.
hah….hah…..funnny….
Try this on yer Obama pals.
I can hear Tweety opining now….
“The Founders must be appalled.”
Why? King George rules :)
Persistent little cuss, eh? ;-)
That will take some digging, M’dear…!
That’s okay. For a second I thought I had read the whole post you linked wrong! LOL It wouldn’t be the first time I did something like that. ;-)
I just heard on the radio that Penn is no longer in his former campaign position but will continue to advise. Firing, stepping down, quitting. Now that is the question, isn’t it?
My guess is she will pick a team based primarily on loyalty.
Now that Penn is “withdrawn” (anyone ever told Hillary that method’s efficacy is uh…oh, nevermind)…
Who else from the global perception control mafia is on the payroll for Clinton, Obama, and McCain?
Glad to see Mark Penn out the symbolic door….but the decision to keep his polling firm Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates on just seems like the campaign wants to keep bleeding credibility.
Penn’s a busy little tapeworm – in addition to heading up his own firm, he also heads up the aptly named B-M. And B-M and PSB, in turn, are owned by WPP – one of the planet’s two largest
manipulator of public perceptions for the benefit of the upper 0.1%
….. – er – corporate and political PR firms.WPP – aka World Propaganda Power – is quite the nasty octopus…
A perfect fit for:
Penn: clients include Uribe’s right-wing repressive regime, Shell Oil, US Tuna Foundation (bye, Flipper – hello, mercury). Oh, and of course, Phillip Morris and the nuke industry.
B-M: clients include Blackwater, Entergy (Indian Point nuke plant – bye, Long Island), Iraqi National Congress, Big Carbon (bye, ecosphere) – oh, and of course, Philip Morris. Methods include greenwash and fake news.
PSB: clients include Venezeulan oligarchs (
bye, poor brown people– oops, not so much!), Bloomberg, AT&T (bye, Fourth Amendment), Coca-Cola (bye, teeth and unions), Berlusconi (hello Il Duce), and Novartis (bye-bye baby… food without GMO’s..hello corn with GMO’s)Along with the rest of the octopus WPP”s clients, Novartis needs the spin:
Penn will fit right in.
Persistent is the nice way to put it. more accurate would be pig headed, stubborn,… :-)
really, though, it’s my responsibility to dig if i want answers to my own questions. wasn’t trying to give you a hard time…. just curious.
I agree. And I think not only have we had quite enough of THAT, but I THINK Obama will chose according to policy and competence.
I may be wrong regarding Obama. I am quite sure I am NOT wrong regarding Clinton.
:)
nope. imo, larry’s jumped the shark.
and AC, i’m no fan of clinton’s either.
i am, however, a big fan of commenters here – including those who support either or neither of the dem candidates.
lol, you’re right.
and i just can’t see any of these moves (by either candidate) w/o thinking “hmmm, i wonder what is really going on?”
Off topic – HOW ABOUT THEM STANFORD WOMEN? Go home, UConn.
Jettisoning Penn so he can devote all his time to consulting for union
busting corporations and anti-labor governments is a blatant attempt to secure the endorsement of the Steelworkers and Mine Workers – a necessity if she hopes to win Pennsylvania. Hopefully those unions will not forget who Clinton was associated with last week.
Penn with a conflict of interest with HRC positions?
http://ezraklein.typepad.com/Bursoncache.jpg
I agree. After all her mistakes and lies, how can anyone support Hillary? but the PA primary won’t be unanimous and she might even win. Supposedly 30% of Americans think the decider has done a good job of deciding. It’s enough to make one lose faith in democracy.
BTW what’s a ”concern troll”?