You may be wondering what our reaction is to this weekend's statement from the Hillary Clinton campaign regarding Mark Penn:
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.
You can probably guess the answer after reading Marc Ambinder's post "Penn: Never Out, Still In", among others:
Demoted Hillary Clinton strategist Mark Penn may no longer have the coveted title of chief strategist, but he remains a key member of the campaign's senior staff.
Mr. Penn took part on the campaign's morning message call this morning, as usual.
This afternoon, he is also scheduled to be on a call with Clinton and other aides to begin to prepare for Saturday's presidential debate in Philadelphia.
Mr. Penn "is still going to be very much involved," a senior campaign official said.
Indeed, it is not clear precisely what Mr. Penn's title-change entails, other than a public rebuke, although the official said that "there is a difference between being in charge and being one of many voices."
Our message on this matter is simple.
People who represent union-busters should not be welcome in the Democratic Party.
People who represent death squads targeting trade unionists should not be welcome in the Democratic Party.
Some argue that it is possible to "compartmentalize" these issues -- that you can be a union-buster one day and a supporter of workers' rights the next. We disagree. And we contend that there is no place on a Democratic campaign for someone who earns a paycheck helping companies that violate the basic human rights of working men and women paper over their offenses -- regardless of what title they carry.
UPDATE (April 8, 2008): Mark Penn thinks you are really dumb.
This web page is paid for by Teamster DRIVE and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
Comments (9)
Comments posted to CtW Connect are the sole property of the individual posting them, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Change to Win, its affiliated unions, or its leadership.
YES, we need to stay ON THIS and be sure that ALL TIES ARE SEVERED!! Then we need to start to understand why the Colombians couldn't tell who Penn was representing.
Posted by mary burke on April 7, 2008 at 4:26 PM
Posted on April 7, 2008 at 4:26 PM
Oh boy...
Mark Penn Speaks (In Private): Will Still Advise Clintons, Calms Nervous Aides
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/07/penn-speaks-in-private-wi_n_95508.html
If you're a lowly paid worker sending her campaign $50 monthly, knowing that she made 109 million in 7 years and knowing that the largest line item on her campaign budget is paying Mark Penn, who is also taking 300,000 from a foreign government in a deal that could cost you your job, I don't understand why you would trust and support Hillary.
Posted by Radu in Cambridge, MA on April 7, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Posted on April 7, 2008 at 6:55 PM
There is also an interesting connection with the mortgage crisis. Mark Penn is also a lobbyist for Countrywide Mortgage Company. Not surprisingly, Hillary Clinton has advocated banning lawsuits against mortgage companies. The Clintons are not very much different than Bush.
Posted by Bruce Belcher on April 7, 2008 at 8:26 PM
Posted on April 7, 2008 at 8:26 PM
And what about Wolfson??? Apparently he's got similar troubles with Colombia. looks like the problem may just not be just their staff.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9433.html
Posted by mary burke on April 7, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Posted on April 7, 2008 at 10:51 PM
This is such a simple statement of principle that all of labor should join in -- even those unions that have been supporting Hillary. Come on Gerry McEntee, Tom Buffenbarger and Ed McElroy -- tell her she severs all ties and stops all payments to Penn and his corporate entities or you'll withdraw your endorsements!
Posted by Moose 49 on April 8, 2008 at 8:58 AM
Posted on April 8, 2008 at 8:58 AM
The problem for Mrs Clinton is that should she sever ties with Penn in such a final manner she would also have to sever ties with her husband. see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/bill-clintons-ties-to-col_n_95651.html
Posted by colleen on April 8, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Posted on April 8, 2008 at 1:59 PM
It's Hillary Clinton herself who has to go!
It just got worse. Hillary Clinton is a direct financial beneficiary of the Columbian thing. It's NOT just Mark Penn -- he's the least of it. Her husband, Bill, has a stake in it. It's a huge scandal. Can you help me get this out to other union members? The story broke today!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/bill-clintons-ties-to-col_n_95651.html
Posted by Saki on April 8, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Posted on April 8, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Two issues:
1. Mark Penn's conflict of interest - what is troubling is the fact that he thinks it's OK.
2. What's MORE troubling is that the Clintons think it's OK.
3. The dirty politicians hang together; they know where the skeletons are buried - literally (Google: Arkancide).
4. WE WANT CHANGE!! This is a screaming example of why we need Obama to bring ethics to politics.
QUESTION: What does it take to open the eyes of Clinton loyalists? If there is not TRUTH there is nothing. If there is no respect (reference: John McCain's name calling & tantrums) there is no game. Period.
Posted by DinSea on April 8, 2008 at 10:54 PM
Posted on April 8, 2008 at 10:54 PM
WE NEED CHANGE AND WE NEED IT -NOW!-
WE NEED A FRESH INFUSION OF BLOOD AT 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE!
WE NEED OBAMA!
Posted by daniel evan opheim on April 12, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Posted on April 12, 2008 at 7:00 PM