Letters to the Editor
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One would hope that
Obama would have never hired Penn...
who is a legacy of the Dick Morris years.
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Penn is a bottom feeder
I'm am Obama supporter but have no respect for Penn. I am sorry for Clinton that she hung on to him as long as she did. He did her a clear disservice. He is a self absorbed, bottom feeder who thinks the rules don't apply to him and he is laughing all the way to the bank.
I'm no fan of Clinton but I feel badly for her as regards Penn. Such misplaced loyalty. I just don't get it.
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I dunno
I think he prolly shoulda let this one die, it comes off as a little gloaty.
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words, just words
He says alot of things that he obviously doesn't mean. He just loves to hear his own head rattle. "Words, just words"? Yes when coming from a narcissistic blowhard.
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Didn't both candidates..
..talk to Canada about their "NAFTA rhetoric"?
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Um ...
Jay Carson, a spokesman for the Clinton team, alluded to a meeting between Obama's chief economic advisor, Austan Goolsbee, and Canadian governmental officials that occurred back in March. Goolsbee purportedly voiced Obama's support for NAFTA ...
Um, didn't the Canadian government officially knock down this story? Or is it still truthy enough to use?
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Glass houses
After the recent loud controversy over Rev. Jeremiah Wright, I find it ironic that Barack Obama, of all people, would be tut-tutting Hillary Clinton over Mark Penn.
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"The Clinton campaign's response to Obama’s statement probably comes as no surprise to those who have been following the campaign."
...and the responce was probably written by...Mark Penn.
When haven't the Clintons surrounded themselves with slime like Mark Penn? That's how they operate. Its no suprise he's still advising her.
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Glass Houses II
"I can no more dismiss Mr Penn, than I can dismiss my husband who cheated on me repeatedly in front of the nation"
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@Gams
You totally just made me LOL...literally.
that's some fine work yer doing over there Gams, some damn fine work.
cheers!
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He's right
Obama is showing that he is tough enough to run against an opponent that plays political hardball.
I think there is a world of difference between the economic advisor who may or may not have talked to the Canadians (since the Canadians denied it) who was a peripheral player in Obama's campaign and not in the senior ranks of his people and Mark Penn who was, for God's sake, running the show.
Goolsbee, the economist, came off as kind of a geeky economist who probably doesn't have a political bone in his body. And Penn was the heart and soul, a senior advisor, a long-time close associate, who should have KNOWN that he could bring Hillary down with his little deal with Colombia.
Of course, Bill should have known that, too, speaking of close associates of Hillary's making poor political decisions. I guess Bill must have needed that extra $800,000 from Colombia.
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It's worth noting
That Wright is no longer at the TUCC church or a member of the Obama Campaign.
While Penn is still involved with the Hillary Camp. A slight difference. The Penn - Columbia situation looks to me at a minimum like a huge conflict of interest. Crony Capitialism is one of my biggest problems with the Bush Administration. I don't see why Democrats should tolerate it, or the appearance of it.
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slightly OT
God i just saw Penn again on CNN...he is SO GROSS! He is HIDEOUS!
Why would anyone hire someone as slovenly and unkempt looking as that? UGH!!!
Sorry. I couldn't resist.
Way OT: also being discussed on situation room: McCain's leftward drift and economic policy flip flop. Apparently its all the talk amongst already disgruntled conservatives. :D
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Gordon brown wants Penn?
Well Mr. Prime Minister, it was enjoyable to have you leading the Labour Party. I anticipate very soon that your government is about to have a vote of no confidence.
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now, now, lilybean
"He says alot of things that he obviously doesn't mean. He just loves to hear his own head rattle. "Words, just words"? Yes when coming from a narcissistic blowhard."
I think you're being a big harsh. I'm sure Mark Penn truly did mean a lot of the things he said as a spokesperson for the Clinton campaign. And they ended up filling his head with sand because the rattling sound was getting annoying to the other Clinton staffers. But now you don't have to worry about the narcissistic blowhard any longer, since he's no longer in charge of the campaign.
Strange that Hillary was the last person in the entire world to realize that he was a total idiot.
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Money was involved
Which is why this is totally sketchy. Mark Penn was being paid by both sides and he is a lobbyist. Since he got fired by the Colombians, now he is just being paid by the Clintons. But this begs the questions: Did the Colombians hire him by referral from Bill Clinton? Did they know that he was working on HRC's campaign when they hired thim?
The Goolsbee thing was an error, but a minor one that Team Clinton exploited well. Last I heard, Goolsbee met with a Canadian but it was in Chicago and was requested by the Canadian as an informal meeting where they talked about NAFTA for less than 5 minutes over the hour. All in all, not a great move but not an earth-shattering one. I think the Obama campaign might not have even known about the meeting. But, yes, the original report of Goolsbee speaking with the Candadian Embassy was factually wrong. I also do believe that evidence will be uncovered to prove Team Clinton called the Canadians and did what they accused Obama of, but that hasn't been proven yet.
Another thing to think about: the CAFTA vote hasn't even happened. This isn't like NAFTA where it is a matter of simply tweaking the agreement this is passing it in the first place. Having influence with the possible president was probably priority one for the Colombians. Plus, they have Bill Clinton in their pocket. Technically, half of what he earned from the Colombians, 400 K, belongs to HRC since they are married. So she profited from this deal, as well.
Something smells and its not the cookies.
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Why would anyone hire someone as [...] Because he WON
Penn was good at understanding the political dynamics of a certain time period and how to work that dynamic. He understood the political stalemate and trench warfare of the period, where winning was defined as 51% of the vote. He reminds me of Rove in that respect (no, I'm not arguing moral equivalance). Like Rove (with The Math), he may have misread fundamental shifts in the political dynamics of this country).
Non definitive Wikiblurb:
[...] He advised British Prime Minister Tony Blair "for his successful run for a third term." Penn is best known for serving as President Bill Clinton's pollster and political adviser for the 1996 re-election campaign and throughout the second term of the administration. He also ran the polling and messaging and was part of the media team for the successful Senate campaign of Hillary Clinton, serving as her chief campaign adviser.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Penn