by Glenn Thrush
Hillary and Bill Clinton forced out Mark Penn Sunday after the campaign's chief strategist admitted meeting with Colombian officials to push for a trade agreement she opposes.
On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Penn met with representatives from Colombia's government in his capacity as CEO of the Burson-Marsteller PR firm on March 31 to push the Colombian Free Trade agreement through Congress. Penn later apologized, calling it an "error in judgment."
Penn - who infuriated many other Clinton advisers by refusing to quit his private-sector job during the campaign -- was given his walking papers by the angry Clintons over the weekend, according to campaign insiders.
"They made it clear it was time for him to go," said one top staffer on condition of anonymity. "So he did the honorable thing." Sources told Newsdaythat the Colombia story was the last straw for Bill Clinton, a longtime Penn defender who had for months resisted calls to replace the pollster after a series of embarrassing episodes and questionable advice.
Penn's duties will now be divided between Geoff Garin, another pollster, and communications chief Howard Wolfson, who had sharply disagreed with Penn's strategy of downplaying Clinton's softer, maternal side. "After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up the role of Chief Strategist," Williams wrote in an e-mail to reporters at 6:40 p.m. last night.
Penn's firm will continue to provide polling and consulting services to the campaign, Williams said.
The ouster - while celebrated by many inside the campaign as an overdue housecleaning -- comes at a bad time for Clinton, who trails Barack Obama in overall delegates and has watched her lead slip ahead of the make-or-break Pennsylvania primary. In February, Clinton hired longtime adviser Maggie Williams to replace campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle, who was faulted for lavish spending and inadequate preparation for the Iowa caucuses.
Buoyed by wins in the Ohio and Texas primaries in early March, Clinton had hoped to wide a wave of momentum to Pennsylvania. And she enjoyed a brief bump in the polls following the flap of Obama's pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
But the past two weeks have seen a number of self-inflicted wounds - the worst being Clinton's admission that she had been promoting a false version of a mid-1990s trip to Bosnia after videotape contradicted her claim she'd dodged sniper fire.
Last week, an Ohio newspaper added to her woes by debunking one of her stump anecdotes - a story about a mother and baby who died after being turned away from a hospital for lack of health insurance.
Penn came within hours of being fired during the New Hampshire primary and was saved by Clinton's comeback in the Granite State. The victory came after Clinton became emotional on the trail and began taking freely about her family, a tactic long opposed by Penn, who had even counseled against her being seen in public too often with women and children, according to several campaign staffers.
Attempts to contact Penn on Sunday were unsuccessful.
Penn has come under criticism for other Burson-Marsteller clients, including tobacco giant Philip Morris and corporate clients accused of union-busting activity. While Penn says he does not personally work on any accounts that could be construed as anti-labor, labor leaders have publicly expressed concern about his involvement with the campaign. Many top Clinton staffers, including Wolfson and Harold Ickes, also believed that Penn was too cautious and conservative, arguing that his focus on portraying Clinton as a hawk on national defense was hurting her with liberal Democratic voters angry over Iraq.
"Penn's departure is a victory for the liberals on the campaign," one aide said last night.
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Comments
Typical Clinton ploy: Do nothing until irrefutable evidence comes up, ala the stained blue dress. Then act mad and ship the culprit to...where? A change of title but still in the loop. Kind of like
Hillary's phony story about the woman not able to get hospital treatment. Yes, that's the one. The one that the major media ignored though they played up the original falsehood.
Posted by: Garrick | April 7, 2008 7:43 AM
THE FEBRUARY PRIMARY IS NOT MAKE OR BREAK FOR HILARY.
But whether or not Obama:
supports Michigan revote
releases 30 years of tax docs of Obama and Robinson WILL make or break it for us in the Fall.
The double standard of the sexist media stinks to high heaven. I realize you're under a lot of 'don't be racist now' pressure, but gee whiz.
The Obama supporters relentlessly race-bait anyone who disagrees with them even SLIGHTLY.
And, apparently being sexist is the last allowable habit of stupid people (male and female in America. But the smart people are now fighting back. Watch Geraldine Ferraro expose Randi Rhodes for the pea-brained person she really is:
http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2008/04/geraldine-ferraro-responds-to-randi.html
Why wouldn’t the other media outlets run this? Well, Fox knows there’s very little risk of Hilary winning anyway, so why not? But the other mainstream media outlets do not want to get caught doing anything to help THE ONE CANDIDATE WHO CAN STILL BEAT JOHN MCCAIN—AND THAT’S HILARY. Note who’s posting it—Tennessee Guerilla Women. News Flash—Hilary TOOK the mid-South, and you need that to win in the fall campaign. Barack’s fake wins in Iowa and elsewhere (republicans cross over, bosses intimidate caucus employees, stuffed ballot boxes in Minnesota), EVEN WHILE OBAMA REFUSES TO STEP IN AND SAY THE DEMS WILL REVOTE MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA!
Now, watch the Obama campaign trolls call me racist for saying so.
Unbelievable!
Posted by: geraldinetoo | April 7, 2008 8:22 AM
Loyalty is a fine trait but it carries on way too long in the Clinton campaign. Like Solis, Penn overstayed his welcome and Clinton is suffering because of it. His lack of foresight is why Hillary is now scrambling for delegates.
Posted by: Jim A | April 7, 2008 8:22 AM
Slowly but surely, the wall come crumbling down. hillary was the worst possible candidate, and her tactics during this joke is proof.
Bye bye hillary, fly away, fly, fly, fly.
Posted by: RobS | April 7, 2008 9:16 AM
Mark Penn should have been fired months ago. He directed a horrible campaign for Hillary Clinton. Penn and Clinton seemed to think they had the Democratic nomination locked up before the first primary or caucus. The Obama people were better organized on the ground which had huge effect on the caucus states and ran a better campaign in some of the primary states. If Obama wins the nomination Hillary Clinton will be asking herself for the rest of her life how did I blow the Democratic nomination? Poor leadership like Mark Penn at the top of her campaign was one of the major reasons.
Posted by: Depot Jim | April 7, 2008 9:54 AM
It's a shame and it goes to show everyone just how disloyal and lack the "true" respect to support these politicians that either are in office or run for office. At times I am embarrassed to be an American.
Posted by: Jaime | April 7, 2008 10:43 AM
Are these folks for real talking about Barack and Michelle Obama's tax returns? They were on the same level that the Clintons were before they were millionaires. It would truly be much ado about nothing. I don't support any candidate right at this moment but when you generate 109 million dollars you have a lot of explaining to do - it is called an annual report or in this case a tax return. Again some of the Clinton supporters are starting to look desparate. Not a good look.
Posted by: Fair | April 7, 2008 10:45 AM
Garrick, you should be forced to eat that blue dress. Have you nothing else to go on. Even the Wright thing for obama has faded into the past. Just goes to show how behind the times you are. You comment shouldn't even be printed for how outdated your comments are. If you can't come up with something relevant to the present day just give it up, because you are boring people with your irrevelant comments.
Posted by: RFB | April 7, 2008 10:57 AM
Informative blog.. it's too bad that no one feels compelled to proof their blogs, and many other online writing, these days.
The typos in this column make it appear less than professional. Is there such thing as an online editor? Slow down, take ten minutes to re-read or have someone else read the work.
I know it sounds petty but I expect the same qualiy as if in print.
Posted by: djx | April 7, 2008 11:32 AM
If the Clintons haven't disuaded people yet - I am just amazed. I mean what do you have to doooooo???? Lie after lie after lie. Racist, elitest campaigning. Her campaign benefits NOONE but feminists and herself. That is NOT the American Agenda.
Posted by: Keith Lifetime Southsider | April 7, 2008 11:41 AM
Keith--I will vote for obama if he makes it to the top of the ticket. I just do not like the tactics used. And I think if you really read this link and all the links backing it up, you will agree:
He can't win against McCain.
He's being set up to lose.
PLEASE REMEMBER that feminists are not your enemy. We never were.
But we've been attacked and vilified by the Obama supporters. Read the HATRED they're spewing today!
Here's the link. It's not happy reading. I've been disillusioned after being very active before, as well. I think the future involves the instant runoff second choice ballot. The future does not involve trashing the other Democratic candidate. I would't bring this up, but either the Obamas have been taken for a ride or they are in on taking us all for a ride.
Here's the link:
http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Winter08/2008
Election.html
Posted by: geraldinetoo | April 7, 2008 12:52 PM
Well, a bless my soul,
What's wrong with Hillary?
She lyin' like a rug
underneath my feet.
Who do you blame when you screw up this much?
Mark Penn!
Her campaign's all shook up!
Posted by: Elvis | April 7, 2008 2:57 PM
Wow...more staff screw-ups, lies, still throwing garbage at her opponents, campaign debts unpaid, weak record as a Senator and behind in the popular vote... yet Hillary - a multi-millionaire - says she'd 'make the best judgments when that White House phone rings at 3 a.m.' (Pause for laughter).
As the entire world watches her shameful tactics and wonders if the USA might actually decide to elect this irresponsible person to the most powerful leadership position on this planet, Hillary continues to relentlessly fight, argue, whine and scramble 24/7 to be elected President of our United States!
America, do you really want the CLINTONS in the White House for another four, possibly eight years?
Posted by: Bob | April 7, 2008 5:00 PM
telling colombian officials everything is on the up and up?untill news leak out? like obama with canada!!! chief strategist admitting meeting with colombian officials, to push for a trade agreement she OPPOSES PLEASE!!!! trade that gives colombian goverment tractors and heavy equipment for colombia to take over our agriculture? make them industrialized? mark penn ceo of the burson-marsteller pr firm. reminds me of foreign aid to mongolia 300 million dollars for foreign aid to improve it's rail system, which is co owned by russian goverment? aid to a corrupt foreign goverment!!! nothing for foreclosers though!!! what a scam we have going on in washington!!! penn just another clue to corruption deception and unfair trade. jewish trade expert SCHAB says it's great for americans yeah right!!! issues them issues" hell the three amigo's are the issues!!! visas h-i h-2 jobs wages security safe food drugs toys" anything coming out of the candidates lips about anything they are going to change??? imports people imports people illegal all just coming in!!! americans get to stand on the side lines and watch the gay porn day parade march on bye!!! strategist mark penn" for hillary billy team. sounds like general sandy berger better step in?? say where is he anyway? israel or china??independent. michigan little big horn. amen.
Posted by: frank l kinney | April 7, 2008 5:15 PM
Hillary latest flop is insight into how her presidential term will be like. McCain is an extension of the Bush years.So people want an inept President or feel that the last four years policy need to continue. Common sense dictates that Obama is the best for the job.
Posted by: greg taylor | April 7, 2008 8:28 PM
One little part of this article that should not be missed is "Sources told Newsday that the Colombia story was the last straw for Bill Clinton, a longtime Penn defender who had for months resisted calls to replace the pollster after a series of embarrassing episodes and questionable advice." Who is running anyway?
Posted by: davie | April 7, 2008 8:47 PM