BREAKING: HILLARY LINKED to RADICAL Columbian DEATH SQUAD President & TRADE DEAL!

[FrenchieCat]

Colombia's Uribe Faces Crisis on Death Squads

When President Bush was in Colombia, he showed confidence in President Alvaro Uribe, who is mired in the most serious political crisis of his six years in office. So far, eight congressmen, all tied to the president, have been jailed for working with right-wing death squads.

A governor who has links to the paramilitaries was charged this week; others are in prosecutors' sights. The question is not only how far the probes will go, but how much credit should go to Uribe as the scandal continues to widen.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8959516

---------------------------
Colombia is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid in Latin America. Last year, the country received more than $567 million from Washington, much of it aimed at eradicating the nation's cocaine crop.

President Bush's Latin American tour has sparked a debate about the U.S. commitment to its neighbors to the south.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7834702
---------------------------

Mark Penn, Hillary's Rove, meets with Columbian Ambassador RE free trade deal that Hillary "opposes"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120726769569388303.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news

Columbian president Uribe disses Obama
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ibd/20080403/bs_ibd_ibd/20080403issues01
--------------------------------------

Pennsylvania SEIU Statement:

executive director Greg Tarpinian:

It's time for Senator Hillary Clinton to send her vaunted 'chief strategist' Mark Penn packing -- back to his job consulting for union busting corporations and anti-labor governments for good.

"We have questioned Penn's role in the Clinton campaign in the past for his representation of union busting employers like Cintas. At that time, Penn said there was a wall between him and his firm's representation of union busters. The latest revelation that Penn -- whose firm represents the Colombian government in its effort to secure passage of a so-called free trade agreement -- is actively involved in securing its passage in the middle of Senator Clinton's presidential campaign is outrageous. It also suggests that he has been playing a double role - advising the Senator on what to say to curry Democratic voters and advising the Colombian government on what to say to curry a majority of votes in Congress.

"The vast majority of Americans do not believe that we should be granting preferential trade status to a government that coddles death squads that target union organizers. Colombia remains the most dangerous country in the world for union members, where more than 2,200 workers have been murdered since the 1980s by Colombian death squads for trying to form unions while the government has done nothing to effectively stop the murders. It is time for Penn to go."
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Obama_allies_hit_Penn.html

--------------------------
Mark, Mark, Mark ...
04.03.08 -- 10:30PM By Josh Marshall

Just out from the Wall Street Journal ...

Hillary Clinton's chief campaign strategist met with Colombia's ambassador to the U.S. on Monday to discuss a bilateral free-trade agreement, a pact the presidential candidate opposes.
Attendance by the adviser, Mark Penn, was confirmed by two Colombian officials. He wasn't there in his campaign role, but in his separate job as chief executive of Burson-Marsteller Worldwide, an international communications and lobbying firm.

The firm has a contract with the South American nation to help promote congressional approval of the trade deal, among other things, according to filings with the Justice Department.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/187264.php

---------------------------

‘No Trade Deal With a Corrupt Regime’

colombia is the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists. Nearly 2,300 union leaders and members have been murdered there since 1991 and the government routinely ignores or violates internationally recognized workers’ rights.

Last year alone, 72 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia. Yet the Bush administration continues to push for a trade deal with that country.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe found out today that U.S. working families will not tolerate their country making deals with a corrupt regime. Uribe was met with strong opposition to the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) from protesters, activists and union leaders as he traveled across Washington, D.C., trying to sell the deal.
http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/05/02/no-trade-deal-with-a-corrupt-regime

[quantass]

1. She's getting Crazier by the minute -- No Surprises

[Cheap_Trick]

4. and she's already as crazy as

a shit house rat.... I wonder what's next for hilla(R)y when her faux tears, and faux outrage don't work...speaking in tongues?

[Name removed]

2. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[quantass]

3. fascinating.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Yes it is, isn't it!

[Ilsa]

5. Oh God, it must be Friday. All sorts of weird shit is coming up on my

computer. It's like reading The Lounge on Friday after 3pm and a margarita. It feels like GD-P has turned into a Hunter S. Thompson story.

[FrenchieCat]

8. Actually, this is an accurate story........

It is not the lounge.....it is the Hillary campaign and her shady campaign staff.

[SeaLyons]

16. Oh, you mean kind of like

Obama and his extremist pastor, or his relationship with Rezko - sort of like that.

[redqueen]

19. Wright >>>>>>>> Penn

[C_U_L8R]

43. Penn has nothing to do with Wright and you know it.

Just stop with the phony equivocating.

Penn is a political operative (Wright is not)
Penn works for Hillary (Wright does not)
Penn is paid tons of money by Hillary (Wright is not)
Penn dreams up divisive stratagems (Wright does not)
Penn represents a corrupt foreign government (Wright does not)
Penn also represents Blackwater (Wright does not)
Penn only cares about winning (Wright does not)

[redqueen]

53. Not trying to do that!

I'm only saying if I had to choose one to have my campaign battered with, I'd MUCH rather it be Wright than Penn.

What I meant by the above was, Wright is SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much better than Penn. > = greater than. :)

[C_U_L8R]

58. Oh I see... it was the previous post that was equivocating

Apologies for the crossfire : - )))
That'll serve me to post before coffee

[ekwhite]

55. I am confused by your symbology

Are you saying that Wright is a bigger story than Penn's links to Colombia?

Edit:

Never mind - I saw your post above.

[redqueen]

63. Sorry!

I thought the '>>>> = MUCH greater than' was more well known. :dunce:

I'll be more caerful next time and back up such things in text. :)

[FrenchieCat]

22. Sort of like Penn and

stuff..... http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=076fd56f-4aca-4683-a9d1-3c55d748946e&k=60222

http://thememlingindex.com/hillary_clinton_net_worth-wealth.html

http://prorev.com/missingclinton.htm

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/editorblog/034

[SeaLyons]

25. sorry..

Frenchipus - just not interested in all your links for some reason.

[FrenchieCat]

27. truth hurts.

Tax returns are in.

Should be interesting.....

[AllentownJake]

44. How many death squads

Is wright and Rezko involved in?

[LaurenG]

45. This can only get uglier, prepare for battle

Believe what you will, he's a &*&)%$ she's a ^%)$*^

Something for everyone:

[ekwhite]

57. That dog won't hunt

Obama's 'extremist pastor' is actually a well respected figure in the Christian community, the former pastor of the largest church in the United Church of Christ, a 90% white denomination. Obama has not been linked to any wrongdoing in association with Rezko.

Colombia, on the other hand, has a horrible human rights record - the Colombian government and paramilitary groups have been linked to the deaths of over 2,300 union members over the last 20 years. Colombia's war on 'narcoterrorists' has been an unmitigated human rights disaster. Colombia has been linked to border incursions against its neighbors as recently as last month's incursion into Ecuadorian territory. Mark Penn's association with Colombia should be shameful for any Democrat.

The two 'controversies' you cite pale in comparison to your chief campaign strategist being a lobbyist attempting to campaign for a 'free trade' agreement with one of the worst governments in the Western Hemisphere. This is an insult to labor, and to human rights.

[SOS]

65. Do Wright and Rezko massacre women and children?

Massacre in Colombia

TODAY, the village of El Salado is deserted. All of the town's 1,300 former residents have either fled or were killed in a grisly massacre four months ago.

According to human rights reports, paramilitary death squad troops suddenly swooped into the village, turned a basketball court into a killing field, and began executing anyone they suspected of supporting leftist guerrillas.

For three days, drunken soldiers indulged in an orgy of torture, execution and repeated rapes of the village women. The death toll, including those still missing, may be as high as 71 people.

And what did the Colombian police and military do to protect this village? Nothing. When news of the slaughter reached a neighboring town, residents begged police and government soldiers to rescue survivors in El Salado. But government security force refused. Instead, they set up a roadblock that prevented any neighboring villagers or humanitarian aid from entering the devastated town.

Sadly, this massacre is not a unique event. Last February, Human Rights Watch found "detailed, abundant and compelling evidence of continuing close ties between Colombian Army and paramilitary groups responsible for gross human rights violations.''

[Ilsa]

28. Oh, it isn't that for me. I'm an Obama supporter, but I'm getting tired

all of this back-and-forth slamming of the candidates, and I commenteed after seeing a similar thread about Barack.

Do I think HRC is a liar? Well, yes. I also think she is smart and very strong and would make a good president. But I think Obama would be better for us overall. I don't like dynasties, I'm tired of Bill (love him, though, mostly), and I'm tired of the right-wing smearing of the Clintons.

[ekwhite]

59. To be honest, this is not just the typical back and forth

Mark Penn's association with the Colombian government is shameful. He needs to step down from the Clinton campaign.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. And this isn't some sarcastic joke, like the Jesus thread.

Just saying.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Nope.......

It is more like the NAFTA story, except for it is true.

[Adelante]

26. Jake Tapper

More to the point, what does this do to Sen. Hillary Clinton's outrage about the Austan Goolsbee story?

During that kerfuffle, Clinton lectured reporters to "look at that story, substitute my name for Senator Obama. If some of my advisers had been having private meetings with foreign governments and basically saying ignore what I'm saying because it's only political rhetoric…"

That of course is not what Penn was doing. He was, for cash money, advising the Colombian government how to get the trade deal passed, how to build popular support for it in the U.S. and in Congress.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/clinton-top-aid.html

[FrenchieCat]

29. The debate will be a good time to bring this up.....

I do believe.

[quantass]

10. k&r

[MethuenProgressive]

11. "linked"?

"He wasn't there in his campaign role, but in his separate job as chief executive of Burson-Marsteller Worldwide,"

Peace!

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Whisp]

15. good one, absolute zinger. thanks. nt

[MarjorieG]

23. How about Colobian criticizing Obama rights after.

Globr and Mail claimed Hillary's camp winked, winked on Nafta campaigning. More like Canada insinuating into our election than an Obama mistake.

[FrenchieCat]

24. small world, isn't it?

[anigbrowl]

30. Good catch - how can we be sure that's not part of the campaign?

After all, Penn may have told them privately not to worry about what Hillary says, because she hearts Columbia in some way.

[ekwhite]

60. As if that makes it better?

Parsing words won't make the fact that he is lobbying for passage of a free trade agreement with a government that has one of the worst human rights records in the Western Hemisphere any better.

Amnesty International has condemned their killing of trade union members Link Here

[jenmito]

13. Let's get the "Penn" out of Pennsylvania. Hello Obama victory!

:D

[sonias]

72. Let's get Penn out of politics, period

Penn and Carville and their ilk are poisoning the political discourse. These guys are just in it for the money. Let's fire them all!


Sonia

[Whisp]

14. this is the one for Obama to pick up and let fly.

he should bring this up at every event in PA till vote day. over and over and over again till the media Has to pick it up too.

it is a gift for him - we will see if he accepts it in the proper way and to hang Hillary with THE TRUTH.

This is HORRIBLE news for Hillary. This is The One.

[FrenchieCat]

17. Yep........

Hillary and Penn are close...and she did pick him.

[ekwhite]

61. Actually it would be better if the UNIONS pushed it

Obama beating it to death would be seen as just more politics. It is up to the unions to let every trade union member know about Mark Penn's dealings with a country that murders union members. Whisp, I assume you are a union member. Bring it up to every trade union member you know. Email all your friends. Write letters to the editor to PA newspapers. Make sure this is on the news everywhere in Pennsylvania.

[bigbrother05]

18. working with

flop sweat creates more flop sweat
Thanks for posting

[redqueen]

20. The man is the worst kind of slime. And Hillary picked him.

I'm glad this is all coming out. Let's hope it gets more M$M coverage than James Earl Ray's innocence.

[quantass]

21. k&r

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

31. Mark Penn is the epitome of "being part of the problem"

[FrenchieCat]

32. But where is the outrage? This story is not as "confused" as the NAFTA one.....

Where it became doubtful of what was first reported, and what may have cost Obama delegates in Ohio, and yet, this board is no "in flames". Is there a Double Standard?

:shrug:

[anigbrowl]

38. No - hardly any of HRC's supporters are willing to defend Penn

They're just desperately hoping it'll go away. Sure, she can fire him, but he's her strategy manager and it's not like she doesn't know he's the worldwide CEO of one of the world's largest PR/lobbying firms.

[crankychatter]

33. k / r

yep

[Major Hogwash]

34. And what does Hillary the liar have to say about it? "we see no conflict of interest"

Because she's blind to the corruption in her own fucking campaign staff!!!!!!

[quantass]

35. k&r

[jillan]

36. Your Op is misleading. It's not Hillary - it's Penn. Just like Obama's advisor saying he is going

to keep 60-80 thousand troops in Iraq until at least 2010.

http://www.nysun.com/politics/obama-adviser-calls-troops-stay-iraq-through-2010

[FrenchieCat]

37. You should know about the world of misleading.......

Weren't you on the pastorbating bandwagon along with the rest?

[anigbrowl]

39. Penn is lobbying congress NOW for a trade deal that Clinton and Obama both oppose

And yet Columbia's president - the damn PRESIDENT of the country - is launching strong verbal attacks at Obama and not Clinton. You think that's a coincidence?

[Why Syzygy]

74. Where's the back story?

Do you mind linking to something in ref to the President of Columbia showing favoritism to Hillary?

[lligrd]

40. But She Was Vetted

:sarcasm:

[SunsetDreams]

41. K&R

Shades of Nafta, thank you for posting this Frenchie.

[Taxmyth]

42. Obama smear team at work again

Alienating Democratic voters. Great job, team. Not.

[ima_sinnic]

47. where's the "smear"? so we should just ignore HRC's hypocrisy and disgusting cronies?

the more voters who are alienated from that death-squad enabling, lying FAKE "Democrat" the better.
She "says" she opposes a trade deal with Colombia, yet has no problem having her Rove-like asshole campaign advisor go down there and kiss Uribe's ass and lobby for him. Gee, why don't you send her campaign a donation? I'm sure Penn would love it as payola to ensure death squads in Colombia.

In a Hillary presidency, as with a Bush presidency, this is the kind of Iran-contra dealings we can look forward to. I will be soooo happy when that hypocritical, double-dealing slime implodes and must ooze away so we can start concentrating on fighting McCain tooth and nail instead of wasting time and energy on the pathetic loser.

[Taxmyth]

68. Freaking slime merchants

And this makes me want to vote for Obama how?

[ekwhite]

62. Exactly what is a smear about this?

SEIU did condemn Penn for this. Link Here

Mark Penn did visit Colombia. Link Here

The Colombian government has failed to investigate murders of labor union members. Link Here.
Here is Amnesty International's take on the Colombian record towards labor unions Link Here

So, which part of this is a smear?

Edit:

The condemnation of Mark Penn came from Change to Win, a coalition of seven unions.

[Taxmyth]

69. Don't vote for Hillary

That's what you're selling. Slime her and Obama wins by default is a very ridiculous strategy. No one will vote for him after that.

[Baby Snooks]

46. Wake up people

The Clintons are part of the very thing they've always claimed was working against them. They are con artists. Neo-con artists.

Question isn't why Hillary Clinton would want to work with Mark Penn so much as it is why would Mark Penn want to work with Hillary Clinton.

[Why Syzygy]

48. So far Penn is ahead of Rover in the slime game. What a feat!

[MannyGoldstein]

49. The Clintons' New Buddy Wants To Execute Homosexuals

The Clintons actively sought the endorsement of Richard Mellon Scaife, the ultra-rich monster who funds a group that wants to kill homosexuals.

"Scaife also funded the Western Journalism Center, headed by Joseph Farah. Farah has been connected to reconstructionism, a movement to replace judicial law with Christian Old Testament law. The organization is antigay, and would move to punish "practicing homosexuals" by sentencing them to death."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mellon_Scaife

Why doesn't anyone really see this as a problem? It blows my mind.

[LaurenG]

50. I see it as a big problem

a huge problem really.

[atal]

51. I'm starting to find Hillary two-faced

Will the Hillary Presidency be the same???

[LaurenG]

52. Um

I don't want to say anything too bad but I'm working on a piece that makes me very frightened about who Senator Clinton really represents.

I realize that I am not a sophisticated political junkie and most people who support her don't think twice about her corporate ties. The ties and lies are what will bring her down.

[atal]

54. There isn't enough of her ties & lies in the media

Please send me a message when you post your piece...

[Why Syzygy]

71. I feel she is *dark* and *evil* ...

Just a sense. I fear for our country should she get control.

[Why Syzygy]

75. Please let me know when you post also. Thanks. nt

[ekwhite]

56. You also forgot to mention Colombia's disregard for national borders

CNN link here

[liberaldem4ever]

64. K & R

[MethuenProgressive]

66. Clinton Haters Gone Wild

Please, keep your shirts down. No one wants to see you embarass yourselves any further.

[IsItJustMe]

67. Awsone post FrenchieCat. If your not a journalist, you should of been one.

[Kitty Herder]

70. K&R

[go west young man]

73. Breaking!

My fucking desire to click on DU after looking at these stupid OBama?Hillary "breaking" threads all the fucking time. Breaking- They both fucking suck and the media shapes who wins. Not us.