For my thousandth post: Why Mark Penn?

[cliffordu]

I have squawked and complained bitterly, furious about Hillary and the sniper lie(s).

Yesterday I nearly tossed cookies after she turned a day of national mourning into a charming self-centered anecdote about pouting and throwing her books. I really got queasy when, as a value-add she had a nice photo op on the spot where one of the great men in American history lost his life.

I'll admit it: I've been there, jeering and japing at everyone of her fuck-ups and missteps.


BUT:

Her astonishing lack of judgment to associate with the LOBBYIST working on free trade agreements with every scumbag in the Columbian government when he's not running her campaign illustrates a lapse in judgment so egregious as to boggle even my old cynical brain.

Of all the campaign managers in all the gin joints in the world, why Mark Penn? Didn't ANYONE on her staff let her know where else this guy buttered his bread?? Is she IN on these negotiations?? Just what the fuck is going on?

How can a woman who is running for President of the United States of America not know who else Penn is working for???

Hillary needs to go. The time for back room deals and business as usual is over.

And then we can get down to the business of taking back our country from the NEOCON menace.

[NanceGreggs]

1. Good post ...

... and congratulations on hitting the 1000-post milestone!

:toast:

[Cooley Hurd]

8. I think my 1000th post was in the lounge, about my dog farting...

...this beats it!:D

[cliffordu]

11. LOL, I dunno, dog farts can be mighty amusing......

Thanks, though, and say howdy to the pooch for me, Cooley....

:patriot:

[Cooley Hurd]

13. Chuckiemutt gives his salivating salutations back!

:hi:

[quantass]

28. .

[cliffordu]

10. Why thank you, Nance -

That's kind of like Muhammed Ali telling me I have a nice left hook....

:hi:

Your work here never fails to astonish and enlighten.

Thanks

clifford

[roguevalley]

12. Columbia fired Penn today for 'disrespect' and she still hasn't.

Who is dumber?

[PoliticalAmazon]

16. I think Penn did it with Hillary's blessing. She's already pimping the Oval Office...

...that she very likely will not win.

And if she didn't know about it, then she certainly has no place as president of the U.S.

It's like the Iraq War vote: if she knew the truth and voted for it anyway, then her judgment and lack of consideration for the American public makes her unfit for political office. If she didn't know about it, then she (with all of her access to intel) knew less than I did, and if this is the case, she also is unfit for office.

Either way, she is unfit for office.

[jgraz]

2. The arrogance is astounding

She not only expects people to keep supporting her, but she wants people to keep CONTRIBUTING, even though it's clear that their money is going to pay swine like Penn.



OH, and thanks for NAILING what really bugged my about Hillary's MLK comments. It's not just that she clearly lied about her whole "bookbag" incident -- it's that she, once again, had to make it all about Hillary. :puke:

[gateley]

3. I'm guessing she was well aware

of the Colombian connection with BM, but was willing to overlook it in order to utilize his talent and expertise :eyes: for her campaign. It's been out there that BM's client list makes most of us want to take a shower.

If he hadn't attended the meeting, this probably never would have come out.

[FightingIrish]

4. I keep imagining how dirty a Clinton v. McCain race would be

It would probably reach new lows in presidential politics and we would all lose no matter who was elected. Imagine how different a race that followed the high tone of Obama's primary campaign. The contrasts between McCain and Obama are so clear that the mud slinging would likely all come from the Republican side.

[NJSecularist]

5. Mark Penn is a very smart man.

Have you ever read his book Microtrends? He is a very good strategist? He helped Bill get re-elected in 1996. He was the person who created the "soccer mom" terminology and helped identify a valuable constituency.

He's a smart man who has very little moral compass.

[DJ13]

6. why Mark Penn?

As slimey as Penn is the Clintons chose him because he worked for them when Bill was in the WH.

Remember how Bill loved all those free trade ideas?

Guess who helped him get them passed.......

Anyone who thinks Hillary would be different than Bill just because she says so in the campaign hasnt been paying attention.

[flor de jasmim]

7. He was apparently fired from Gore's campaign in 2000, and

went on to manage her campaign for the Senate, same year. Nothing he is doing now is a surprise, I would imagine.

[NJSecularist]

9. Gore didn't like his attitude. He though Penn was too loyal to the Clintons.

Another reason why Bill and Hillary love him so much: he's very loyal.

[CK_John]

14. And Gore did so well after that. n/t

[PoliticalAmazon]

17. Gore ended with his integrity intact. Hillary's integrity is destroyed....

Sometimes losing is winning. I honor Gore for escaping politics with his integrity largely intact. The same will not be said for Hillary Clinton.

[polichick]

15. Why Mark Penn indeed - how many others could have done that job??

[Cali_Democrat]

18. Penn obviously represents the status quo

but remember, Hillary is all about 35 years of change

[Mooney]

19. Don't forget his ties to Blackwater!

Mark Penn may one of the most loathsome figures that I have become aware of this primary season. That Hillary Clinton is willing to employ him as her chief strategist speaks volumes about her, and not in a good way.

The only reason I can think of why she would retain his services is that she probably figures that she needs her own version of Karl Rove to help her win the election. Mark Penn is certainly as repugnant as Rove, with respect to his professional ties and personal hygiene. The main difference though is that Rove actually seems to know how to win an election.

[quantass]

20. she has problems

[AnnieBW]

21. Should have hired Teller instead

At least he wouldn't go around shooting his mouth off everywhere!

[Forkboy]

22. ...

:spray:

[stop the bleeding]

24. :)

:rofl::toast:

[bobthedrummer]

23. "Know Your DLC: Current DLC Leadership Team and other Democratic Leadership Council links"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5396391

[ksoze]

25. See a shrink and report back

tell him about throwing up and jeering and japing. Meds will help. best.

[anigbrowl]

26. She knows who he is, for sure. Which tells me a lot.

Can you imagine that guy in the White House? He's Karl Rove's long-lost twin as far as I'm concerned.

And it's not just Columbia and Blackwater. Penn is head of a firm that has done spin for everything from failed contraceptive devices that injured women (the Dalkon shield) to silicon breast implant manufacturers (because women really need more cosmetic surgery options to feel acceptably pretty, even if they put their health at risk). Because nothing shows you are there to represent women like hiring the CEO of a firm that is willing to explain away little mishaps that happen to a certain sort of girl.

Just like Burson-Marsteller's representation of Philip Morris has nothing to do with that company's impact on public health or the fact that it markets its products mainly to blue-collar workers. Just like Maggie Williams directorship of Delta Financial (until it went bankrupt last December) has nothing to do with the fact that the subprime mortgage crisis disproportionately affects Clinton's base.

Because nothing shows you care about people more than hiring the folks who make so much money out of deceiving and fucking over ordinary Americans.

[quantass]

27. k&r