Hoffa: Penn "Demotion" Not Good Enough

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.latestpolitics.com/blog/2008/04/hoffa-penn-demotion-not-good-enough.html

Posted by Josh Gerstein
Sun, 6 Apr 2008 at 11:09 PM

The announcement from Senator Clinton's presidential campaign that Mark Penn has resigned as chief strategist is not enough to assuage one of Mr. Penn's top critics in the labor movement. The president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, James Hoffa, said through an aide tonight that the change is of little significance, since Mr. Penn will continue to advise and poll for Mrs. Clinton's presidential bid.

"Demotion doesn't answer General President Hoffa's concerns. Mark Penn is still on her payroll and Burson-Marsteller's payroll," a spokeswoman for Mr. Hoffa, Leigh Strope, said. "Title demotion doesn't indicate loss of influence."

In a statement on Friday, Mr. Hoffa called for Mr. Penn's ouster. "Someone like Mark Penn should not be dictating strategy, and possibly legislation, for a Democratic candidate for president," the Teamster leader said.

The Teamsters have endorsed Mrs. Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination, Senator Obama of Illinois. While the recent criticism of Mr. Penn was triggered by a report in the Wall Street Journal that he met with Colombia's ambassador to discuss strategy to promote the country's free trade deal with America, the Teamsters' issues with Mr. Penn go beyond the trade deal. They are also at odds over Burson-Marsteller's work on behalf of Cintas Corp., which the Teamsters and another union, Unite Here, have been attempting to organize for years.

[DerekJ]

1. Good .. they are not falling for it.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Thank God!

Cause none of us are that stupid, Hillary Clinton. We are not your base! :)

[DerekJ]

12. kick

[gateley]

3. Can somebody explain to me WHY

Hillary is keeping him?

Has he done great things for her campaign thus far that aren't obvious to me? :shrug:

I just don't get it -- I'd have thought she'd be glad to be rid of him. A very expensive albatross, is how I viewed him.

Thanks for any enlightenment -- I'm truly baffled.

[Adelante]

7. He's been with them a long time

He probably knows where the bodies are buried. Also they owe him a lot of money.

[Lerkfish]

9. well, at least one reason: Blackwater.

the same people that own the clintons own Blackwater is my guess.

[LittleClarkie]

18. She's needs her on personal Turdblossum to win, I suppose

or so she may think.

[KittyWampus]

19. Okay, Penn has worked with Clintons a LONG time. He's had success w/ them but look at his stragtegy

or that of the Clintons. They NEVER seem to have a long term plan. Always short term gains. Always reacting. And that means always ultimately ending up on the defensive.

And really, that's best for the NeoCons and NeoLiberals.

Make the Left into a bunch of screamers flapping their hands around in the air while the Right moves things ever further Rightward.

The Clintons and their coterie are too self-centered to care about anything but their own short term benefit.

[TheDoorbellRang]

23. You nailed them. Exactly. n/t

[mrreowwr_kittty]

22. Kinda lets you throw her Rev. Wright comments right back at her.

"How can you be advised by someone for decades and not know that they are a union-busting shitweasel?"

"Mark Penn wouldn't have been MY advisor and pollster!"

[tekisui]

4. Hillary's Campaign messed up again. If she had fired him,

the story would be dead. Let's have at it one more week in a Union state. PA unions aren't stupid, and they can clearly see where her alliances are now.

What a stupid, stupid campaign they have.

[C_U_L8R]

5. What's terrifically funny about all this..

is that Hillary is going to have to fire Penn AGAIN.

Why didn't she do it right the first time?

[tekisui]

6. They fumble EVERY decision.

What a sad campaign. Piss poor management.

[Chimichurri]

10. She attempted Bush's tactic of no accountability leadership,

hoping she could get away with it - the way he has.

No different then her shrugging off the Bosnia lie as ah well, no big deal. Lack of accountability is what people DON'T want anymore.

[anigbrowl]

11. I can just see the headlines now...

Penn 'Really fired this time', says Clinton

Penn checks out, bounces

Penn has to wear pink slip

The PR/ad business isn't exactly kind and forgiving. I suspect a lot of amused rivals will be circulating mocking faux-commercials about this.

[grantcart]

14. rule 73 in the Clinton handbook

If it is possible to string out bad news in one news cycle it is better to do it for 3 - remember no such thing as bad news.

[Adelante]

8. Steve, do you know where the steelworkers stand on this? nt

[Omaha Steve]

13. I looked all over

No word from the USW on this yet. Might be in their powercast later this week.

[Adelante]

15. Thanks a lot nt

[pompano]

16. Whelp....

It looks like the goal posts will be on the way to NC. Doesn't look like the labor vote in the Keystone State is going to find this shell game with Penn much too funny.

I hope they don't put the goal posts in concrete there either. She is loosing by about 18 pts, no :shrug: ?

[Yael]

17. Good for him!

She pulled this for coverage. The old meme "bad coverage is better than no coverage". It made her look like the captain of the titanic.

I am glad that they are seeing through this.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

20. I wonder if what's-his-face who called Obama supporters "latte sipping trust fund babies"

approves of Penn. Wonder if anyone's asked him for a comment yet.

[OhioBlue]

25. that is a great question

he is an I.A.M. guy.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

21. Drawn and quartered, anyone?

:rofl:

[OzarkDem]

24. You mean Hoffa hasn't endorsed a Republican this time around?

He usually does.

[zulchzulu]

26. Time to pump up the volume on this

Keep Penn in while we begin the Colombia Pinata Game with his head...

[Life Long Dem]

27. Makes sense why Mark Penn quit. n/t

[myrna minx]

28. What do those latte drinking, elitist teamsters know about labor/trade policy.

:sarcasm: