This surprised me. The media didn't seem to focus too much on the Colombia thing--they certainly could have gotten through it pretty easily. I wonder if this isn't a combination of things.

Of course, I won't lose any sleep over it.

DAMMIT!

So he's still really a strategist.

I don't understand how a smart woman like Hillary got herself mixed up with a guy like this!

Wonder if the Clinton campaign is trying to distract us from looking more deeply into the tax returns????

Losing that contract was the wake up call for him. As it is, he will be the last to get paid by Hillary, so he probably figured he needed to keep the clients who actually pay their bills.

He'll still be hanging around, like a old boyfriend who can't take the hint.

Poor Mark Penn. First he gets fired by the Columbian government, and now by the floundering Clinton campaign. 2008 is turning into a rough year for Mr. Penn.

I'm usually not into schadenfreude, but I gotta say that it couldn't have happened to a better man.

The fact that Bill and Hillary hired this professional asshole and hitman... tells us all we need to know about their own value system.

This is a major embarrassment to the democratic party.

For shame.

Blessings on you sagacious sir. My sentiments entirely.

A classic Clinton manuever.

If you listen to the President, he told you the advisers should stay.

Then Rendell said he should be fired.

Now, everybody is happy.

But will they DENOUNCE and REJECT him?

HRC & Penn have much in common. They are both very successful within their narrow sphere of expertise. However, both are perfect examples of the Peter Principle: HRC and Penn have both risen to her/his level of incompetence.

I am surprised the press still even care about her or her campaign! Why do they still cover this tragedy.

She has been SOOOOO finished for weeks!

She was finished when she failed to win in IA, then again in VA, then later on in WI!

"The Penn situation -- and the lack of action by you -- raises serious questions about the veracity of your claims of what you would do should you become President," the (seven labor unions that are part of the "Change to Win" coalition) said in a statement released Saturday."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/clinton-chief-s.html

Penn felt the wrath of the unions. They responded so strongly that Hillary Clinton was not only forced to take notice, she was forced to get "angry" about it.

So they fired him except that he still does what he was doing before.

How.. unsurprising.

Fired by Colombians, fired by the Clintons. That's just too ironic. Hunt for two rabbits, and you'll get none.

Says Williams:

" After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as Chief Strategist of the Clinton Campaign; Mark, and Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, Inc. will continue to provide polling and advice to the campaign."

He has not been fired. Maggie Williams said so. Read what she actually wrote. He is still doing the same job. This is just another con game by the Clinton Camp. They are trying to BS the blue collar union workers once again.

When someone is fired by you, they no longer work for you. Penn is still going to be working on the Clinton Campaign. Maggie Williams said so.

This is just another Hillary Rambo Clinton Fairy Tale.

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!!! FOR HILLARY!!!!

An interesting article (it's the top story at the site) at the "Change to Win" website, calling for Mark Penn's resignation -

http://www.changetowin.org/connect/2008/04/mark_penn_has_to_go.html

Josh Marshall and TPM get a mention and a link in the first update and Barack Obama gets a glowing endorsement in the second.

But I tend to agree with others here, this "resignation" appears to be just a Clinton camp shell game. It'll be interesting to see if it's enough to satisfy the union folks.

He resigned, but he DID NOT resign: Clinton sacked him, but she's still allowing him to provide advice and polling on behalf of her campaign - I get it - that's Clinton Politicking... because I can... right?

Classic Jedi mind trick. "This is not the chief campaign strategist you are looking for."

I'd guess they're going for a campaign-rising-from-the-ashes narrative here (regardless of whether its a planned strategy or a strategic reaction).

AP reports, "Aides said both Hillary and Bill Clinton were deeply angry upon hearing of the meeting and that Penn was quickly pushed to leave." And the line seems to be that Penn is "what was wrong" with the campaign.

Probably too late for this, though.

But there's risk here, too, not only for campaign-in-disarray image that could be projected, as mentioned in other comments here, but also because this increases the exposure of what the whole Penn flap was about in the first place.

And if I'm the Obama campaign, I would keep some attention on the continued relationship between the Clinton campaign and Penn. For the unions to see, in particular. "If the Clintons were so angry about this, why's he still advising the campaign?"

Clinton makes a difficult executive decision to can a longtime ally.

If only Obama could have mustered the same courage and good judgment with regard to Wright.

In re gotalife's comment about the Clinton's being ready to drop a bomb on Obama, I figure he's right. Only it will be the sort of slimy "bombs" they dropped on him just before Texas/Ohio. I trust the Obama campaign will be ready for that crap this time.

No, Gergen said on Anderson Cooper that they had more "dirt" on Obama and will come out right probably a week before Penn.

What, my friends, is the difference between the Clintons and Karl Rove?

This is how you want your candidate to win - by throwing mud all over the other candidate? This reminds me of the Bush-McCain race, in which the smeared McCain with all kinds of shit, including an illegitmate child.

And that gutless, immoral POS turned around and hugged George.

McCain makes me sick, but "winning" by sliming the other candidate makes me sicker and if the Clintons win by sliming Obama, then shame on them, shame on everyone who helped them, who supported them, and the Democratic Party.

If that's how we win - I leave the Democratic Party. I don't want to win that way.

Another statement from Penn:
"I am going to take a break from the Clinton campaign to spend more time with my Rancor and the Sarlacc. I'll be running polls from my palace on Tatooine."

Clinton sacks Penn.
Next: Penn. sacks Clinton.

Penn has done as much damage as a mad dog can at a wedding.

"Penn"sylvania here we come.

By the way, Penn resigned not sacked. Hillary owes him more than a few millions, not authority left to fire him.

1 moron down 99 to go.

Most have waited? Lord, what universe are you in? Some high profile supers have come out the past two weeks for Obama as well as some low profile supers. This is wild speculation, and since Clinton needs 27 percent margins in ALL the remaining contests to regain the pledged delegate lead, the time to go "nuclear" has long passed.

Good evening,

and here is another endorsement coming up for Obama from Montana: Margaret Campbell...

It is on the New York Times...

My question is, was this just an amateur mistake, one of many, from Hillary who has shown she cannot manage a campaign, or a hint of a bigger problem?

http://www.thepersonalispolitical.com/2008/04/mark-penn-is-finally-out-but-is-his.html

I know we have had 8 years of conflicts of interest in government, I know the disasters that has created for our country and the world, and I know Bill has tons of new big business friends, some shadier than others, and gets lots of money from them, and now we can see that Hillary isn't that concerned about conflicts of interest in her advisors, so the question is now, if Hillary were to get into the White House (which is an impossibility for many reasons at this point), who would she surround herself with, what favors would Bill be returning, and what conflicts of interest would surround the second Clinton administration?

Updated NY Times article - The key word now appears to be "demoted":

"other knowledgeable aides said that Mrs. Clinton was furious when she learned of the Colombia talks and insisted on Mr. Penn’s demotion. Mr. Clinton concurred in that judgment, aides said."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/07/us/politics/07hillary.html?hp

And again the word "demoted" later in the article:

"Although the end of the primary season is drawing near, campaign aides said Mr. Penn’s demotion would change the internal dynamics of the Clinton camp, with a more collegial atmosphere replacing the first-among-equals structure Mr. Penn created around himself."

So he's not really going anywhere. It's all just for visual effects. Penn has been a "loyal" member of the Clinton team since 1996, and the Clinton's value "loyalty" above all else (sound familiar?), again from the same article:

"He remained for the second Clinton term and through Mr. Clinton’s impeachment trial, demonstrating, among other things, one of the virtues that the Clintons prized most: loyalty."

So there you have it, nothing more than a "demotion" for a "loyal" surrogate.

I read the headline and thought:

"Finally! Hillary did something right!"

Then I read the details and realized NOTHING CHANGED.

Shame on you Hillary. If you're going to fire someone, FIRE them.

But, I expect nothing less from this sham of a campaign.

the gentleman needs a body slam and please, Mr. Penn, DO NOT pull my ponytail......

Just look at all these endorsements:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=6915

Leads in 4 out of 5 upcoming primaries.

She is on a roll.

Obama vetted next week.

Stay tuned.

Had I performed as badly in my job as Penn has in his... the guy who fired me would be fired for not having fired me sooner.

What this boils down to is a highest level Clinton campaign operative lobbying for a trade agreement that is vehemently opposed by a six million member strong collection of seven trade unions ( Change to Win - http://www.changetowin.org ), while at the same time, Hillary Clinton was making statements voicing her firm opposition to said trade agreement.

Change to Win forcefully called for Mark Penn's resignation - "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." ( http://www.changetowin.org/connect/2008/04/mark_penn_has_to_go.html ) .

The Clinton campaign responded by "demoting" him.

The question is, will that be enough for the unions?

It's Sunday night, so I don't expect any sort of immediate response, but I wrote to Change to Win and asked them. :)

I'm curios about what they'll have to say, not just to me, but to Hillary Clinton. And of course this is all happening in the lead-up to organized labor heavy Pennsylvania.

Oh the drama...

Old wine... meet new bottle.

I expect this move to raise a lot of questions that will put an even harsher light on the asphyxiating Clinton campaign. Expect Bill to wag his finger and accuse the media of misrepesenting his wife's non-fire fire. Expect more veiled threats of looming Obama scandals to reinvigorate Clinton.

Expect more of the same... repackaged.

Penn wanted to say he wasn't chief strategist before anyway when it suited him. Remember? He was just doing a little polling and not much more.

Now Hillary is saying the same thing when it suits her. Key line is his "firm" is still giving polling "and advice". In other words, his duties are identical. But dissembling Hillary, neither wishing to be held accountable in Pa. for his free trade antics(which he likely coordinated with her), nor wishing to make a decision about him either, wants to take credit for making a change that she didn't execute. Believing, I suppose, that Pennsylvania voters are dead stupid.

Where is that decisiveness she showed battling terrorists in Tuzla?

wake up guys this is all a considence.... Make this connections. In Ohio Clinton Aide when to talk to the Canadians, Suddenly the Canadian prime minister was attacking Obama. it was supposed to agitate the Union workers... They were trying to pull the same with Colombia and Penn when and talked to Them and the President of Colombia was attacking Obama over the Free trade agreement. Could be this time around someone sold penn out... you dont know why either to kill his deals. The person got what they wanted Penn lost the deal with the Colombians.... and now on the Hillary side if you read the resignation letter its like Penn wrote it aimed at his detractors..but not at the larger Hillary supporters. This is what Penn wrote..."It points out that although you made blow the whistle on me I will resign but am not down I still keep the Position as Pollster and thats what he was supposed to be in the beginning.

So Who wins? lets what the events for the next days. Hillary cannot do without penn they are birds of the same feather...All the good people left the campaign ,look at Maggie, Penn, Ike

So, not only Mark Penn gets her bad publicity but gets to stick around giving her bad advice as well ?

You gotta love Hillary and her "judgment"!

This whole 'vetted' business...I'm so tired of hearing yet another media buzzword that really means only what the media believes it means. I watch the comments and especially gotalife and his 50% vetted comment. How is this quantified and by what standards..this is silly and useless for determining the experience and electability of a candidate. I'm all for change and I want someone who doesn't have the experience, I want someone who doesn't do things the way it's been done...change is about that. I see with the Clinton campaign very much good ol' boys club. I think we need fake sinbad to create a new buzzword that means we don't want the same stuff...ohhh, that's right, "Change" That's it for a fake Gump rant.

Too bad it wasn't Axelrove who was sacked.

Oh, and Obama gained 3 SDs this weekend while Hillary lost 1: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/6/1894/60485/912/491310

So much for stemming the tide.

Maybe I'm more skeptical than the rest, but this reads like a smoke screen - particularly with the open door of Penn still providing advisement.

Having released tax returns right at the end-of-day Friday, the timeliness of this seems to be about strategic as it gets. Its possible her returns are clean, but this throws them off the radar for a few more news cycles. Color me curious.

And this differs from a pro-gun stand to appease hunters when you have a professed anti gun platform how? Pandering is a way of life with Barack. The NRA is all over this however and they can smell shit being slung better than any other group.

Being Barack Obama is never having to say you're wrong or sorry, I guess.