Mark Penn Steps Down
Mark Penn has stepped down as Senator Hillary Clinton’s chief strategist. Penn has been criticized for months already; many people believe that he wasn’t an asset to the campaign. He was considered to be a divisive figure, both because of his personality and his strategic vision. Now he has finally stepped down, not because of the before mentioned, but because of “conflicts of interest that resulted from his representing major clients as president of Burson-Marsteller, the giant public relations firm, while working for Clinton.”
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Penn had met with Colombia’s ambassador to the United States to discuss promotion of a free-trade agreement, one that Clinton opposes. Penn apologized Friday for an “error in judgment,” and the Colombian government responded a day later by firing Burson-Marsteller.
Clinton and her husband, Bill Clinton, were furious with Penn for going to the meeting, campaign officials said. Trade has been a divisive issue in the Democratic race and a particularly significant one in Pennsylvania, the next state on the primary calendar. The senator from New York has pledged to take a “timeout” from free-trade agreements until their impact on the United States becomes clearer.
“After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton campaign,” campaign manager Maggie Williams said in a statement. “Geoff Garin and Howard Wolfson will coordinate the campaign’s strategic message team going forward.”
Basically, then, unprofessional behavior. Penn should have known better. He’s not some amateur. He’s a pro. Pros should behave like pros.
and the rats are pushed off the sinking rat barge