TPM Didn't Mention Mark Penn Was On Morning Conference Call!
For Once, No Politics On Hillary Campaign Conference Call By Eric Kleefeld - April 7, 2008, 1:25PMThe daily Clinton campaign conference call, usually consisting of the daily slam against Obama followed by a freewheeling Q and A, took an unusual form this morning.
Instead, the call was purely about policy, focusing exclusively on questions about Hillary's new initiative on breast-cancer awareness — perhaps because the campaign is determined not to have to answer any more questions about Mark Penn's departure.
However, Eric left out one major detail, which Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic picked up in his post here below:
Demoted Hillary Clinton strategist Mark Penn may no longer have the coveted title of chief strategist, but he remains a key member of the campaign's senior staff.Why was this important detail left out? If Mark Penn is still participating in conference calls, dispensing strategic advice and polling, then he really wasn't kicked off the campaign, was he? He's still in the forefront, it seems, minus a proper campaign official title.Mr. Penn took part on the campaign's morning message call this morning, as usual.
This afternoon, he is also scheduled to be on a call with Clinton and other aides to begin to prepare for Saturday's presidential debate in Philadelphia.
Mr. Penn "is still going to be very much involved," a senior campaign official said.
Indeed, it is not clear precisely what Mr. Penn's title-change entails, other than a public rebuke, although the official said that "there is a difference between being in charge and being one of many voices.
As "wayitwas" noted on another TPM thread, it would be interesting to know how Penn's salary has been affected by his "demotion." If he's still being paid roughly the same (exorbitant) amount, he still has a major role in the campaign, and his change in title is just window-dressing.
April 7, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
That would be interesting to find out. However, they said they'd file their campaign finance report by April 15th, so we wouldn't really know until then about Penn's pay.
April 7, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe some enterprising press rep will ask Clinton in the meantime. If she won't answer a straightforward question about Penn's salary, that would be information as well. At least it would get the amount Penn has earned working in Clinton's campaign out to a wider audience. I've heard various figures - $5, 10, 15 million, but a considerable sum whatever it is. Were I donor to Clinton's campaign, I'd be pissed that such a hefty portion of campaign contributions were funnelled to a firm with such un-democratic connections, that employs such unsavory tactics.
April 7, 2008 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I could be wrong, but I believe the multi-million dollar sums are being paid to Penn's firm and the monthly totals cover the cost of all internal polling and related services by his firm. (Same goes for Mandy Grunwald, whose monthly payments are for her firm's ad development work, etc.) No idea how much Penn's salary is from his firm, but I'm pretty confident he is not taking in a multi-million dollar salary directly from the Clinton campaign in the form of a personal paycheck.
April 7, 2008 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
and all this happens after hillary demanded Penn's removal".
Kinda makes you wonder...if Hillary wanted him gone, he'd be gone. Instead, she fires demotes him, even though his main responsibilties-polling and advising the campaign- are exactly the same as they always have been. Not much of a "demotion" if you ask me...
I think the Clintons pulled a fast one and the media just slept through it all.
April 7, 2008 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
This is just too much.
Bold. Decisive. Hillary.
April 7, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
As far as I can tell the MSM (NYT's, MSNBC etc.) are reporting Penn's so-called demotion as nothing less than a 'sacking'. I think they are helping to paint the picture that he was escorted out of the building by security, carrying a box of his office contents... which obviously isn't the case.
I can't help but wonder if the media's soft touch with the Clinton's has something to do with the sensitivities to 'access' which has been ascribed to their handling of Bush admin criticism. Afraid of losing access (i.e. WH press passes) causes them to repeat falsely positive news ad nauseum via 'breaking news' and delay reporting of negative news either by a week or indefinitely.
April 7, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
So... in the White House when someone would be booted out Madam Clinton, there are not booted out? Firing does mean you're fired? Quitting means you're hired? Down is up? Left is right? Lie is Truth? ... I see...
April 7, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Penn has resigned, but is still on the payroll. So I guess it all depends on what the meaning of resign is. This is pure Clintoniana
April 7, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't see how this double-talk can help Clinton, esp. with donors. At least half the country thinks Penn was booted off the campaign, but a sly footnote by Maggie Williams put him back in the middle of things. Hillary still lies.
April 7, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Waiting for the inevitable comparison to Obama "sticking by Wright" in 5... 4... 3... 2...
April 7, 2008 5:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let her stick by him. PA voters ain't gonna like it!
April 7, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is actually incorrect. Easy to misunderstand. I was confused about it too at first. But here's the story. Eric posted on the press conference call. Ambinder was talking about the internal campaign conference call, where they plan strategy for the day, etc. In other words, two separate calls.
April 7, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you for that clarification, Josh. I would edit my post to include your clarification if I could, but thanks for posting it as a comment.
April 7, 2008 8:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
For what it's worth, the stories I heard on NPR this morning all went along the lines of, "Mark Penn has resigned as the Clinton campaign's chief strategist, but since his firm will still be polling for the campaign and he will still be giving advice, it's not clear how big of a change this is."
April 7, 2008 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
It gets better. It isn't just Penn with ties to Columbia.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/07/clinton-colombia-ties-don_n_95525.html
April 7, 2008 10:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
In the final analysis, HRC will be nothing more than the junior senator from NY because she did not have the judgement to reject Mark Penn and the rest of her retro advisors.... she did not have the judgment to understand that 2008 is not 1992.
April 8, 2008 4:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Someone like Mark Penn should not be dictating strategy, and possibly legislation, for a Democratic candidate for president," the Teamster leader said.
What Hoffa said.
April 8, 2008 6:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
This sounds horribly Bushian, kind of like Ken Tomlinson who resigned from the CPB for illegal practices but was held onto by the administration and put in the Broadcast Board of Governors instead, where he again supposedly committed improprieties and misused public funds.
We don't need another president who values loyalty over good judgement.
April 8, 2008 9:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Heckuva' job Penn-y
April 8, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink