Candidate opposes trade deal while top aide is paid to promote it

Puppycow · 5th April 2008, 03:12 AM

Isn't this even worse than anything Austen Goolsbee might have said to the Canadians about Nafta?

Quote:

April 4 (Bloomberg) -- Mark Penn, the chief campaign strategist for Hillary Clinton, apologized for meeting with Colombian officials to discuss a bilateral free-trade agreement opposed by Clinton.

``The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it,'' Penn said in a written statement about his March 31 talk with the Colombian ambassador. ``The senator's well-known opposition to this trade deal is clear and was not discussed,'' he said in the statement released by Clinton's campaign.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Penn attended the meeting as chief executive of Burson-Marsteller Worldwide, a communications and lobbying firm, not as a Clinton adviser.

Burson-Marsteller has a contract with Colombia to promote U.S. approval of the deal, according to documents the company filed with the Department of Justice last year.

``Mark was not there representing the campaign,'' Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said. ``Senator Clinton is crystal clear in her opposition to the Colombia trade deal.''
...
Seven Unions

Greg Tarpinian, executive director of Change to Win, which represents seven unions and about 6 million workers, said Penn's meeting ``suggests that he has been playing a double role -- advising the senator on what to say to curry Democratic voters and advising the Colombian government on what to say to curry a majority of votes in Congress.'' The group has endorsed Obama.

Clinton last month accused Obama of misleading voters about his views on trade, citing a private meeting his economic adviser held with Canadians that included a discussion of Nafta.

T.A.M. · 5th April 2008, 03:18 AM

Will be interesting to see if Obama uses this against Hillary. I am guessing not, even though I suspect she would, if it were reversed.

TAM

Puppycow · 5th April 2008, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by T.A.M.

Will be interesting to see if Obama uses this against Hillary. I am guessing not, even though I suspect she would, if it were reversed.

TAM

Well at a minimum he will let his trade union allies hammer her on it. She made an ad in Ohio about the Goolsbee thing, so I think this is fair game. Why not? And then there's the fact that she hasn't been honest about what her position on Nafta used to be. I don't see why he shouldn't go after her because this is a legitimate issue and she has tried to distort his position on trade.

T.A.M. · 5th April 2008, 06:02 AM

I guess because I for one am sick of Candidates being blamed for surrogate issues. I think a denouncing of the comments/actions by the Candidate is sufficient, as Clinton did with Ferraro, as Obama did with Wright is sufficient. I personally am tired of all the attacking and counter-attacking.

TAM

Gord_in_Toronto · 5th April 2008, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by T.A.M.

I guess because I for one am sick of Candidates being blamed for surrogate issues. I think a denouncing of the comments/actions by the Candidate is sufficient, as Clinton did with Ferraro, as Obama did with Wright is sufficient. I personally am tired of all the attacking and counter-attacking.

TAM

So why don't you move to Canada? Oh. Wait. Sorry,

T.A.M. · 5th April 2008, 11:12 AM

lol...touche.

TAM

Dorian Gray · 5th April 2008, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by T.A.M.

lol...touche.

TAM

So, moving to Quebec, then?

Puppycow · 6th April 2008, 12:09 AM

Mark Penn has been fired!

(By Columbia, not by Hillary.)

Puppycow · 6th April 2008, 08:12 PM

Mark Penn has been demoted. He's no longer Hillary's chief campaign strategist. Now he's just her pollster/consultant.

T.A.M. · 7th April 2008, 07:56 AM

yay, so now they are going to have Wolfson take over the role.

JHC, now the Hillary Campaign will have no moral compass at all.

TAM

Supercharts · 11th April 2008, 09:53 AM

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ed...ia_trade_pact/

Hillary is wrong on the issues...

5th April 2008, 03:12 AM	#1
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 15,704	Candidate opposes trade deal while top aide is paid to promote it Isn't this even worse than anything Austen Goolsbee might have said to the Canadians about Nafta? Quote: April 4 (Bloomberg) -- Mark Penn, the chief campaign strategist for Hillary Clinton, apologized for meeting with Colombian officials to discuss a bilateral free-trade agreement opposed by Clinton. ``The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it,'' Penn said in a written statement about his March 31 talk with the Colombian ambassador. ``The senator's well-known opposition to this trade deal is clear and was not discussed,'' he said in the statement released by Clinton's campaign. The Wall Street Journal reported today that Penn attended the meeting as chief executive of Burson-Marsteller Worldwide, a communications and lobbying firm, not as a Clinton adviser. Burson-Marsteller has a contract with Colombia to promote U.S. approval of the deal, according to documents the company filed with the Department of Justice last year. ``Mark was not there representing the campaign,'' Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said. ``Senator Clinton is crystal clear in her opposition to the Colombia trade deal.'' ... Seven Unions Greg Tarpinian, executive director of Change to Win, which represents seven unions and about 6 million workers, said Penn's meeting ``suggests that he has been playing a double role -- advising the senator on what to say to curry Democratic voters and advising the Colombian government on what to say to curry a majority of votes in Congress.'' The group has endorsed Obama. Clinton last month accused Obama of misleading voters about his views on trade, citing a private meeting his economic adviser held with Canadians that included a discussion of Nafta.
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

5th April 2008, 03:50 AM	#3
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 15,704	Originally Posted by T.A.M. Will be interesting to see if Obama uses this against Hillary. I am guessing not, even though I suspect she would, if it were reversed. TAM Well at a minimum he will let his trade union allies hammer her on it. She made an ad in Ohio about the Goolsbee thing, so I think this is fair game. Why not? And then there's the fact that she hasn't been honest about what her position on Nafta used to be. I don't see why he shouldn't go after her because this is a legitimate issue and she has tried to distort his position on trade.
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

5th April 2008, 10:16 AM	#5
Gord_in_Toronto Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 13,409	Originally Posted by T.A.M. I guess because I for one am sick of Candidates being blamed for surrogate issues. I think a denouncing of the comments/actions by the Candidate is sufficient, as Clinton did with Ferraro, as Obama did with Wright is sufficient. I personally am tired of all the attacking and counter-attacking. TAM So why don't you move to Canada? Oh. Wait. Sorry,
	__________________ "Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick

5th April 2008, 11:35 PM	#7
Dorian Gray Hypocrisy Detector Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 20,193	Originally Posted by T.A.M. lol...touche. TAM So, moving to Quebec, then?
	__________________ "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." - Willy Wonka "Rational arguments don't work on religious people. If they did, there wouldn't be any religious people." - House Additionally to Carlin being funnier than Izzard, I think Dorian is funnier than the Marquis. - Ron Tomkins

6th April 2008, 12:09 AM	#8
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 15,704	Mark Penn has been fired! (By Columbia, not by Hillary.)
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

5th April 2008, 03:18 AM	#2
T.A.M. Keeper of the Kool-Vax Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The Far East...of Canada Posts: 20,816	Will be interesting to see if Obama uses this against Hillary. I am guessing not, even though I suspect she would, if it were reversed. TAM

5th April 2008, 06:02 AM	#4
T.A.M. Keeper of the Kool-Vax Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The Far East...of Canada Posts: 20,816	I guess because I for one am sick of Candidates being blamed for surrogate issues. I think a denouncing of the comments/actions by the Candidate is sufficient, as Clinton did with Ferraro, as Obama did with Wright is sufficient. I personally am tired of all the attacking and counter-attacking. TAM

5th April 2008, 11:12 AM	#6
T.A.M. Keeper of the Kool-Vax Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The Far East...of Canada Posts: 20,816	lol...touche. TAM

6th April 2008, 08:12 PM	#9
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 15,704	Mark Penn has been demoted. He's no longer Hillary's chief campaign strategist. Now he's just her pollster/consultant.
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

7th April 2008, 07:56 AM	#10
T.A.M. Keeper of the Kool-Vax Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The Far East...of Canada Posts: 20,816	yay, so now they are going to have Wolfson take over the role. JHC, now the Hillary Campaign will have no moral compass at all. TAM

11th April 2008, 09:53 AM	#11
Supercharts Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 1,185	http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ed...ia_trade_pact/ Hillary is wrong on the issues...