Paying Off Clinton's Debt: Not A Dime For Mark Penn

Mark Penn hates you. Everything Penn believes in -- or, at least, everything he does to make money -- runs counter to the very change that millions of Americans are thirsting for. Barack Obama has signaled to his top contributors that they should help retire Sen. Clinton's campaign debt. There should be one demand by those willing to make such a contribution -- not a dime for Mark Penn.

It has been widely reported that Penn is owed several millions of dollars for his failed work for Sen. Clinton. Let's be clear: he will rake in millions more shilling for some of the most powerful corporate interests in the world. And, today, we know he has a new partner.

Today, The Wall Street Journal reports that Penn is teaming up with Bush advisor Karen Hughes:

Two hard-charging political operatives are teaming up to create a bipartisan consulting organization to advise corporations in crisis -- as they work to burnish their own reputations as well.

Former Clinton strategist Mark Penn, chairman and CEO of public-relations firm Burson-Marsteller, is hiring former Bush adviser Karen Hughes as a vice chairman, the principals say. The political combatants, known for their partisan efforts, decided to combine forces to offer a one-stop crisis-communication and public-affairs shop to corporations caught in front-page headlines or faced with a changing Washington.

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In addition to his political clients, Mr. Penn also has advised Microsoft Corp., Coca-Cola Co. and Merrill Lynch & Co. Ms. Hughes, who worked two separate times in the Bush administration, is expected to bring in a chunk of new business, headed up by Republican-leaning chief executives who know her from her political life. She will be based in her hometown in Austin, Texas, and focus on issues from energy to health care.

This "bi-partisan" coupling will be designed to keep a corporate iron grip on policy in the name of the almighty "free market" -- and Mark Penn's wallet. Their "bi-partisanship" means any changes in health care will mean a continued powerful grip by corporations on the health and life of our families. Their "bi-partisanship" will mean defeating any attempts to change our country's trade policy, from one favoring corporations to one favoring workers and communities. Their "bi-partisanship" means you can forget about stronger oversight of corporate malfeasance. Their "bi-partisanship" means that any serious legislation to stop global warming will be watered down and made meaningless.

This "bi-partisanship" will mean an attempt to conduct business as usual in Washington and other legislative forums.

Mark Penn has hated everything about the movement for change for many years, long before he helped pilot the Clinton presidential campaign to disaster. Here is an excerpt from an article about Penn in the August 23rd 2007 edition of the Economist:

He is a visceral foe of the politics of class war as sometimes practised by Bob Shrum, who lost all eight of the presidential campaigns he worked on.

Mr Penn's centrism is partly a matter of personal sympathies. His strongest ties are to conservative Democrats. He cut his teeth working for Ed Koch in New York. He worked closely with the Democratic Leadership Council, and more generally with the so-called "national security" Democrats. He has a long record as a friend of Israel and as an advocate of regime change in Iraq. He helped to run Joe Lieberman's campaign in 2004.

It is also a matter of self-interest. Mr Penn is the very embodiment of the Washington-business nexus. The WPP Group, a public-relations giant, turned him into a multimillionaire when it bought his consulting firm in 2001. It then made him chief executive of one of its subdivisions, Burson-Marsteller, in 2005. Burson-Marsteller is a global behemoth with 100 offices in 59 countries, annual revenues of around $300m, and some of the world's biggest companies among its clients.

This suggests another difference: there is little chance that Mr Penn will try to wield Rove-sized influence over a Clinton White House. This would hardly be a sensible thing to attempt, given that Mrs Clinton's closest and smartest political adviser is her husband. But Mr Penn also has far too much on his plate. Mr Rove was single-mindedly focused on his master's political career (and, indeed, Mr Bush forced him to sell his direct-mailing company in 1999 in order to avoid any possible conflict of interest). Mr Penn continues to run Burson-Marsteller and to manage its Microsoft account himself. Conflict of interest be damned.

This all sounds like a formula for success: a brilliant pollster who will steer his candidate to the center but who will not try to turn an election victory into a White House empire. Perhaps it will be. But Mr Penn may have a weakness of his own -- his umbilical ties to business interests and his visceral distaste for anything that smells of populism. The left already regards him as exemplifying everything that is wrong with the Democratic establishment. Continued economic problems may intensify resentment of the Beltway fat cats. Mr Rove eventually fell because he tried to change American politics too much. Mr Penn's biggest problem -- and perhaps Mrs Clinton's too -- is that he wants to change too little.[The emphasis has been added]

Even the Economist understood that Penn's mission is, first and foremost, to serve himself and his business interests.

So, if anyone is inclined to donate to Sen. Clinton (and I am not arguing that point one way or another, though we need to remember that there are many small vendors and businesses who should not be stiffed), a message should first be sent to Sen. Clinton: not a dime for Mark Penn.

Let him choke on the millions of dollars he is owed -- every dollar he pockets is another dollar he will use to perpetuate the corporate hold our on our politics and every dollar he has to eat is a small repayment for the damage he has caused to the country with his business dealings and political activities.

Not a dime for Mark Penn.

Comments

[jeremyemilio]

Ha! The big joke in all of this is that HRC is well on her way to retiring her debt, not with the help of Obama's supporters (so far they've kicked about $100,000... how nice), but with the help of her own supporters. When will you people learn that SHE does not need HIM; HE needs HER. This whole thing is an opportunity manufactured for the benefit of Obama. The premise is that if he can convince his supporters to chip in and help Hillary, it will create goodwill (not to mention financial generosity) among Hillary supporters toward Obama. As always, though, Obama's supporters are missing the boat. The result? Her debt will get paid without Obama's help and Hillary supporters will become more motivated and unified as a dissenting group, and become more and more isolated from the Obama camp.

[hopeless277]

Forget Mark Penn, NOT A DIME FOR OBAMA THE CRIMINAL ENABLING FRAUD. Send your money to Feingold. Obama would just spend it on champane to celebrate telecom immunity.

[barackobama4prez]

Nobody is gonna open their wallet for the selfish Clintons. When they SHOW AND PROVE their committment to Barack and the Democrats, they MAY get some help. Hell her own financiers won't retire her debt so screw Bill, Hill and all the rest of the Clinton riders.

Unity, New Hampshire my ass...this is extortion.

[blaqntelligence]

"Hell her own financiers won't retire her debt so screw Bill, Hill and all the rest of the Clinton riders. "

"Unity, New Hampshire my ass...this is extortion."

Plain and simple. Aided and abetted by these freeloaders.

[politicojunkie]

She received 18M(?) and if they contribute $1.50 each that will pay off most of her debt. I could care less whether Marc Penn gets paid or not. As far as PUMA is concerned, I dare not say anything because if I do my post will be censored.

[mlaiuppa]

And let's not forget that his good buddy Howard Wolfson is now working for Faux news.

Boy, what a pack of Wolves Clinton had working for her.

If there was any doubt about Obama being the correct choice for the DNC this year, that should now be put to rest.

No money for Mark Penn. And no VP slot for Clinton.

[funnyguy]

Great post.

What amazes me is that anyone would consider hiring Mark Penn after the Clinton fiasco.

[KathyIndiana]

Whether or not it was Mark Penn's idea, Hillary Clinton stayed in the race long after it was clear she would not win, running up expenses the whole time. Since it's common practice for the winner to help cover the loser's debt, she probably figured she had it made - continue to trash Obama as long as she could, and if he eventually won the nomination it wouldn't cost her since he would cover her campaign debt. Obama is handling this beautifully - none of his money is going to the Clinton debt; all he is doing is asking his donors to help her. If they choose not to do that, it's not Obama's fault. After all, how many of the still-bitter Hillary supporters would be sending cash to Obama if the situation were reversed?

[barackobama4prez]

"After all, how many of the still-bitter Hillary supporters would be sending cash to Obama if the situation were reversed?"

Are you kidding me? Clinton encouraged her supporters to HATE Obama. They still hate him. Dumb asses. They will be broke after the election and Hillary will still be rich.

[krm1255]

This points out something I've long thought. Politicians think of us voters as possessions. They think that because Obama tells us to contribute to Hillary we will.

No, I'm a thinking, intelligent person who supports Obama. I see absolutely no reason to contribute to Clinton. She ran this debt up recklessly when there was no hope of her becoming the nominee. There should be consequences for reckless behavior. Just like we all teach our children.

And yes, I feel sorry for some of the small vendors, but when it was clear her campaign was in trouble, why didn't you demand she pay up front? That's what I do with my customers and that's what my vendors often do with me. Poor business practices shouldn't be rewarded either.

[Speakchic]

I agree! This is what HRC supporters turned a blind eye to. The fact that HRC's debt was created to suffocate "our movement" and it's a sin and a shame that MP is to be repaid for his blatant and utter disregard for Obama and his campaign. Now he's working with non other than the enemy himself and his cronies. But the PUMA's and all of the other delusional Clintonites fail to see that!

[pleeezzze]

....our movement ????

[truegreen]

As an ardent Obama supporter there is no way i will help pay off senator clintons debt. The amassing of debt was her own doing not Obama's and i don't think he should be responsible in helping pay off her debt especially when that debt was used to slim and trash Obama in the primaries.

[Salome]

Karen Hughes? The same Karen Hughes who handled all of the telephone calls and letters from foreign leaders offering hundreds of millions of dollars to help the flood victims of New Orleans? The one who said: "Oh no no no. Hold your checks. We got it covered."

Evil evil evil.

[EuLupu]

"So, if anyone is inclined to donate to Sen. Clinton (and I am not arguing that point one way or another, though we need to remember that there are many small vendors and businesses who should not be stiffed), a message should first be sent to Sen. Clinton: not a dime for Mark Penn."
OK, Mr. Tasini - SHE WILL LISTEN TO YOUR MESSAGE. Long article with a stupid conclusion. Either you donate or not(considering all scenarios) from there on is NOT your business, not that I will EVER donate.

[barackobama4prez]

Bill and Hill should pay the vendors debt. PERIOD.

[MPeter]

I agree with SeanGardner. The Clintons have enough money to pay off that skunk. We should not be dealing with him at all.

[SeanGardner]

I think Hillary Clinton should pay off Mark Penn. After all, she secured his services, and he in turn helped Hillary run her campaign into the ground.

The Clintons were worth well over $105 million at the end of 2007, and the Obama's were worth only $3 million. So I believe the Clintons should pay Mark, and let Obama help raise money for the smaller debts.

[closetodemfection]

They were not worth 105 million - they'd MADE 105 million in 8 years. Paid 35 million in taxes, 10 million to charity, 12.5 million to campaign and living expenses for 8 years. Get your facts straight.

If i make 100,000 a year do I have 800,000 in the bank after 8 years? NO.