Donklephant » Blog Archive » Mark Penn: It Wasn’t Me!

Mark Penn: It Wasn’t Me!

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Democrats, Partisan Hacks

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the unravelling of a political phony.

As the campaign faces a make-or-break moment, some high-level officials are trying to play down their role in the campaign. Penn said in an e-mail over the weekend that he had “no direct authority in the campaign,” describing himself as merely “an outside message advisor with no campaign staff reporting to me.”

“I have had no say or involvement in four key areas — the financial budget and resource allocation, political or organizational sides. Those were the responsibility of Patti Solis Doyle, Harold Ickes and Mike Henry, and they met separately on all matters relating to those areas.”

Howard Wolfson, the campaign’s communications chief, answered that it was Penn who had top responsibility for both its strategy and message. Another aide said Penn spoke to Clinton routinely about the campaign’s message and ran daily meetings on the topic.

Nobody is dumb enough to think that the message doesn’t drive the strategy. Well, except apparently Mark Penn.

So yes Mark, it was you. And the idea that you’re not taking responsibility for it is cowardly. You positioned Hillary as an establishment candidate in a campaign year that was obviously going to be about change. Deal with it and own up to it. Everybody would respect you a whole lot more if you did.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Democrats, Partisan Hacks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Mark Penn: It Wasn’t Me!”

mw Says:
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:22 pm
He is a tool.
Bob Aman Says:
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:35 pm
“Since I’m pretty sure Hillary is going to lose, I just thought I’d try to salvage my PR career before I go down in flames along with her.”
emily Says:
March 8th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Mark Penn is an arrogant, self-centered pig. Even the little girl in the ad doesn’t want Hillary to answer the phone in the White House at any time.

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_030708WAB_hillary_ad_KC.328ab14f.html

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