Isn't it Time for Mark Penn to Leave Burson-Marsteller?

My colleague Ari Berman has done more than any journalist to shine some light on how pollster-strategist Mark Penn, head honcho at PR giant Burson-Marsteller, and perhaps the most important figure in Hillary Clinton's campaign, poses a real dilemma for the candidate. Penn heads a firm that has represented everyone from union busters to big tobacco, and more recently Blackwater. (According to a Marsteller spokesperson, it was a subsidiary, BKSH & Associates, run by GOP operative Charlie Black, which helped Erik Prince prepare for congressional hearings after his employees killed civilians in Iraq).

It would seem difficult to find a more controversial client than Blackwater but Penn's firm has just been retained by Spin Master.

It turns out that Spin Master distributes Aqua Dots, a toy that was recalled last week because it contains a glue ingredient that when ingested is broken down by the body to make GHB, the "date rape" drug, which can cause unconsciousness and even death. (The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the number of children sickened by Aqua Dots has risen from two to nine in the past week.) Penn has repeatedly stated that he has no direct contact with controversial clients like Blackwater or unionbusters. But what about the good old-fashioned American principles of responsibility and accountability--principles which his candidate likes to invoke on the campaign trail?

As Ari Berman has pointed out, the dilemma for Clinton is that Penn's firm represents many of the interests whose influence she has vowed to curtail. But as kids get sick from poisonous toys, how can Clinton keep in her corner, as her chief strategist, a man who has even limited involvement with a firm like Burson-Marsteller. Isn't it time that Clinton ask Penn to choose: my campaign to make this a safer country or a PR firm which has too many clients undermining that agenda?

Comments (19)

1. ha ha ha! bush/rove...the dem version!

   dont count on her gargantuatude to can this demrove. 50 foot queenie is the rupert murdoch choice for dem interregnum...pass a watered down health care bill, maybe another sucked dry progressive bone or two, so the repugnants wont have to be responsible...then elect another bush and resume unashamed screwing blue of schmuk nation!

   thats our hilly! ah... a new dem (ie - pub calling self dem!)

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/11/2007 @ 7:29pm

2. She won't do it, KVH.

   Unless Penn becomes an "issue" like Hsu, she is going to keep him in her corner.

   Posted by Metteyya at 11/11/2007 @ 8:04pm

3. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

   K-streetville, (to the tune of uneasy frustration):

   K-streetville,

   Oh, K-streetville,

   always loved her,

   always will.

   Money's flowing

   Repub's a-"ho"ing,

   Dem's "no, no"ing*,

   World "uh oh"ing.

   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

   Posted by frosty zoom at 11/11/2007 @ 8:07pm

4. *in jest only.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 11/11/2007 @ 8:07pm

5. Unless Penn becomes an "issue" like Hsu, she is going to keep him in her corner.

   Posted by METTEYYA 11/11/2007 @ 8:04pm

   perhaps its time for mr. berman to do another story on this..."e-mail this to..." everyone on your list? lol...

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/11/2007 @ 8:12pm

6. Perhaps it is indeed high time to make Penn & Burson an issue.

   Burson has for decades been expert in setting up phoney interest groups (e.g. on behalf of "smokers' rights") to lobby & spin for Burson's corporate clients.

   The planted questions now being softballed at HRC are an old Burson-style tactic.

   But it's not only tactical dirtbagging. It's strategic. Corporate clients are well aware of Penn's position with HRC & will be signing up/renewing with Burson to secure access to a HRC administration. They will be making Penn an even richer man & HRC's coffers ever fatter.

   Posted by sloper at 11/11/2007 @ 10:10pm

7. just another proof that hrc is the rightwing elite's democratic interregnum choice...if she gets too uppity they will find some way to obfuscate her presidency...like this penn and burson issue...

   they will let her jam through watered down health care and maybe another dry progresive bone...and then crucify her if she keeps pushing...

   but i'm thinking she's happy with the way things are going, with her daughter's low six figures job (man...ba in history and masters in international studies = low six figures right out of collge!), and after hilly we'll have another bush!

   wonder when chelsea gets married to some bush scion....? hmm...revolving elected monarchy!

   just what american idol nation ordered!

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/11/2007 @ 10:29pm

8. Posted by FRANKGRITS 11/11/2007 @ 11:50pm

   ah, but what a tangled web we weave.........................

   Posted by frosty zoom at 11/12/2007 @ 12:03am

9. More proof that the looney left is running the dem party and wants Hillary to be the next president, right? It is the only FLOGIC-AL conclusion.

   --------------------------

   Posted by FRANKGRITS 11/11/2007 @ 11:50pm

   the ends justify the means, eh Frank? That sounds awfully familiar...

   Posted by crabwalk at 11/12/2007 @ 08:37am

10. Posted by FRANKGRITS 11/11/2007 @ 11:50pm

    At this point, I SERIOUSLY think that Hillary could hire Karl Rove as an advisor...

    and FG would excuse it!

    heheh

    Posted by Mask at 11/12/2007 @ 08:42am

11. Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush...Clinton

    UnAmerican. Bad.

    Without Hillarys help, ChimpCO would not have done 1/2 the things it wanted. She voted for the war, every war bill, the Patriot act and sang Ashcrofts insipid eagle song. A DINO. Beholden to the same interests as ChimpCo, minus most of the American Taliban influence. A small change it would be.

    Posted by crabwalk at 11/12/2007 @ 08:44am

12. If I ask nicely, do you think Maasch would bring me back some Aqua Dots when he visits China again? Sounds like a great product kept out of the US by overburdensome regulation put in place by those that want to kill capitalism.

    Posted by crabwalk at 11/12/2007 @ 08:48am

13. At this point, I SERIOUSLY think that Hillary could hire Karl Rove as an advisor...

    swell idea!! A Win, win for all!

    she could then use him to out secret agents, ruin ongoing operations, subvert democracy, and the no-cons would have to accept it. She could hide all the travel papers she wanted then without the country grinding to a halt till they are found.

    Posted by crabwalk at 11/12/2007 @ 08:54am

14. oh hilly hilly hilly! when you plant stooges in your fako rallies and lie about it its ok! when some irritating schmuk asks you a difficult question and refuses to be snowed or steamrolled...HE'S A PLANT!

    LMAO! clinton...the dem bush!

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 11/12/2007 @ 11:42am

15. A stooge in Hillary's campaign planted the global warming question without Hillary's knowledge.----Posted by FRANKGRITS 11/12/2007 @ 12:59pm |

    So when she's President she'll surround herself with "stooges" who'll do things without her knowledge???

    heheh

    Posted by Mask at 11/12/2007 @ 2:00pm

16. Posted by FROSTY ZOOM 11/11/2007 @ 8:07pm

    Now that there's just funny, I don't care who you are!

    Posted by Dr Decibels at 11/12/2007 @ 2:12pm

17. Posted by DR DECIBELS 11/12/2007 @ 2:12pm

    why, thanks.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 11/12/2007 @ 4:25pm

18. hillary's supporters seem to be the most unthinking of people, in general. real bandwagon types -

    Posted by ZERO 11/12/2007 @ 8:29pm |

    is that why she's the front-runner?

    Posted by frosty zoom at 11/12/2007 @ 9:34pm

19. So, is Mark Penn any relation to Sean? (heh,heh)

    But, really, is it any surprise that Hillbillary has the best hired guns money can buy? She's in it to win it......The real question is, do we really want four more years of Clinton Scandals?

    On the other hand, make that five, they've already started......

    Posted by davebarlett at 11/12/2007 @ 10:52pm