Sen. Clinton's "Chief Strategist" takes flack over Colombia

The chief strategist for Hillary Clinton is in hot water with labor over seeming to work both sides of the FTA issue.

Clinton aide sorry for trade meeting

Clinton Strategist Calls Meeting With Colombian Officials on Trade Deal 'Error in Judgment'

NEDRA PICKLER
AP News

Apr 04, 2008 12:07 EST

Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief strategist apologized Friday for meeting with Colombian officials pushing a free trade agreement that the presidential candidate opposes.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the strategist, Mark Penn, met Monday with Colombia's ambassador to the United States. Clinton advisers said Penn's meetings were not connected to the campaign, but part of his job as chief executive of the lobbying and public relations firm Burson-Marsteller Worldwide.

But a Clinton adviser said the candidate was not happy to learn about the meeting, and Penn issued a statement expressing regrets.

"The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it," Penn said in a written statement. "The senator's well-known opposition to this trade deal is clear and was not discussed."

Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said the candidate has not discussed the Colombian deal with Penn.

"Senator Clinton's opposition to the Colombian Trade Deal is clear and she will be voting against it," Singer said.

The Colombian government is trying to secure congressional passage of the agreement signed in 2006 by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the Bush administration.

According to Justice Department filings, Colombia agreed last year to pay Burson-Marsteller $300,000 to help "educate members of the U.S. Congress and other audiences" about the trade deal and secure continued U.S. funding for the $5 billion anti-narcotics program Plan Colombia.

Clinton and her Democratic rival Barack Obama oppose the deal. Clinton told the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO this week that the United States needs new trade policies before it has new trade deals. "That includes no trade deal with Colombia while violence against trade unionists continues in that country," she said.

Penn has come under criticism for other Burson-Marsteller clients, including tobacco giant Philip Morris and corporate clients accused of union-busting activity. While Penn says he does not personally work on any accounts that could be construed as anti-labor, labor leaders including Teamsters president James Hoffa, have publicly expressed concern about his involvement with the campaign.

Penn's political consulting firm, Penn, Schoen & Berland, has been paid $10.8 million so far by Clinton's campaign.

___

On the Net:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com

By Mr. Hollywood on Apr 4, 2008, 17:43 in Friendly Talkzone.

bamacellist says on Apr 4, 2008, 17:55:

Another example of politics preventing government. Why would it be bad to meet and discuss the points of contention? If Clinton were to become president and is sincerely interested in the plight of unionists in Colombia then she should not only have "her people" attending meetings, she should participate herself - take advantage of Uribe's obviously intense desire to have this agreement. If she had a spine she'd say that. They always talk about dialog but that never seems to mean what it implies.

"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."

Frank Rizzo says on Apr 4, 2008, 18:31:

Our new president (one of the dems)....will abandon colombia.....it's not gonna be pretty...

poco says on Apr 4, 2008, 19:05:

Quote: Our new president (one of the dems)....will abandon colombia.....it's not gonna be pretty...

Look at it like this,, plausible deniability.

Paying attention to politics has never resulted in one additional red cent or improved my life. I've found it better to be concerned about the only thing I have control over,, ME.

It is more interesting to observe how folks reconcile their past statements on PBH about the HUGE SAFETY improvement in Colombia with the offiicial statements of the current presidential candidates.

"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov

ellbee2 says on Apr 5, 2008, 09:15:

Poco..wow. You can honestly say you have never benefited from any government policy? Ever go to school/state university? Drive on a highway? Mail a letter? Collect unemployment? Visit your local library? do you plan on collecting your Social Security? You have a voice in these and all government policy, its called a VOTE. Do you eschew this privilege as well?

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going because you might not get there." Yogi Berra

el torcido says on Apr 5, 2008, 13:01:

good luck about that social security.

don't know much about 'conomy

Medellin Traveler says on Apr 5, 2008, 19:33:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/5/01018/58668/686/490543

Medellin Es Una Chimba! - www.medellintraveler.com

juancegomez says on Apr 6, 2008, 07:48:

I'd be more inclined to take Shaun Appleby's article seriously if half of it wasn't just uncritical citations from Al Giordano's questionable opinions and descriptions of Colombia, Uribe or even the situation at large. But I guess context, fairness, accuracy and due process must be alien to some people.

All opinions are valid, but that doesn't mean they can't be distinguished from one another.

It's not like there aren't plenty of other ways to criticize Uribe and to defend (or at least understand) Obama's position, without falling into such mediocrity and anger as I perceive in the cited Giordano piece or even the person who is citing it in the first place.

Clearly, Uribe is the "supreme leader" of paramilitarism...why didn't I realize that before? Oh, it's so obvious...no need for any other questions or details, it's practically an axiom!