MARK PENN AND KAREN HUGHES TEAM UP

[EV_Ares]

MARK PENN AND KAREN HUGHES TEAM UP - WSJ A6, 'Clinton, Bush Advisers Steeped in Crisis Join Forces: Penn and Hughes Also Have Sights Set on Comeback,' by Monica Langley: '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. ...

'The deal was brokered by Robert Barnett, a Washington superlawyer who earlier represented each of them on their books. Mr. Barnett is increasingly a broker between strange bedfellows. He is currently negotiating between the campaigns of Sen. Clinton and likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama over relieving her campaign debt, determining her convention role, and making joint appearances.'

http://www.politico.com/playbook/

[Nite Owl]

1. Bipartisan?

That's what they call right wing and even more right wing these days?

[hatrack]

2. Pardon me while I clean the vomit off my shoes . . .

:eyes:

[endarkenment]

9. you too? must be something going around

[Botany]

3. You can know a person by the company they keep

Karen Hughes along w/ Gonzo & Meirs "cleaned up" bush's TANG records in 1999.

Penn has worked for Blackwater and his company is working for McCain. Penn & company
charged Hillary $18,000,000. for work that Axelrod's firm charged $800,000.

[mod mom]

4. the fact that the Clintons would ever associate with the despicable Penn was a clear indication

of what side they were on-the corporate money party side.

[EV_Ares]

12. Remember this which was on DU back in April:

Mark Penn Has Lunch With Bush Confidant, Karen Hughes.
A longtime Clinton ally compared Mark Penn's ability to hold onto a job in Hillary Clinton's campaign to Donald Rumsfeld's prolonged term atop the Pentagon.

Paul Begala, who worked on Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, expressed contempt for the embattled pollster, who was removed as Clinton's chief strategist last week after news emerged that he was lobbying for a free-trade deal Clinton opposes (Penn continues to work for the campaign). The Huffington Post reports:

"I have nothing but contempt for Mr. Penn," said Begala at a New York City breakfast sponsored by the non-profit group Public Agenda. "And for those of us who wanted to see him out from the beginning, it became almost a Rumsfeldian thing. And he is not even fired. He has been demoted. How could this be?"

Penn was demoted after reports that he was working with the Colombian government to help it secure expanded trade privileges with the US that Sen. Clinton does not support. He remains a top player in Clinton's campaign, despite his demotion, according to several reports.

The kerfuffle that resulted from his meeting with Colombia apparently hasn't dissuaded Penn from taking meetings that could leave questionable impressions. The Washington Post's In The Loop reports he had lunch this week with a former Bush administration official.

Spotted at lunch Wednesday at the pricey D.C. restaurant Il Mulino: Mark Penn, Burson-Marsteller chief and former chief strategist and major player in Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign.

His luncheon companion? None other than Karen P. Hughes, longtime Bush aide, White House counselor and State Department public diplomacy czar. We're told mutual friends arranged this as a "get-to-know-you lunch" while she was in town for a State Department public diplomacy award.

But what would the two PR wizards have discussed? Obviously not politics. Maybe Hughes, who surely would have a number of potential Mideast clients -- despite having had some rocky days over there -- would come work for Penn's firm? Maybe a little chit-chat over their favorite PR strategies? NAFTA?

It's been an open secret for a while that Penn, who joined Team Clinton during Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign, is widely disliked inside the Clinton team, as a recent Washington Post article noted, quoting several unnamed advisers venting about Penn's perceived failures.

One New York adviser quoted in the piece said Penn should have been fired because he "failed the campaign in developing a message and evolving the message as things changed." The article said Begala was among several longtime Clinton allies to "openly despise , and some even nicknamed him 'Schlumbo.'"

link: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Begala_Nothing_but_contem...


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5459938

[mod mom]

14. I missed that one but certainly not surprised. Their association w Penn was one of

the reasons I was such an outspoken opponent of Hillary (and Bill) clinton. The Jackson Stephens connection really pushed me over the edge to the point I would NEVER vote for a ticket that contained another Clinton.

[mwb970]

5. Penn and Sasquatch! A perfect pairing. /nt

[Mist]

7. I think of them as "Pieface" and "Bigfoot." What a dance. Bipartisan like, to coin

an expression, Tweedledum and Tweedldee. Thanks to the poster who reminded me of Penn's Blackwater
connection. What a repellent combo these two are.

[EV_Ares]

13. On DU back in April:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5459938

[babylonsister]

6. Why are all of Clinton's supporters veering to the right so drastically?

Beats me. They ARE Dems, no?

[polmaven]

11. Please, please, PLEASE!

STOP!!!

"All of Clinton's supporters" are NOT "drastically" veering to the right!

The primaries are OVER! Can we PLEASE stop bashing Senator Clinton and "all" of her supporters?

The focus really needs to be getting Senator Obama elected president, not continuing with the primary wars.

[babylonsister]

15. You're right.

I meant her consultants. I've heard about Wolfson, Penn, and Lanny Davis going to Faux/the dark side. That's who I meant, not her supporters, though they are. :hide:

[Submariner]

8. Please! No more subject lines inferring sex with Karen Hughes

YUCHHHH!

[sui generis]

10. Isn't hughes a former talking head news anchor?

How on earth is she qualified to advise anyone on anything other than reading a teleprompter?

She's a first class nut job, and a suppurating boiled corn on the collective butt of journalism. I would suggest that she got her position by promising NOT to try to sleep her way to the top, which would actually be sexist, but only if you're talking about humans. She nasty to the bone.

[Muttocracy]

16. just saw this on a Hardball clip. yuck. nt