Obama-supporting union pres says Penn flap exposes 'credibility problem' for Clinton
Nick Juliano
Published: Tuesday April 8, 2008
Barack Obama's campaign is going after rival Hillary Clinton for continuing to seek advice from her former chief strategist who met with representative of the Colombian government on behalf of a trade deal she opposes.
"I think she has a credibility problem," Teamsters president James Hoffa said Tuesday on a conference call convened by the Obama team. Hoffa said reports that Mark Penn, who has lost his title as Clinton's cheif strategist but continues to advise her campaign, met with Colombian representatives about an upcoming free-trade deal between that country and the US undercut Clinton's efforts to paint herself as an opponent to such deals.
Penn's meeting has put Clinton in a sticky spot as Congress prepares to consider a free-trade pact with Columbia being pushed by President Bush. Clinton has said she will vote against the deal, which Hoffa compared to the North American Free Trade Agreement signed into law by former President Bill Clinton.
Hoffa said NAFTA's aftermath is "still devastating America," and he said it is hypocritical for Clinton to continue seeking advice from Penn.
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