Penn Exits Clinton Campaign

As I predicted, Mark Penn, the senior strategist for the Clinton campaign would either be asked to leave or he would resign. There really was no other choice after he made the colossal mistake of meeting with Colombian officials to assist in their position on free trade while Senator Clinton has expressed her opposition to NAFTA. http://thepage.time.com/2008/04/06/mark-penn-ousted/

Maggie Williams the Clinton campaign manager made the short announcement. She indicated that communications director Howard Wolfson and Democratic pollster Geoff Garin would assume his duties. However, the firm Mark and Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates would continue to aid the campaign. It appears this is a firm that Mark Penn has some ownership in and if Senator Clinton wants to make a clean break, her campaign will need to sever these ties as well.

It has been reported for some time that campaign advisers did not like Mark Penn and had been urging Clinton to fire him from the campaign. Whether he left on his own accord or not is irrelevant at this point. What's important for Senator Clinton is for her position on the issues be clear of any conflict of interest which is why she also needs to separate her campaign from his company.

This may be a move made too late in her campaign for the democratic party nomination for president or a move made just in time to help salvage her nomination. Time will tell.

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