Mark Penn: Yuk

Disclaimer, I am an Obama supporter, though not one of those crazy ones. I'm still reasonably rational.

I don't know how many people watch Tweety every afternoon, but I must humbly submit that I do, especially after a debate. The good thing is that I am wise enough to think for myself (no matter anyone else may say) and can see through anyone's BS in the MSM. Thanks, fellow Kossacks and, unfortunately, law school.

However, how many people out there saw the Tweety-fed debate between Axelrod, Penn, and Trippi? My impressions? Axelrod: happy and comfortable. Trippi- wanting to be on the screen. but uncomfortable because he stood next to: Penn.

Mark Penn Hardball

Thanks for the find, C Mac. My internets is acting up tonight.

And Mark Penn's demeanor, to me, ranked with the worst bullies and arrogrant pricks I have ever come acrossed in my lifetime.

Aside from the usual fake smile and laugh (as if in a superiority fueled, "oh you kids" mentality), Penn exuded just the kind of attitude that enfuriated me in my life in the army, and now in my life as I judge the merits of particular politicians.

This is much worse than the familiar "sighs" from 2000, or the "cackle," for that manner.

Penn genuinely seemed to ooze negativity and bad things by his reactions to the other two, his blatant attempts to mischaracterize criticisms and attacks, and, of course, his utilization of the ultimate bully line when his hands are caught in the cookie jar: "He did it first!"

How could Hillary have hired this guy as her strategist?

Anybody else disgusted by what they saw?

Alot can be said about a person by the company they keep, no doubt. If I were a better writer, I know I could further capitalize on this. Unfortunately, I have finals, and neither the time and inclination to go into it more. Cheers... (with a very bummed look and saddened outlook after what was, in my mind, a very productive and positive dialogue from earlier)

•  I cannot disagree.

  It was a pitiful display.

  by beemerr90s on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:22:24 PM PDT

  •  I assume

    Mark Penn, and not my writing. Ok, back to finals.

    by Angry Vet on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:23:49 PM PDT

    •  Tweety, Penn, And Co. - Ready To Play Oddball!

      Silly Rabbit, you should have known!

      by leonard145b on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:27:42 PM PDT

    •  I watched it and I totally agree with you.

      When Joe Trippi was talking, Penn had the most repulsive smirk on his face that I've ever seen--worse than Bush's.  He radiates slime.  This is actually the first time I've seen the guy too.  I don't know how I've avoided it for so long.

      by Boston Boomer on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:40:41 PM PDT

      •  He's like Cheney

        He prefers to work under cover of darkness. Now you know why.

        by carolita on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:34:34 PM PDT

  •  Really does not do well on TV for his client

    Maybe he's good at something, but they should keep him off TV.

    by ljm on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:38:06 PM PDT

    •  None of them did well for his client

      only tweety with his biased show will win in the end for his client - talking about a Yukfest today! With the same old punditry present... The writing is on the wall. In huge letters.

      btw. These three Dem campaign managers, attacking each other, smirking everytime the other one spoke: a disgrace. This did not happen like this in 2004.

      tweety must have had a fieldday laughing his head off - cause that is exactly what he wants from them: He feeds them the lines, they oblige and fight each  other and look silly in the process.

      Pretty sad. But unfortunately they fall for it ... over and over again.

      by FelisRufus on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 10:15:45 PM PDT

  •  Well, frankly,

    If I had to submit to a live interview by Tweety I'd get an attitude with that guy too.  Seriously he's asking them all stupid gotcha questions trying to start something and it's usually a matter of rolling your eyes at Tweety without actually rolling your eyes.

    by daria g on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:47:37 PM PDT

•  agreed

  I don't understand how some people are allowed on camera in politics.  I've never read anything that leads me to believe Penn is a particularly excellent campaigner.

  But on camera he's often painful to watch.  Tonight he was downright ugly.  I appreciated that Trippe called him out on it.

  by gossamer on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:24:33 PM PDT

  •  Me too n/t

    by Independant Man on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:33:38 PM PDT

  •  I had never seen him before tonight

    I had only read about his profits from union-busting.
    He looked exactly like the slimeball I thought he was.
    Scary, isn't it.

    by herding old cats on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:21:46 PM PDT

    •  First time I've seen him as well

      It's like Chris Lehane, just don't give these guys power and put them on TV.

      by ljm on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:39:09 PM PDT

•  any vid?

  by Number5 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:24:41 PM PDT

•  Watching Tweety's Psycho Rants

  On Hillary, spitting and drooling on himself and anyone within 15 feet, I really didn't notice the rest. Tweetster is a psycho. He has really lost control.

  by Ky DEM on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:25:05 PM PDT

  •  ...

    You should check out your candidate's campaign manager. Working on the video.

    by Angry Vet on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:29:07 PM PDT

•  Ben Smith (Politico) has video...

  Here

  by C Mac on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:28:25 PM PDT

  •  Wow

    Yuk is right. Thanks for the vid.

    Trippi's face says it all.

    by Number5 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:40:28 PM PDT

  •  Mark Penn REALLY

    comes off as a complete and utter slimeball. I would be embarrassed to have him represent me...especially on camera (the look that Trippi gave him was priceless)!

    Fight the good fight...

    by carolinadreamer on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:44:33 PM PDT

•  Indeed. Howard Wolfson too.

  There are many reasons why I cannot vote for Hillary in the primaries on a policy basis (Iraq, Iran and Cuba weighing most heavily), but it was my early experiences with these sanctimonious pricks that made me realize that her judgment was significantly impaired in choice of council.

  Axelrod/Trippi vs Penn/Wolfson is like Toby Ziegler vs Bruno Gianelli. Empathy vs brutality.

  by Maxwell on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:29:35 PM PDT

  •  Counsel, that is. n/t

    by Maxwell on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:30:34 PM PDT

•  Penn was a

  snarling, pit bull.. complete asshole. Trippi wanted to clobber him and no jury would convict him even if it was on national tv.

  Penn was the embodiment of the HRC spirit.

  by Hawkjt on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:29:41 PM PDT

•  I diaried this earlier

  but don't mind seeing another one.  Penn needs to beb locked in a room with his polling data and not let out until December 2008.

  by concernednyer2005 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:32:28 PM PDT

  •  Sorry...

    Didn't see it. Ok, really now, I need to get back to work.

    by Angry Vet on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:34:37 PM PDT

    •  No need to apologize

      He was so bad I would not mind if we had 100 diaries on this so the campaign would stop allowing him to be on TV, radio, and in the papers.

      by concernednyer2005 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:39:30 PM PDT

  •  Why not let him out?

    I assume you're afraid people will see the HRC campaign for the way it really operates?

    If HRC wants to do something about Mark Penn's bad attitude and contempt for rank-and-file Democrats, the action she should take is simple: fire his ass.

    by cville townie on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 10:02:32 PM PDT

•  The thing that was so disgusting about Penn

  was his arrogance.  He denied engaging in slimy tactics as he repeatedly raised the Shaheen comments in the next breath.  And all through the segment, he had this wry smile on his face, kind of like the Pat character from SNL (the one you couldn't figure out if he/she was male or female.  As a matter of fact, he sort of looked like the character.

  by lordcopper on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:36:07 PM PDT

  •  The republicans are full of people like him...

    One of the traits that makes a democrat a democrat is that they DON'T act like Penn.

    I wonder if it would be just as easy for him to work for a repub if they doubled his salary.  My guess would be yes.

    by gooderservice on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:18:44 PM PDT

    •  With the job he's doing, they can have him.

      by lordcopper on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:27:27 PM PDT

    •  Maybe he admires Rove

      I sure hope they don't come up with a reality TV show for wannabe Roves.  That's what it looked like today on Hardball to me.

      by ljm on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:40:14 PM PDT

  •  What a smirk he had!

    And was anyone watching Joe Trippi's expressions?
    To me, he started with disbelief, as if he could not believe the level of BS he was hearing. He looked at Penn a few times, shook his head, in fact, I was hoping for an eye-roll or two and a jack-off gesture.  But it seems that Trippi is cleverer than that, he lasted through the whole segment without anything worse than an incredulous look and a head-shake (more in grief than in anger, no doubt!).
    It struck me that Trippi's reactions to Mark Penn were a great campaign message.  And they did not spend a single dime!

    by herding old cats on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:43:33 PM PDT

    •  I'm afraid not..

      Trippi was on there to talk about his candidate and he should have fought for more air time, that's really the only reason he was there.

      by daria g on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:57:19 PM PDT

      •  Everyone smirked. Trippi smirked.

        He has a hard time getting his thoughts expressed. And that is nothing new.

        As tweetie's good old MSNBC buddy he relies on him to give him a break. That does happen rarely. Trippi has never done a good job on TV and I am talking fighting for the the liberal cause and Dems during the last four years.

        Paired up with a ringhtwinger, he loses because never got a word in edgewise and backs off too easily.

        I don't know if it is job security or not on his part. But I know it is v. frustrating to watch.  

        by FelisRufus on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 10:27:40 PM PDT

•  "35 years of experience"

  Someone from her campaign actually said it. They've been intimating this nonsense for a couple of weeks, without actually using the word "experience". This is laughable. I have 35 years of experience too, and most of it is just as useless as Clinton's so-called "experience" in running for the highest office in the land.  

  by jhecht on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:45:58 PM PDT

  •  "35 years of experience"

    Is not the same as the same year, repeated 35 times -  or the same 7 years, repeated 5 times, which is closer to Senator Clinton's experience base.
    You get the idea.

    by herding old cats on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:11:17 PM PDT

•  Obama supporter here...

  I watched it on the 7pm show...thought of starting a diary here, then thought no one else was watching.

  Axelrod was OK, nothing great, did his job.

  I actually thought Trippi came out the best, even though the strategy was obvious.  He was quite a contrast to Penn.  I don't think I've ever actually seen Mark Penn on TV before.  If this is the face of the Clinton campaign, she's in serious trouble.

  I don't care for Clinton, but to be fair and honest, Chris Matthews is really over the top with his hatred for her.  I mean, I often agree with some of the things he says, but he is supposed to be a journalist while I'm just a guy on a keyboard.  What do the HRC supporters here think of Matthews?  Just curious.

  by HoyaLawDem on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:46:16 PM PDT

  •  Good luck

    on finals. Int'l law for me tomorrow, but I'm fired up. Cheers!

    by Angry Vet on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:54:33 PM PDT

    •  where you at??

      G-Town???

      by HoyaLawDem on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:57:01 PM PDT

      •  Nah

        Not that special. This angry vet only made it into Hamline, in Saint Paul, MN. Well, at least it's accredited. And it's getting me in the State Dept. Cheers!

        by Angry Vet on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:02:08 PM PDT

        •  it's all the same degree at the end

          and BTW, I have int'l law next thursday.  Fun times!

          by HoyaLawDem on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:06:14 PM PDT

          •  RIght on

            Of course that's pretty easy for you to say, coming from GTown. But you're right. And I still get the job I always wanted.

            Plus, it beats the hell outta the Army.

            by Angry Vet on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:08:47 PM PDT

            •  Good luck, all you angry and non-angry vets

              on your finals.
              I took my last final in 1982, and if I ever take another one, it will be too soon.
              I hope you all ace them!

              by herding old cats on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:14:44 PM PDT

  •  Chris Matthews

    A pitbull on the pant leg of inanity.

    by daria g on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:58:35 PM PDT

    •  Absolutely. Yuk ... your name is tweety.

      by FelisRufus on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 10:28:46 PM PDT

•  He also takes Blackwater's blood money

  I can't believe Hillary is associated with this creep. And even worse, that they let him appear in public.

  The company you keep, indeed.

  by Pompatus on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:46:39 PM PDT

  •  Yup, Senator Edwards pointed that out...

    http://abcnews.go.com/...

    by HoyaLawDem on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:08:44 PM PDT

•  I saw just a few minutes of it...

  but I was totally grossed out by Mark Penn.  His demeanor itself -- even on MUTE -- was disgusting.  Body language says a lot about a person, and he looked like someone I would NOT want representing ME!  Hillary's choices are so hard to understand... and they don't inspire confidence.  At least they don't inspire me.

  by gfre on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:47:25 PM PDT

•  Penn makes me want to vomit.

  And Wolfson makes me want to beat the crap out of him.

  by Just This on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:49:28 PM PDT

•  Jabba the Penn

  He looks like a George Lucas villain.
  Acts like one, too.

  by steelman on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:51:18 PM PDT

  •  He looks and acts

    like Christopher Hitchens, without the charm.

    by Number5 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:54:51 PM PDT

•  Penn will ultimately cost Hillary the nomination

  Hillary will NOT be the Democratic nominee for President and for that she can thank Mark Penn.

  by davefromqueens on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:51:28 PM PDT

•  Classic moment in the clip that was posted

  Go to 5:45, see the look on Trippi's face as Penn tries to spin his pile of crap.  Classic.

  by HoyaLawDem on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 07:53:43 PM PDT

•  Occupational prerequisite

  Mark Penn's demeanor, to me, ranked with the worst bullies and arrogrant pricks I have ever come across

  It's an occupational prerequisite for a union-buster.

  by ActivistGuy on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:02:49 PM PDT

  •  Good point.

    by Angry Vet on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:03:38 PM PDT

•  Mark Penns pores exude negativity thats

  Appalling!
  Its almost rovian!

  by wuod kwatch on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:18:57 PM PDT

•  what a piece of trash (n/t)

  by oscarfrye on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:33:13 PM PDT

•  That was unbelievable

  And it explains a lot of why her campaign has sucked so bad.  I've wondered about that guy for a while.  All the worst parts of her campaign seem to be embodied in him, and you're description did not seem unfair.  

  If you want to talk about 'electability,' going to the GE with that dude running the Democrat's campaign is freaking terrifying.  She should can him immediately because he seems very good at bringing out the very worst in his candidate.  I cannot imagine what she was thinking in hiring him.  It doesn't reflect well on her ability to delegate to have chosen Penn for such an important role.  

  Then again, he may save the party by tanking Hillary now and allowing us to avoid that whole mess in the GE.  Either way, that was some amazing television for political junkies.  It should be linked here on kos if anyone can do it.  

  Oh, and I enjoyed Trippi standing next to Penn, rolling his eyes at every bit of doublespeak.  I thought he was funny and did a good job in that situation.  Axelrod of course is the master.  He's running a dynamite campaign and thinks on his feet like a stump politician himself.  

  by Sun dog on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:37:33 PM PDT

  •  Good comment

    Thanks. I enjoyed your perspective.

    by Angry Vet on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:47:15 PM PDT

•  Mark Penn is a hired gun.

  He would work for Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich if they hired him for more than what Hillary is paying him now. And the thing about him is that he is totally amoral -- he just doesn't seem to have a conscience at times. Expect him to become a hack columnist after he gets done working for Hillary similar to Dick Morris.

  by Eternal Hope on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:44:34 PM PDT

•  Penn is the soul of the HRC campaign

  And McAuliffe is the business manager.

  Caveat emptor.

  by Dump Terry McAuliffe on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:56:37 PM PDT

•  Mark Penn is complete garbage

  which is an insult to garbage.  He really is a true Rethug like Joe W Lieberbush.

  For the first time in this campaign, IMO, HRC is no longer a favorite.  If she wants to win this race, she should fire Mark Penn immediately.  

  Who to replace him?  Maybe Bill Clinton.

  by IhateBush on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:24:19 PM PDT

•  Secure elections

  Do we have electronically secure elections now????

  Just wondering.  I think many politicians, either side, wouldn't have a problem with a hack if it leads to power.

  by Jagger on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:30:41 PM PDT

•  Unbelievable

  that they let that guy get in front of a television camera. If I were Hillary I would keep him locked in the basement and just go down and get the poll numbers every couple of hours.

  by pragprogress on Fri Dec 14, 2007 at 12:38:37 AM PDT

•  Very accurate description

  by Paleo on Fri Dec 14, 2007 at 07:25:15 AM PDT