From Newsday …
Even if reports that Hillary Clinton will acknowledge Barack Obama has enough votes to win, one man is urging her to stay in it.
Former top strategist Mark Penn, reviled by many on Hillary’s staff but still an important voice in the candidate’s ear, has emerged (to no one’s surprise) as the strongest advocate of her remaining in the race regardless of what happens in the next 24 hours, according to sources inside the campaign.
In contrast to the “realist faction” (which reportedly includes Penn’s replacement Geoff Garin, communications chief Howard Wolfson and others), Penn is advising the Clintons to remain in the race through the convention — just in case another Rev. Wright-type scuffle breaks out.
His argument: Suspend the campaign if you must, but don’t end it, because all those Obama supers will flock to Hillary if more dirt on O emerges before the convention.
Really, on several levels, this is no surprise. Whatever bad blood there still may be between the rival camps, Garin, Wolfson and pretty much everyone else I can think of on that campaign are Democrats. On every level of meaning of the word. Except Penn.
I don’t just mean that in a pejorative sense but more in a descriptive one. He has no attachment to the Democratic party or really anything it stands for, even by a very broad definition. He works for the Clintons. He’s got his corporate clients. But that’s basically it. From the standpoint of his allegiances, it’s actually a logical call.
Late Update: For the record, Penn himself sends in the following via email to TPM: “Story is just not accurate and I can’t disclose what advice I did give or options I outlined.”
