Video Special: Clinton's Strategist On Illegal Immigration

Last night, the Chicago Sun-Times Lynn Sweet had questions about illegal immigration and driver's licenses and Hillary Clinton's position therein. Chief strategist Mark Penn was on hand to answer them. A raw moment from the spin room.

Comments

This is going to be huge for the Clinton campaign. She embodied all of the charges that have been developing in the coverage since the last debate and I think she's going to be hit harder and harder on this issue.

I wonder how long til the driver's liscene question is made into an attack ad?

Posted by Rhoda | October 31, 2007 11:20 AM

That Penn clip is not only raw spin. It's just what Edwards accused Clinton of in the debate: doubletalk.

Posted by Petey | October 31, 2007 11:27 AM

Why is this so difficult to understand? Most middle school students should grasp it.

Because the federal government has done NOTHING about illegal immigration, the states are put in a position of having to search for ways to deal with millions of undocumented people in their borders.

It is perfectly reasonable for Presidential candidate to think that a state idea for some form of driver training and auto insurance is worth considering by the states, without endorsing it as a national campaign platform.

This kindergarten-level binary logic imposed on candidates is what drives people nuts about our political system. A perfect example is Russert to continue badgering Clington after she has "pledged" to do everything in her power to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon. What more can she pledge? Presidents don't have supernatural promises. Heck, Jimmy Carter probably pledged to rescue the hostages in Iran.

Posted by hwc | October 31, 2007 11:38 AM

I really think people are making more of this issue, substantively, than they should. Her comments on the substance of the issue were spot on. What got her into hot water, was her equivocating and posturing on the merits of it. Not the substance, but the equivocation. And for the record, she needs to ask Penn for a partial refund--he did nothing but make this situation worse.

What I'm curious about is why no one is talking about what I think is the biggest issue of the night: her answer on the archives question. I think Obama nailed her on it (in my opinion) and she, as far as I can tell, doesn't have a defensible answer.

Posted by Keith | October 31, 2007 12:20 PM

"And for the record, she needs to ask Penn for a partial refund--he did nothing but make this situation worse."

Yup.

And considering that Mark Penn is doing everything in his power to cost Senator Clinton the nomination, I think the rest of the Democratic Party should be paying his salary out of gratitude.

I mean, seriously, who would've ever thought that hiring a guy who's gotten rich busting unions and advising Blackwater would be a bad idea for a Democratic campaign?

Posted by Petey | October 31, 2007 12:47 PM

Mark Penn, Howard Wolfson, Sandy Berger, Michael O'Hanlon...

The company she keeps.

Posted by Susan in Iowa | October 31, 2007 3:06 PM

What Hillary ought to say is, "Because Rudy attracted millions of illegal immigrants to NYC when he ran it as a sanctuary city, poor Gov. Spitzer is doing the best he can to clean up the mess."

Let's remember that Rudy sued the federal government to allow illegals to collect welfare checks after welfare reform.

Posted by Teresa | October 31, 2007 3:16 PM

Let's remember that Rudy sued the federal government to allow illegals to collect welfare checks after welfare reform.

Great point. let's remember that come general election season. noted.

Posted by d g | October 31, 2007 3:25 PM

Are you kidding me? She has not answered anything. Even if you are an ardent supporter, you had to be disapointed with her performance yesterday. Please don't complain about how the other canidates treated her, because if she would get the nomination, the republicans are going to pound her, Lord knows they will have enough ammunition...

Posted by Fred Crow Jr. | October 31, 2007 6:55 PM

Will al Qaeda members in the USA get their own cards under the Clinton/Spitzer plan ? What about Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah ?
For that matter will there be vanity cards for Sandinistas, Black Panthers, Tupamaros, Basque separatists, Viet Minh, Bosnians, Bohemians, Nihilists, Tamil Tigers, Moors, Ulster Unionists, Nazis, neo-Nazis, Communists, Boxers, Janjaweed, Fedayeen, Underground Railroaders, Vegans, Dead Heads, and Earth First-ers ?

Since the comprehensive dhimmifacation package hasn't been passed by the Congress, the states must step in and take up the matter on their own.

Posted by Neo | November 2, 2007 12:42 AM