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Hillary and Aqua Dots
November 09, 2007 1:30 PM
Last month, former Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, assailed Mark Penn -- the chief campaign strategist for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY -- comparing him to Bush strategist (and Democratic boogieman) Karl Rove. (LINK)
"We don't want to replace a group of corporate Republicans with a group of corporate Democrats," Edwards said, referring to the fact that Penn, worldwide president and CEO of Burson-Marsteller, had connections to controversial military contractor Blackwater.
Burson's lobbying subsidiary BKSH helped Blackwater's top executive, Erik Prince, prepare for his congressional testimony.
Now comes news -- first reported by our friend Marc Ambinder (LINK) -- that Clinton's chief strategist is now going to make some money off the Aqua Dots tragedy (LINK).
Burson's new client is Spin Master Toys, which distributes the toy beads, coated with a chemical that when ingested metabolizes into gamma hydroxy butyrate, better known as the "date rape" drug.
Two kids in the US who swallowed Aqua Dots went into non-responsive comas, though both have since emerged. Aqua Dots have been pulled from the shelves.
A Burson official tells me that "Mark has never had any contact with this client. We have thousands of clients around the world and this is one of them."
The Clinton campaign hasn't yet responded to requests for comment.
-- jt
November 9, 2007 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (5)
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I think Americans accept some forms of lobbying, as a way for a group of people with a cause, who are uninitiated in the ways of DC, to get their voices heard. You know where the AARP, the NAACP, and the ACLU are coming from. But the big firms, who will beg, borrow, or buy votes for anyone--crooked or clean--are rightfully suspect in most Americans' minds. Hillary's having so many top dogs from those outfits in her inner circle is troubling. It doesn't mean she loves Aqua-dots or Blackwater--true--but it shows that she's in tight with the fat cats who sell their love. If Hillary's fundraisers were from Planned Parenthood--fine--she's pro-choice. If Romney's were from the Christian Coalition--fine--he's pro-life. Hillary has chosen some fat-cat lobbyists who sell their loyalties--glaring examples of what most Americans don't like about Washington, D.C. I think Edwards may have a point here.
Posted by: SteveW | Nov 9, 2007 10:38:30 PM
Got to agree with DKNY on this one. This is not news.
The Aqua Dot story may have many more chapters, If Spin Master Toys spends less on the investigation and retribution to customers then they spend on manufacturing a better reputation they should be toasted.
Posted by: flyover | Nov 9, 2007 7:06:56 PM
Ok first DKNY if we take what you say at its worth, Well Rudy got hammered for it by the press, why isn't Czar Hilary hit the same way?
But the truth here is Pennis not a PR firm when he is her strategist! who will follow her into the white house if God Forbid she wins!
Hey but it is nothing compared with her other criminal alliances such as Shu, Soro's, china, PLO, etc....
Posted by: spock | Nov 9, 2007 3:24:18 PM
So the firm that does PR for Hillary Clinton also does PR work for a toy manufacturer. Stop the presses. This "news" is as irrelevant as the "news" that Giuliani's law firm represented some bad corporate citizens. I hear Clinton's dentist also once cleaned the teeth of a lobbyist.
Posted by: DKNY | Nov 9, 2007 2:00:50 PM
Hey Clinton justs wants more patients for her socialized Medicine. Hey she even wrote in her papers to get socialized Healthcare start with the children.
Stop the Socialists NOW!!!! IMPEACH all DEMOCRATS and Their Enablers!!
Posted by: spock | Nov 9, 2007 1:36:50 PM
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