Mark J. Penn quit his role as chief strategist for the Clinton campaign on Sunday after months of dissatisfaction with his performance and a recent conflict of interest involving his corporate work. Although rumors of his firing had circulated for months, it was another stunning upheaval in a struggling campaign that has already had one staff shakeup.The immediate trigger for Penn's departure was a meeting he held last week with the Colombian ambassador to the United States to advocate for a free trade agreement that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton opposes. Penn held the meeting in his capacity as chief executive officer for the public relations giant Burson-Marsteller -- and it underscored the tricky nature of his effort to play both corporate executive and a political adviser over the last year.
Senator Clinton was "disappointed that the meeting had occurred," a senior Clinton adviser said, reiterating the candidate's opposition to the deal.
But there were underlying tensions between Penn and other Clinton advisers from the outset, and they escalated with each of her defeats. Critics complained that Penn was too data-driven and obstinate, blaming him for the failure to "humanize" Clinton in the early days of the race. Although he wrote the "3 a.m." advertisement, arguably the most renowned ad of the campaign to date and one that helped propel her to victory in the Ohio and Texas primaries, Penn faced overwhelming opposition from senior Clinton advisers, particularly Harold Ickes and Howard Wolfson.