Despite Differing Views on Trade, Hillary Vows Not To Muzzle Bill

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

ALQUIPPA, PA. -- During a press conference today, Hillary Clinton said that despite the fact that she and her husband have different views on trade issue, she respects his decision to speak out about it.

“This is a great debate,” Clinton said, “There are two sides to this debate, you know, it is not a hundred to nothing.” Clinton echoed a statement put out by her campaign yesterday where she points out that its common for married couples to disagree on issues.

“I have a long record of being on a different attitude on trade than my husband does. I don’t think any married couple I know agrees on everything and we disagree on this,” Clinton said at the press conference.

News reports began showing up on the Internet yesterday stating that former President Bill Clinton had accepted money on behalf of the Colombian government in order to promote a free trade deal. His wife has been an outspoken critic of the deal, primarily because union workers, a strong base of support for the Democratic party, claim the deal will make it easier for corporations to ship jobs outside the U.S.

“You know very credible people who care very deeply for this country who have a commitment to improving the economy for working people, have a different view, so that’s what debates are about and we’re going to have a chance to step up and vote on it and I intend to step up and vote on it as I have said I would,” said Clinton.

Clinton was also asked about the recent sacking of Mark Penn as chief strategist, someone who has worked with the Clintons for years, but was a source of controversy for the campaign in many ways.

Most recently, Penn who works for Burson-Marsteller, set up meetings with Colombian officials to discuss the pending free trade agreement, a move that angered Clinton and her staff. But despite Penn’s blunder, he remains an adviser to Clinton who was asked to explain Penn’s role in her campaign.

“His firm continues to provide polling and advice, but he is no longer chief strategist,” she answered.

Clinton added, “there wasn’t any connection between my campaign and with what he did with his independent business capacity.”