(image cred)

WPP Group, parent company of Burson-Marsteller has confirmed that Mark Penn will remain CEO of the global PR agency, PRWeek reports.

Howard Paster, EVP of WPP, said Penn's biggest mistake was the in person meeting with Colombian officials. "If he'd not gone to the embassy, there would have been an appropriate fire wall between him and the client," Paster said. "I think that the error he made was with respect to both the client and the campaign, frankly, because the client got negative publicity - which you never want to do for a client - and it caused the campaign another political problem."

Meanwhile, Barack Obama today told the Wall Street Journal: "Let me put it this way. I'm not surprised that Sen. Clinton found herself in an uncomfortable position...And I know that if staff of mine were in that kind of position, I would get rid of them."