The senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly, Joshua Green, thinks some commentators may be too quick in claiming that a political consulting career is over for Mark Penn [3], the CEO of Burson Marsteller [4] and former "chief strategist" for Hillary Clinton [5]'s presidential campaign. Penn has been widely criticized after an internal memo [6] he wrote for the Clinton campaign was recently made public. In it, Penn suggested that Clinton criticize Barack Obama [7]'s "lack of American roots." Penn wrote, "I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values." Obama is reportedly considering Indiana Senator Evan Bayh [8] as a possible [9] vice-presidential running mate. However, Green notes that "for years, Penn and his wife, Nancy Jacobson [10], have been close advisers" to Bayh. If Obama picks Bayh, Green writes, "Penn is right back in the presidential race -- if not in an official capacity, then certainly in a functional one."