So, is Penn gone, or what? (Answer: what)

The "firing" is looking more and more like a sham.

Mr. Penn took part on the campaign's morning message call this morning, as usual.

This afternoon, he is also scheduled to be on a call with Clinton and other aides to begin to prepare for Saturday's presidential debate in Philadelphia.

Mr. Penn "is still going to be very much involved," a senior campaign official said.

Josh Marshall notes that the Penn firing appears to be about appearances more than any real change, and Politico says, it "likely will portend no dramatic shift in message."

Reading Ambinder, it sounds like he's going to keep doing the same job.

If they're going to keep him around, you'd think they'd at least have the decency to hide him from the press.

Also: Penn's supposedly out of the loop, but there's a new Pa ad out today coming straight out of his "experience" campaign theme.