A Straw In The Wind For Sestak

The official White House talking points on the mysterious Sestak job offer have been released.  The gist - they never discussed Secretary of the Navy with Sestak, the chosen emissary was Bill Clinton, and the "jobs" were unpaid advisory board positions which would have allowed Sestak to raise his profile and keep his House seat.  Early press coverage (contra some later stuff) does suggest that the contact with Sestak was indirect, so the Clinton connection may actually be the truth (or at least part of it).  And Sestak was a Hillary supporter, so one presumes a Clinton bond was forged during the Clinton Administration when Sestak was on the NSC.

Now, Bill Clinton is not "the White House", so recent Politico coverage such as this becomes puzzling:

Rep. Joe Sestak, winner of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, is refusing to provide more information on what job he was offered by a White House official to drop of that race, although he confirmed again that the incident occurred.

The White House was backing incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) in the primary. Sestak acknowledged in an interview in February that he was offered a position by an unnamed White House official - a potential violation of federal law - but has not offered any specifics on conversation.

So why do they think the job offer came from a White House official?  I am not going to be able to track down every utterance of Sestak, but he was a bit vague in his "bombshell" interview with Larry Kane and my understanding is that he has not advanced the story since them.  Here is some early coverage from Feb 20, 2010 which tilts Sestak's way:

In the face of a White House denial, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak stuck to his story yesterday that the Obama administration offered him a "high-ranking" government post if he would not run against U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary.

"I was asked a direct question . . . and I answered it honestly," Sestak said in a Fox News interview. "There's nothing more to go into."

Sestak made his startling claim Thursday during the taping of Comcast Network's Larry Kane: Voice of Reason, a public affairs show televised on Sunday evenings.

"Were you ever offered a federal job to get out of this race?" Kane asked near the end of the 30-minute interview.

"Yes," Sestak answered.

"Was it Navy secretary?" Kane asked.

"No comment," Sestak replied.

In response to follow-up questions from the host, Sestak said the job was offered by the White House. He also nodded when asked if the offer was for a high-ranking post.

Here is the Fox coverage; it sounds like a windy "no comment, but if someone could find that Fox transcript and dump it in the comments that would be lovely. 

Let's note that nodding when asked if the job was offered by the White House is not the same as saying the offer came from a White House official; if Clinton met him as a White House emissary, Sestak's response would have been reasonable.  We also note this:

The Washington Post reported yesterday [link] that Sestak, in a separate interview Thursday about White House pressure, said, "There has been some indirect means in which they were trying to offer things if I got out."

And the initial Philadelphia Inquirer coverage was more clear about the haziness of the contact:

After yesterday's taping, Sestak said he recalled the White House offer coming in July, as he was preparing to formally announce his Senate candidacy in August. He declined to identify who spoke to him or the job under discussion. Sestak also would not say whether the person who approached him worked for the administration or was an intermediary for the offer.

"I'm not going to say who or how and what was offered," Sestak said in an interview. "I don't feel it's appropriate to go beyond what I said," because the conversation was confidential.

Well, Sestak didn't say it was not a White House official.  But it was clever of him to leave the door open for Clinton even last February.

As I read this, Sestak told the WaPo that the approach was indirect; he was vague with everyone else, but (at least initially) does not seem to have claimed that the approach came directly from a White House official.

All helpful for the Dems, and one can see why Sestak wants to leave his former C-in-C out of it.

Comments

[matt]

sounds like they got everyone in a room and someone said, "repeat after me".

[Jane]

I wonder if that was the only job offer.

[Rob Crawford]

the "jobs" were unpaid advisory board positions which would have allowed Sestak to raise his profile and keep his House seat

Which would still be against the law.

[Rob Crawford]

The scary thing is, I can almost hear one of them saying, "Wait, you mean the law doesn't exclude unpaid positions? And even making the offer through a third party is illegal?"

These people are so unbelievably corrupt. They really don't get that the laws apply to them.

[Porchlight]

Why on earth would they need to bring in Slick to offer an unpaid position? It makes no sense. Clinton can't offer SecNav (as I understand it), and wouldn't be needed to offer a lesser position.

[Jane]

Actually my guess is it never occurred to Obama that it was against the law. I often say that having Obama president is like having me president. I wouldn't know that was against the law, and I'm a lawyer. Now in my case it would be because it never occurred to me and in Obama's case it would be because he has always done it this way.

I want to know what happened in the Rominoff case.

Also yesterday Chris Matthews was gushing about how close O and Hillary are these days, and it was such a wonderful partnership he has with the CLintons - so there is more to this than meets the eye.

As I said in the other thread, maybe there is a deal to dump Biden for her in 2012.

[Rob Crawford]

As I said in the other thread, maybe there is a deal to dump Biden for her in 2012.

Exchanging one fabulist for another.

[Jane]

Actually it is quite brilliant when you think about it. It could get Obama re-elected and would position Hillary perfectly for 2016. Of course by then there would be no country left to govern, but c'est la vie.

[Cecil Turner]

No transcript, but here's the video from that FOX interview; doesn't add much. I found this statement from the WH interesting. It convincingly suggests the SecNav job was already filled at the time.

[Janet hates Obamacare & Obamadebt]

The big picture up on Drudge now is the ear guy and the nose guy. All they need is a throat guy & they've got a medical practice.

[Cecil Turner]

And hey, does it bug anyone else that Sestak wears that summer weight flight jacket around with his civvies? (Seems like he's wearing it in practically every video.) That'd be a uniform violation back when I was in, and even moreso for a retiree. Factor in the fact that he's a politician engaged in political activity (by definition), and I find it totally inappropriate.

[Ignatz]

--And hey, does it bug anyone else that Sestak wears that summer weight flight jacket around with his civvies?--

Bugs me when any politician of either party does it.

[Tom Maguire]

It convincingly suggests the SecNav job was already filled at the time.

In an Update to an earlier post I noted another possible obstacle - Sestak would have needed to be out of the military for five years before he was eligible for that slot (I have not confirmed that). So *if* it was discussed, it would have been in the context of Mabus keeping the seat warm until July 2010, then Sestak moving in where he could resume his dreadful relationship with Mullen, who got him canned.

That is a lot of work to antagonize Mullen.

[BB Key]

Does anybody think that Sestak, Clinton, Rham and Gibbs will be pounded on by the media the way Libby, Rove, Fleischer and McClellan were?

[Porchlight]

Actually my guess is it never occurred to Obama that it was against the law.

That's what I think, too. He's used to having his Chicago fixers come and smooth over his tracks, so he just went ahead and did what he wanted and never paid attention beyond gratifying his immediate political needs.

[MJW]

NRO has some interesting comments on this issue. One concerned the statement:

Uncompensated Advisory Board Options. We found that, as the Congressman has publicly and accurately stated, options for Executive Branch service were raised with him. Efforts were made in June and July of 2009 to determine whether Congressman Sestak would be interested in service on a Presidential or other Senior Executive Branch Advisory Board, which would avoid a divisive Senate primary, allow him to retain his seat in the House, and provide him with an opportunity for additional service to the public in a high-level advisory capacity for which he was highly qualified. The advisory positions discussed with Congressman Sestak, while important to the work of the Administration, would have been uncompensated.

The comment observed that the statement doesn't necessarily say that the advisory positions were the only "options for Executive Branch service" offered to Sestak.

There's a well-know supreme court decision, Bronston v. U.S., holding that a literally true non-responsive answer with a false negative implication is not perjury. In the case, a witness was asked if he had a Swiss bank account. He answered, "The company had an account there for about six months, in Zurich." That was true, but what he didn't say was that he also had a personal Swiss bank account. Is the WH statement a similarly artful dodge? I assume that, unlike the prosecutor in Bronston, someone will ask the WH and Sestak the obvious follow-up questions. If they refuse to expand on the statement, the answer is likely that it is a dodge.

[daddy]

">http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_682520.html"> This Pittsburgh-Trib story from last week tells us that Sestak and Rahm go way back:

"Lapp said Sestak came highly recommended by Lapp's then-boss, Rahm Emanuel, former DCCC chairman and now Obama's chief of staff. Sestak and Emanuel got to know each other over lunches during the Clinton administration." (@2006.)

So why doesn't Rahm just ask his good lunch buddy himself. It's almost as if he wanted some distance or deniability or something.

Second question. Clinto says " I knew you'd say no and not accept the offer. I don't believe any of this at all, but let's suspend belief and accept this on its face as true. What if Sestak had answered,

"Yes, I'll accept some kind of offer, keep talking?"

Well Mister Clinton, obviously being a smart guy and all, you had obviously thought that through, so what was your game-plan to answer that.

And further Mister Clinton, knowing from personal experience that Sestak and the White House Chief of Staff were good lunch buddies and had been good lunch buddies for years, can you tell us why they asked you to offer the position instead of themselves? Why would the guy who has the ability to offer the job not have offered the job himself?

[Cecil Turner]

That is a lot of work to antagonize Mullen.

Yeah, doesn't make much sense. But then, neither does an unpaid advisory position sound like a reasonable proffer. (Especially with a former POTUS as go-between.) It's a headscratcher.

[Jane says obamasucks]

Is the WH statement a similarly artful dodge?

Oh I would put money on it. Some reporter needs to Sestak if there were any other job offers from anyone.

[Toby Petzold]

This business about the advisory position being unpaid and allowing Sleestak to keep his House seat is irrelevant. The code is clear and these people committed felonies. What else is there to say? I can't WAIT for Sleestak to confirm the details!

This may be what we were needing, folks. Maybe we can save the Republic after all.

Remember: loyalty to Obama is treason to America.

[fdcol63]

You'd think they'd have learned to cover their tracks better after l'Affair de Blago.

[fdcol63]

I'm picturing Sleezie wearing a blue dress. LOL

[Rick Ballard]

There is always the slim possibility that Sestak had (and has) a rather elevated view of his own importance. He's the Pelosi sidekick who voted for everything she asked and he's the candidate able to do the most damage to the people of PA from '10-'16 if they're dumb enough to vote for him to represent them as Senator.

I'd just as soon leave it as "Sestak probably turned down a bribe from an administration which will prove to be dirtier than Clinton's." After a complete ethics investigation handled within Congress, of course. There's really no rush - let 'em take a year or so to issue a report.

[Bill Clinton]

I did not have sex with that Congressman

[Melinda Romanoff]

I would caution that the flip side of this story is that the WH was trying to torpedo Sestak's run in return for saying no.

Which would be very Chicago like.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Gary Coleman has died, BTW.

[clarice]

I don't have the federal bribery statute before me but I seem to recall a non-paying job wouldn't be covered.

Odd that Clinton was chosen as a go between. In a legal showdown, who's going to believe an admitted perjurer.

[bgates]

I often say that having Obama president is like having me president.

I'll let that slide, because you're a lady.

But if I ever hear a man slander Jane like that, I'll punch him in the mouth.

[335BLUES]

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FULL-BLOWN COVER-UP!

SO OBAMA GOES TO A WELL-KNOWN PERJURER, BILL CLINTON, AND GETS HIM (WOONDER WHAT THE BRIBE IS) TO LIE FOR OBAMA. WOW.

WHAT WE MUST DEMAND, YES DEMAND:

GET SESTAK AND OBAMA IN FRONT OF A GRAND JURY PANEL, THEN IT WILL BE PERJURY.

SESTAK SAID REPEATEDLY HE WAS OFFERED A JOB.

A JOB.

AN ADVISORY PANEL IS NOT A JOB.

STAY ON THIS PEOPLE, DO NOT LET IT GO AWAY. OBAMA HAS COMMITTED A CRIME AND MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

[Jane says obamasucks]

LOL BGates, you are sweet. I said that to Otto Reich on the trip and he objected as well.

I'd just as soon leave it as "Sestak probably turned down a bribe from an administration which will prove to be dirtier than Clinton's."

I like it.

[JM Hanes]

Jane:

"Actually my guess is it never occurred to Obama that it was against the law."

Considering the ginormous legal & political blow out over Obama's Senate replacement, it seems a lot more likely that the White House enlisted Clinton for the specific purpose of circumventing the applicable law.

I have no doubt that there's been a full court press on Sestak since he first opened his mouth, so how reliable anything he's said since then is an open question, IMO.

Meanwhile, the White House memo reads almost like an outright confession. Bauer is probably getting busted right now for leaving out "just an honest misunderstanding."

This is the emblematic Obama modus op. of delay, delay, refuse to address anything but strawmen publicly, issue an "official" memo and wait for the hubbub to die down, which, eventually, it does. What they have yet to figure out is that the accretion self-exonerating internal investigations they have had to mount is getting close to a tipping point on its own. I don't think they've put nearly as much behind them as they probably believe they have.

[matt]

Toomey must just be loving this.....the administration is descending into 3 Stooges territory with their incompetence and venality. At least the Stooges were comedians.

The President's photo op in LA was absolutely disgraceful and is being seen as such by a wide swathe of the nation now. He got off the plane, walked along a beach, and like Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles said, "Oh wook, an oiw swick!", and then got back on the plane.

No helicopter flyover to examine the damage for himself. No important looking but meaningless meet and greets with scientists or managers or anyone who is actually working to solve the problem. Then he got back on the plane for his vacation.

He is utterly tone deaf.

We will also have the spectacle of a major PR crisis off the Israeli coast this weekend as well. A "relief fleet" is steaming it's way to Gaza, where the Israelis have stated clearly they will blockade. Barry should be on the 13th fairway by then. I hope he can take the call from Hillary and not mess up his swing.

[Extraneus]

That 2012 Hillary VP deal would seem a lot more likely now, especially if Clinton is lying to save Obama's ass, which is likely.

Perhaps we'll get Sestak under oath at some point, say after the election?

Btw, is there any kind of immunity if he wins, or does he need to be a defeated private citizen first?

[fdcol63]

In the interview in which Sestak first admitted that he'd been offered a job, he said "yes" when he was asked if it was "high ranking".

That just doesn't sound like a non-paid, advisory job to me.

They're all lying.

But the MSM will do everything it can to minimize the story, and a Dem-controlled Congress would never vote to impeach, anyway.

[fdcol63]

Bubba wouldn't help Obama unless there was a mighty big quid pro quo involved.

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

With Rahm waiting (like Godot) for Fitzgerald's next move in the Blago case perhaps the impeached perjurer was the cutout guy around? I'm still trying to work out whether Birnbaum threw herself under the bus at Oilybama's suggestion or because she saw the rising stinking brown tide and knew that it would carry her away.

[clarice]

I think if you believe this story you are really credulous.

It took these dunderheads so much time and so much public shashaying about to come up with THIS?

I* know three year olds who can lie more persuasively.

[centralcal]

I'm in total agreement with Clarice.

This whole bs story is lame.

[jan]

Sestak is as slimy as they come. He was actually playing hardball with the Chicago
thugs! I wonder if Arlen was in the loop? Also, Sestak won Curt Whelan's seat with a last minute dirty trick accusing Whelan's daughter of getting political jobs from her father. Before Whelan could get his side of the story out the election occurred. Wasn't it amazing how Rahm targeted many conservatives and got them out of Congress in 2006.

[Rick Ballard]

I didn't say I believed anything. I just think that an impeached admitted perjurer may be the best the maladministration can do at the moment - and for the foreseeable future.

I'm more interested in whether Birnbaum was pushed (McClatchy) or fell (CBS) for the moment. The Oily Prince of Tides can't seem to figure it out yet.

[Rick Ballard]

I didn't say I believed anything. I just think that an impeached admitted perjurer may be the best the maladministration can do at the moment - and for the foreseeable future.

I'm more interested in whether Birnbaum was pushed (McClatchy) or fell (CBS) for the moment. The Oily Prince of Tides can't seem to figure it out yet.

[clarice]

I was certain you didn't believe it, Rick..My comment was addressed generically
to the I believe crowd

[jimmyk]

I'm not seeing why Clinton being the intermediary would get them off the hook, unless they're claiming that Clinton did it on his own and not at the behest of anyone in the White House. But who would believe that?

[macphisto]

the lameness of these "explanations" is so extreme that it seems Obama doesn't realize that everybody in America either has raised kids or remembers being one. i could come up with way better stuff when i was six, but my Mom still busted me.

[clarice]

Cashill doesn't believe this either.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/original_sestak_admission_at_o.html

LUN

[jimmyk]

I also don't see why they couldn't say (as I said in a previous thread): "Yes we offered him a position, but only because we thought he was the right man for the job. The fact that he was running for Senate had nothing to do with it. Mr. Sestak may have misunderstood our intentions." That would seem to get everyone off the hook.

[micah]

And hey, does it bug anyone else that Sestak wears that summer weight flight jacket around with his civvies? (Seems like he's wearing it in practically every video.) That'd be a uniform violation back when I was in, and even moreso for a retiree. Factor in the fact that he's a politician engaged in political activity (by definition), and I find it totally inappropriate.

Meh, anyone should be able to wear their flight jacket in civvies if they want to. But here's my question: how did sestak get a flight jacket? Unless I'm mistaken, he has never been an aviator, right?

[matt]

Remember, Obama was raised in Indonesia and Hawaii and has never, ever, experienced the normal. His entire life experience is at odds with the vast mass of the country of which he is now president. We are, to a great extent Martians to he and his coterie.

Western norms of conduct may be foreign to him as well. His time in Chicago was also unreal. Chicago rules are not those of most of the rest of the country. It's all a simple misunderestimastanding. He thinks he in Kendonesia.....

[narciso]

I wondered about that, there's a lot of bad blood between Mullen and Sestak, also what happened to unperson Birnbaum, she had so little imput into MMS operations or too much,
that we've never heard of her, before yesterday

[narciso]

Turns out she's a veteran of the Clinton era,
dubious how much relevant experience she had, in the LUN

[MarkO]

Too bad Nixon wasn't available.
It doesn't seem to me that all of this cover would be required of something that was really just "business as usual" and legal. (spare me the comments that crime is Obama's business as usual--I'm trying to do more than snark)

The reason this is illegal is because it works. There was a similar case on the state level in Utah last year and it was prosecuted. The point is, of course, that the system works best if the decisions regarding candidates are left to voter and not to the available resources of those who are currently in power.

This behavior should be regarded as the basest form of corruption. It is not enough to have the principals claim it was not inappropriate. I said on another line, this is like a domestice violence case where the parties dummy up. Only here, there really are many more injured by the crime.

RICO seems even more realistic than the smart-ass reference I made before. And, with the Present-dent skipping Arllington to hang with his crowd, I am even more reminded how much is owed to those who served and serve.

[MarkO]

Rats, I had just slaved over a winning post starting with the my amazement that Nixon was unavailable. Then, poof.

[MarkO]

Oh no, now both posts are up. Compare and contrast for 100 points.

[Topsecretk9]

Pardon me if anyone has speculated to this, but I think Clinton was brought into this recently to cover for Rham -- who has interviewed w/Patrick Fitzgerald about Rham's phone conversations with Blago regarding Obama's replacement for Senate seat -- to Fitzgerald's satisfaction so far.

Having this situation - Rham offering a big job to Sestak-- might make whatever BS Rham used to get out of Blago trouble seem less than honest.

[Melinda Romanoff]

I bet the Chicago press will get NO face time on his visit here.

They make european paparazzi look like stooges when chasing a politician who's been caught.

This is a rookie error by non-lawyers. I come up with three names at the top who fit that bill and all three approved Desiree Rogers.

[clarice]

ts--excellent point.

[flataffect]

If Sestak claims he's going to change things in Washington, he's a liar. He ran against Washington in the primary, but the story today is that stuff like this happens in Washington all the time and we shouldn't make anything of it. How is this different from the code the criminals use in their conversations?

Sestak keeps trying to turn everything back to jobs in Pennsylvania, but he doesn't sound any different from Arlen Specter. If he thinks higher deficits mean more jobs, he's too dumb to be a Senator.

He's a weasel, and so is the White House counsel.

[flataffect]

I'm listening to Charles Krauthammer analyze the White House's statement, and he notes that this effort to persuade Sestak to drop out went on for

1. A paid job is not denied explicitly.

2. "Efforts were made in June and July of 2009 to determine whether Sestak would be interested in appointive service." What were the other efforts?

3. Why was Sestak's brother contacted yesterday?

4. What was

A similar case in Colorado, "On Sept. 27, 2009, the Denver Post reported that the Obama administration offered Senate candidate Romanoff a position if he canceled plans to run for the Democratic nomination against incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet.

"The paper said the job offer, which specified particular jobs, reportedly was delivered by Jim Messina, Obama’s deputy chief of staff. One position the Post cited was a job at USAID, the foreign aid agency."

Whatever happens in Sestak's case, the Colorado case sounds like an explicit quid pro quo.

[Janet]

LUN Hot Air article and videos. The 2nd video is 37 seconds and shows Clinton ignoring questions about Sestak. Bubba doesn't look happy.

[glasater]

Michelle Malkin brings the conversation around to Blago in this post:

More significantly, Bauer has served as Obama’s personal attorney, navigating the corrupted waters of former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s pay-for-play scandals in Illinois. Bauer accompanied Obama to an interview with federal investigators in Chicago. And he’s got his hands full fighting Blago’s motion to subpoena Obama in the Senate-seat-for-sale trial — a subpoena that included references to a secret phone call between Obama and Blagojevich; an allegation that Emanuel floated his own suggested replacement for Obama’s seat; an allegation that Obama told a “certain labor union official” that he would support (now-White House senior adviser) Valerie Jarrett to fill his old seat; and a bombshell allegation that Obama might have lied about conversations with convicted briber and fraudster Tony Rezko. With not one, not two, but three Democrats (Sestak, Romanoff and Blagojevich) all implicating the agent of Hope and Change in dirty backroom schemes, “Trust Us” ain’t gonna cut it. Neither will “Shut Up and Go Away.”

[tommy mc donnell]

if this was all that happened why not tell people immediately. why did it take three months to tell the public that this is all that happened. it took them three months to get all their ducks in a row before they colud come up with this fairy tale,thats why. i don't think clinton ever made a job offer to sestak but i'm sure he would lie that he did. if you believe this story well there was the little girl in kansas that was picked up in a cyclone and landed in oz too.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

But here's my question: how did sestak get a flight jacket? Unless I'm mistaken, he has never been an aviator, right?

Well he was a Vice Admiral and before that a Captain of a guided missile frigate and DCA and they can get whatever they want. My husband wasn't an aviator, but he had a leather flight jacket that was presented to him by the helicopter pilots on the LPH he served on as a thank you for work that he did that made their job easier. My husband was the Repair officer and DCA (Damage Control Assistant) and also a premier cumshaw artiste. He was one of those go-to guys aka junkyard dogs who could make magic with a pound of coffee.

[Topsecretk9]

Thanks Clarice.

Rham went to Africa when the Blago thing blew up.

[Janet]

LUN is the blog of the guy that got the video of Clinton. Apparently no press was allowed near him.
A bit from a link at the LUN - "It ended on a sour note, for the press anyway. The Lincoln campaign prevented reporters and photographers from closing in on Clinton after the event. The campaign claimed Secret Service guideliness. Reporters wondered why they'd be viewed as more dangerous than the spectators pressing in on Clinton with flashing cameras..."

[Topsecretk9]

Oh and Clarice

You know as well as I that Ed Rendell and Bill clinton are as thick as thieves. I don't for one second believe Clinton would be trying to broker a political deal in Pennsylvania and Rendell wasn't involved and or didn't now about it

and Rendell has been for the past few days calling for Sestak to clear the air and tell us all about it.

No way Rendell does that knowing it's Clinton or he's involved and no way he wouldn't know. No way. That's like Terry Macullife(sp) calling for Sestak to clear the air- HAH

[Topsecretk9]

What's really interesting is Blago is asking for all the recorded conversation be released, not just selected and protected ones Fitz wants and Fitz is fighting it.

Imagine the Rham FBI-Fitz interview and Rham's explanations to his conversations --

I would never toy around with a admin job offer, I was just placating a crazy man yada yada"

Fitz buys it.

I mean if Rham was involved in the Sestak deal -- which was the rumor for months now -- and it was "rumors" that led Kane to ask Sestak about it --- this could even put Fitz in a bad spot if the tapes are released. Rham has been identified as on the tapes.

So does Fitz recall Rham? roll the dice the entire tapes are released?

Wasn't part of the transcript in that redacted Blago filing goof up or was it just the description of Rham calling to get Valerie Jarret in Obama's senate seat?

[centralcal]

Okay - humor me. I am coming at this from a different perspective.

Sestak.

The admin wants him out of the way, he is jeapordizing their 60th senate seat (or so they believe at the time). They try to get him to take a bribe and get out of their way. But, Sestak, has his own goals, ideas, whatever, and won't play ball. Or maybe, their offering wasn't to his liking. So, he stays in,

And, staying in and knowing he has pissed some big guys off, he lets slip in an interview that he has been offered a deal. Pretty cagey - doesn't reveal all of his hand, just enough to make people look at the admin.

Now, fast forward, he wins the nomination, defeats the admin's chosen one, and I would say his poker hand is looking pretty good. Since he is now the candidate, more questions are being posed about that interview and who, what, where, when (his little shot across the bow). He continues to play his hand - he was offered a job, but he won't reveal any of his other cards.

More questions, more frequently are being asked. Dickie Durbin, sleezebag Illinois, and others give comments about how Sestak needs to "explain" himself. A veiled threat? Might be.

I think Sestak just won the poker game. The admin and a former President have to meet with attorneys (and Sestak's brother, representing Sestak and his demands?) to come up with some kind of story that their handmaiden media will buy - so, what is Sestak getting in return? If elected, does he get some choice committee chairmanship?

Yeah - I don't think Sestak was played. I think Sestak did the paying.

[clarice]

What's O holding over Clinton's head to get him to lie for him? That he'll keep Hillary home?

[narciso]

It does beg the question, now a former vice admiral is not going to give up a cushy seat
for a non paying gig, then again if it was Navy, where would they put Mabus, it was a
deputy slot, how would they have explained
that

[Ignatz]

What will be delightful in the coming days will be watching the lefties scarfing down this crapburger of obvious lies and trying to smile as they do.

[Jane says obamasucks]

What's O holding over Clinton's head to get him to lie for him? That he'll keep Hillary home?

He will drop Biden and put her on the ticket in 2012.

[Jane says obamasucks]

I can't imagine that Fitz will alter his game plan. Once he puts his eye on his prize it seems he could care less who gets off.

[Jane says obamasucks]

I also think Arlen Specter has some chits to play. There is no doubt he was promised a free ride to the nomination. At 80 he can't be looking for a new job so perhaps he will turn on the administration.

Obama is balancing more and more balls in the air. The price of going against him could be one's life, but if the walls start cracking...

[Rick Ballard]

"I think Sestak did the playing."

c-c,

I lean toward that explanation. The Chicago thugs wouldn't just offer a bribe - they'd tack on a nasty threat as well. Sestak may have been immunizing himself from the threat by revealing the bribe offer. Up until this point the Chicago trash have had no reason to believe that they have anything to fear from their press lapdogs. That may still be true but the stench grows worse by the day.

[Ignatz]

The only thing missing from Sestak's confirmation of the fairy tale was prefacing his remarks with Jon Lovitz's "Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket."

[Janet]

Well, we will learn something tomorrow when we see the WaPo headlines. A1 or A18, Headlines or News-in-Brief.

[clarice]

Nah, Jane..this is not helpful to either Clinton IMO.

CC, I have considered that, but I think Sestak is too stupid.

[Janet]

Isn't Sestak more of Clinton's guy (Berger,Rendell), while Specter was gonna be Obama's guy?

The Clinton guy takes out the Obama guy so Obama's thug machine puts Clinton in the crime?

[daddy]

"I did not have Sestak relations with that Congressman Joe Sestak. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time. These allegations are false..."

[clarice]

I believe I read on The Hill that Specter is so angry he's likely to vote against every WH initiative until he's out of there.

[narciso]

Daddy, have you seen the scam that Ramras and Gara want to pull off in the name of "ethics
reform" being able to fundraise on state trips

[matt]

if you recall, Obama and Clinton hate each other. They make make nice, but remember Goodwin's book was so popular in the Fall of aught 8? Team of Rivals?

It is probable the relationship between the Clintons and Obama and his hacks is more akin to snakes and mongooses than BFF, despite the media blather.

It is going to be very interesting to read the exclusives and "as told to's" as this administration becomes ever more mired in incompetence and sheer crookery.

[matt]

in other news, the new British Chief Secretary to the Treasury, their Treasury Secretary, has been hoist on his own petard with a Barney Frank scandal....

where do we find these people?

[narciso]

This is what I was referring to, in the LUN

[centralcal]

Rick, what sealed my theory in my own mind (which I formed after Durbin's thinly veiled threats, was the photo optics of today . . .
Sestak. Jacket slung jauntily over his shoulder held by his index finger. Smiling from ear to ear as he paried with reporters, except, of course, when he would momentarily furrow his brow in seriousness.

This guy just came away from the poker table and the chips were clinking around in all of his pockets.

Clinton was called in because he had a friendly relationship with our former Admiral. He was a mediator alright. Between Sestak (and his lawyer/campaign manager brother) and BOzo's thugs.

Sestak took the poker pot. I am convinced of it.

[daddy]

I have not Narciso but will keep my ears open.

What with all drilling stopped, massive loss of jobs, the pipeline flow dwindling, the new Federal Climate Warming Research Center just getting established in town, the MMS mushrooming into 3 separate branches of Government, the push on to decree the Turnagain Beluga into a separate Species and thus lock up all 3,000 miles of Cook Inlet, the push by Begich to give the EPA CO2 regulatory power, the pie in the sky proposal to build windmills on Fire Island to cure our energy problems, and the Sarah fence story, I've somehow missed that one:)

[Extraneus]

Well if Clinton thinks Obama is weak enough for Hillary to take him out in 2012, all bets are off, and Clinton could always say "I'm not saying there weren't other conversations with Sestak, but I just don't know enough about those to be able to comment." Clinton is smarter than Obama. Surely he made Obama kiss is butt this week.

[deet]

I agree with CC... You don't get to be the commander of a US Naval battle group without being a very cagey operator.

Someone at the White House probably offered Sestak a DOD position to drop out of the race, and he immediately committed to a counter move against the White House.

Odds are that Sestak has some sort of corroborating evidence of the offer. An Officer wouldn't typically make a political move like this without some sort of insurance.

Of course as a former Fleet Admiral, he might just be audacious enough to bluff his way through the situation, but I seriously doubt that to be the case.

IMO, Sestak's leaning on Obama and crew before they can lean on him.

[Jane says obamasucks]

if you recall, Obama and Clinton hate each other.

According the Chris Matthews that has all now changed and they are now a team.

[belle]

Yep, I'm with you CC. Sestak is in the catbird seat. Well played.

[centralcal]

Clarice wrote:

CC, I have considered that, but I think Sestak is too stupid.

I nearly always bow to Clarice's wisdom. I, too, viewed Sestak as a rather dumb sort. But, while at work this morning, I read somewhere about a track record that Sestak has, that matches the Chicago thugs he is playing with now. But, damnit, I can't remember where I read the piece.

It was about his own political hard ball playing. Darn it. I hate old age and fading memory.

[fdcol63]

matt @ 5:52 PM

You hit the nail on the head here.

[glasater]

Centralcal-

Remind me NEVER to play poker with you:-)

[Moneyrunner]

The Sestak Problem
The story coordinated by the Obama White House is so implausible as to defy belief, but it’s the best they can do in view of the situation. So how did they get here?

The problem started with Sestak who, in an effort to show his independence and differentiate himself from Specter, revealed that he had been offered a job in exchange for dropping out of the Democrat primary. Keep in mind that Sestak is not a lawyer. He’s a retired Navy Admiral. I’m convinced that he had no idea that he was accusing the Obama administration of committing a crime. The law appears to be a surprise to most of the reporters and commentators who have written about this story. It was first and primarily reported, not as a crime, but as a mild bit of sleaze.

However, since it is a criminal offense, it became a problem for the Obama Administration. Sestak continued to be blissfully unaware of the problem, stuck to his story. In fact, he could not plausibly retract it. One day someone told the media that offering a job was more than unsavory business-as-usual and now both Sestak and the Obama Administration had a problem. Sestak could not retract his story but luckily for him and Team Obama he never offered any details. Now Team Obama had a blank canvas to fill in. And Sestak, if he wanted a political future, had to cooperate, back up whatever the White House said, and make it go away.

So this is the story they came up with: “We offered Sestak an unpaid position on an obscure board (the equivalent of a White House internship) if he would give up his run for the Senate." This story is weak, unbelievable and an insult to anyone with an IQ above that of a turnip. It remains to be seen if the vegetables in the MFM will deep-throat this in their professional way or if this makes even them gag.

[Topsecretk9]

Posted by: centralcal | May 28, 2010 at 07:46 PM

I thought about that too, but all the admin has to say is the man is out of his tree on that.

And NOW Sestak's credibility is on the line because his statements are not consistent...credibility in his state, winning his race.

I can't imagine that Fitz will alter his game plan. Once he puts his eye on his prize it seems he could care less who gets off.

Posted by: Jane says obamasucks | May 28, 2010 at 08:08 PM
Jane says obamasucks

Unless those tapes are released and no one in their right mind could listen to rham and beleive he was innocent especially after Sestak

But your right, it's a longshot.

I do believe Clinton step in to cover for Rham and one Clinton bribe would be...wait for it...campaign DEBT RELIEF

[Topsecretk9]

Posted by: Moneyrunner | May 28, 2010 at 10:28 PM

Exactly right. And this would be no big deal if it weren't Rham Emmanuel who had done the dealing w/ Sestak just a year after he assured a federal prosecutor he would never do such a thing.

[Topsecretk9]

And CCent (I love you, babay)

I just can't see them conforming to some potentially illegal activity they didn't do because of Sestak's interview chess.

I argree w/Clarice and Moneyrun

He just ain't that smart.

The thing to remember is Rham was begging O to drop healthcare and along come that CSucker Spectre who BTW it is reported he does not do ANYTHING w/out something 3fold return.

[Topsecretk9]

BTW --- got to LOVE Byron York..he just tweeted

Did Gibbs know of Clinton connection when he had 'nothing to add' to Sestak story? http://ow.ly/1Rspi

HAH...remember the intrigue, the howls over Dipshit McCelllen?

[Aristotle]

Just imagine if this had happened under Bush. We'd have a Special Prosecutor in a flash along with daily editorials in the NYTs about Bush administration corruption.

[daveinboca]

Aristotle, yes, and the WH Press would have put the Sestak affaire as the first [or maybe second after the BP "day one" fib] question instead of Major Garrett having to ask it as the last question, only to have the Obamanable blow him off with "we're preparing a statement" and then dismissing any follow-ups by walking off the stage.

The mainstream media are stenographers for the DNC and its agendas to a man/woman and Hollyweird and the groves of academe are strangely silent on this---a much larger story than Plamegate with the additional merit that in Sestak's Jobgate an actual crime was committed.