Sestak Statement

He got the word and keeps it inline with the White House story.

Last summer, I received a phone call from President Clinton. During the course of the conversation, he expressed concern over my prospects if I were to enter the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the value of having me stay in the House of Representatives because of my military background. He said that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had spoken with him about my being on a Presidential Board while remaining in the House of Representatives. I said no. I told President Clinton that my only consideration in getting into the Senate race or not was whether it was the right thing to do for Pennsylvania working families and not any offer. The former President said he knew I'd say that, and the conversation moved on to other subjects.

There are many important challenges facing Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. I intend to remain focused on those issues and continue my fight on behalf of working families.

Either this is pure crap and/or Sestak was overstating the whole thing from the beginning.

Why get Clinton involved just to offer an advisory board position? Maybe if it was going to be SecNav (which is couldn't have been), then you get a former President involved but for this?

And even if was for this position, who exactly would give up a Senate run for this type of position?

Of course, the MFM will dutifully take their marching orders and declare 'case closed' and move along. Fortunately, we don't need the MFM to follow up on these types of stories and I imagine Congressman Darrell Issa is only going to be more energized.

Added:

Interesting note from FNC...Bill Clinton was at the White House yesterday.

There are also reports that someone from the White House spoke with Sestak's brother (who is also his campaign manager) yesterday.

Getting their ducks in a row...it's the Chicago way.

Issa's statement.

“After more than ten weeks of outstanding questions, the White House has offered a version of events that has important differences from what Congressman Sestak has been saying for months – that he was offered a ‘job’ by ‘someone in the White House’ in exchange for leaving the Pennsylvania Senate race.

“I’m very concerned that in the rush to put together this report, the White House has done everything but explain its own actions and has instead worked to craft a story behind closed doors and coordinate with those involved. The White House has admitted today to coordinating an arrangement that would represent an illegal quid-pro-quo as federal law prohibits directly or indirectly offering any position or appointment, paid or unpaid, in exchange for favors connected with an election.

“President Clinton and Congressman Sestak now need to answer questions about what the White House has released today – that at the behest of the White House Chief of staff, they dispatched a former President to get Joe Sestak out of the Pennsylvania Senate Primary. Regardless of what President Clinton or Congressman Sestak now say, it is abundantly clear that this kind of conduct is contrary to President Obama’s pledge to change ‘business as usual’ and that his Administration has engaged in the kind of political shenanigans he once campaigned to end.”

But It Could Have Been the SecNavy Jobv [ace]: The claim about it being impossible to be the Secretary of Navy job relies on timing -- the job wasn't open at the moment, therefore it couldn't have been offered.

But that assumes a direct, explicit immediate quid pro quo -- don't jump into the race and we appoint you Secretary of the Navy.

That's not how this would have been done -- everyone knows that that is illegal on its face. Instead, offers would be made with plausible deniability, without such a clear-cut cause-reaction relationship. The offer would have been made like this: "Based upon your military and political experience, you'd be a hell of a candidate for Secretary of the Navy... But we couldn't just pluck a Senator in a swing state for the the job, of course."

They would not have made a quid-pro-quo short-term-transaction promise. They would have suggested the possibility that a sitting Congressman would be in a prime position to take the job when it opened up -- and Sestak, with all his wonderful experience (wink wink) would be a prime candidate (nudge nudge) -- but that a Senator, alas, would not be, as they'd need to keep that seat and couldn't afford to do so.

Thus, exact timing is not a consideration -- all that needs to be communicated is when the job opens up, Sestak will get it. Well, they can't really say he will get it; that would be the quid pro quo they hope to disguise. They'd say they couldn't think of a better candidate... assuming he's not a Senator.

posted by DrewM. at 01:12 PM

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