As previously reported at Right Wing Granny on March 15, Democrat Representative Joe Sestak, on February 18, told a talk show radio host that the White House had offered him a high-ranking job in return for dropping out of the Pennsylvania Democrat Primary for Senate. On February 19, the White House denied the charge.
Frankly, I really didn't think this was any big deal, but now I am beginning to wonder. Today's Washington Times carries the latest details of the story. The story that was put out by the White House this afternoon is that ex-President Clinton was asked to approach Representative Sestak about accepting a non-paying job in the Obama Administration in exchange for dropping out of the Democrat Primary.
According to the article:
"...White House lawyer Robert F. Bauer said the job offered was a non-paying, advisory board position in the executive branch and that allegations of improper conduct by the administration "rest on factual error and lack a basis in the law.""
People who know a whole lot more than I do about how Washington works question the premise that a non-paying position would have been offered--it's not even a good bribe! The original statement by Representative Sestak was that someone in the Obama Administration had offered him a high-ranking position. What was released today makes that statement look like a lie. One speculation is that the conversation with ex-President Clinton is probably real, but that there may have been another conversation with a member of the Obama Administration that Representative Sestak was referring to. This is where the legal problems lie.
If Representative Sestak was telling the truth, what was done is a crime. It does fit the pattern of Chicago politics that seems to run through this administration, but I really doubt that it will be pursued (I would love to be wrong about that!).
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