WH had Clinton try to ease Sestak out of Pa. race
PHILIP ELLIOTT
From Associated Press
May 28, 2010 5:24 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Forced to disclose backstage political bargaining,
President Barack Obama's embarrassed White House acknowledged on Friday
that it enlisted Bill Clinton to try to ease Rep. Joe Sestak out of
Pennsylvania's Senate primary with a job offer.
The admission left many questions unanswered, however, and Republicans
weren't ready to let the issue rest. For Obama, the revelations called into
question his repeated promises to run an open government that was above
back room deals.
Seeking to quiet the clamor over a possible political trade, the White House
released a report describing the offer that was intended to clear a path for
Sen. Arlen Specter to win the Democratic nomination.
Presidential Counsel Robert Bauer rendered his own verdict in a two-page
report that said there was no improper conduct. No one in the administration
discussed the offer with Sestak, Bauer said. The report did not say what, if
any, contacts or promises the White House had with Specter on the matter.
It also did not reveal whether Obama was aware of the former president's
role.
The report didn't impress Republicans.
"This memo frankly raises more questions: What was Bill Clinton authorized to
offer? Did President Obama sign off on this conversation before it took
place?" Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said.
"Now more than ever it is clear that this White House is not capable of
policing itself and needs to open itself to an independent investigation."
Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House oversight committee who
unsuccessfully had sought a Department of Justice investigation, said Obama
had become a part of the Washington culture he decried.
"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," Issa said.
Sestak, who had said a job was offered but had provided no details,
acknowledged Friday that he had had the conversation with Clinton. He said
the former president told him he should stay in the U.S. House and perhaps
join a presidential board.
In a statement released by his campaign, Sestak said, "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."
Specter declined to comment.
The report said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel enlisted Clinton's
help as a go-between with Sestak. Clinton agreed to raise the offer of a seat
on a presidential advisory board or another executive board if Sestak
dropped his bid, "which would avoid a divisive Senate primary," the report
said.
Under the proposed arrangement, Sestak would have been able to remain in
the House while serving on a board. It was not clear why the White House —
which has the power to offer Cabinet posts and sought-after embassy jobs —
believed Sestak would be interested in just an advisory position.
Sestak defeated the five-term Specter, who had switched from Republican
to Democrat last year at the White House's urging, in the May 18 Democratic
primary.
Emanuel and Sestak both worked in the White House when Clinton was
president in the 1990s, and both remain close with their former boss. Sestak
was a supporter of Clinton's wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her 2008
presidential bid.
Bauer, in the White House report, argued that previous Democratic and
Republican administrations, "motivated by the same goals, discussed
alternative paths to service for qualified individuals also considering
campaigns for public office." The report said such actions aren't illegal nor
unethical.
For weeks, the White House had insisted officials did not behave
inappropriately but had declined to elaborate. But after Sestak won the
nomination, Republicans renewed their questions of the administration and
White House lawyers prepared to release a report they had been compiling
for months.
At a White House news conference on Thursday, Obama told reporters a full
accounting would be forthcoming.
"I can assure the public that nothing improper took place," he said.
Two top Democrats — party chief Tim Kaine and **** Durbin of Illinois, the
party's second-ranking leader in the Senate — said during the week that the
White House and Sestak needed to address the questions. So, too, did
Sestak's Republican challenger in Pennsylvania, former Rep. Pat Toomey.
_________________________________________________________________
:bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs:
If they ever spoke the truth it would stick in their throat and they would ignite
into flames.
1-The whole Sestak thing is typical of the :bs: backroom dealing and ARROGANCE of this
administration AS WELL AS a prime example of the CONSTANT LYING (full transparency
)
2-I can't believe (or actually I can) they sucked in Clinton to take one for team
Obamanation. In no way do I even remotely believe Obama AND Emanuell are free
of criminal wrong doings. The fact that it took, what months, for them to even
pump out this lame scenario...there own arrogance wont let them believe they
are in any trouble...
PHILIP ELLIOTT
From Associated Press
May 28, 2010 5:24 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Forced to disclose backstage political bargaining,
President Barack Obama's embarrassed White House acknowledged on Friday
that it enlisted Bill Clinton to try to ease Rep. Joe Sestak out of
Pennsylvania's Senate primary with a job offer.
The admission left many questions unanswered, however, and Republicans
weren't ready to let the issue rest. For Obama, the revelations called into
question his repeated promises to run an open government that was above
back room deals.
Seeking to quiet the clamor over a possible political trade, the White House
released a report describing the offer that was intended to clear a path for
Sen. Arlen Specter to win the Democratic nomination.
Presidential Counsel Robert Bauer rendered his own verdict in a two-page
report that said there was no improper conduct. No one in the administration
discussed the offer with Sestak, Bauer said. The report did not say what, if
any, contacts or promises the White House had with Specter on the matter.
It also did not reveal whether Obama was aware of the former president's
role.
The report didn't impress Republicans.
"This memo frankly raises more questions: What was Bill Clinton authorized to
offer? Did President Obama sign off on this conversation before it took
place?" Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said.
"Now more than ever it is clear that this White House is not capable of
policing itself and needs to open itself to an independent investigation."
Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House oversight committee who
unsuccessfully had sought a Department of Justice investigation, said Obama
had become a part of the Washington culture he decried.
"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," Issa said.
Sestak, who had said a job was offered but had provided no details,
acknowledged Friday that he had had the conversation with Clinton. He said
the former president told him he should stay in the U.S. House and perhaps
join a presidential board.
In a statement released by his campaign, Sestak said, "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."
Specter declined to comment.
The report said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel enlisted Clinton's
help as a go-between with Sestak. Clinton agreed to raise the offer of a seat
on a presidential advisory board or another executive board if Sestak
dropped his bid, "which would avoid a divisive Senate primary," the report
said.
Under the proposed arrangement, Sestak would have been able to remain in
the House while serving on a board. It was not clear why the White House —
which has the power to offer Cabinet posts and sought-after embassy jobs —
believed Sestak would be interested in just an advisory position.
Sestak defeated the five-term Specter, who had switched from Republican
to Democrat last year at the White House's urging, in the May 18 Democratic
primary.
Emanuel and Sestak both worked in the White House when Clinton was
president in the 1990s, and both remain close with their former boss. Sestak
was a supporter of Clinton's wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her 2008
presidential bid.
Bauer, in the White House report, argued that previous Democratic and
Republican administrations, "motivated by the same goals, discussed
alternative paths to service for qualified individuals also considering
campaigns for public office." The report said such actions aren't illegal nor
unethical.
For weeks, the White House had insisted officials did not behave
inappropriately but had declined to elaborate. But after Sestak won the
nomination, Republicans renewed their questions of the administration and
White House lawyers prepared to release a report they had been compiling
for months.
At a White House news conference on Thursday, Obama told reporters a full
accounting would be forthcoming.
"I can assure the public that nothing improper took place," he said.
Two top Democrats — party chief Tim Kaine and **** Durbin of Illinois, the
party's second-ranking leader in the Senate — said during the week that the
White House and Sestak needed to address the questions. So, too, did
Sestak's Republican challenger in Pennsylvania, former Rep. Pat Toomey.
_________________________________________________________________
:bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs: :bs:
If they ever spoke the truth it would stick in their throat and they would ignite
into flames.
1-The whole Sestak thing is typical of the :bs: backroom dealing and ARROGANCE of this
administration AS WELL AS a prime example of the CONSTANT LYING (full transparency
)2-I can't believe (or actually I can) they sucked in Clinton to take one for team
Obamanation. In no way do I even remotely believe Obama AND Emanuell are free
of criminal wrong doings. The fact that it took, what months, for them to even
pump out this lame scenario...there own arrogance wont let them believe they
are in any trouble...
And it happens on all sides of the political aisle...
