White House under fire for allegedly trying to tamper with PA Senate race

[fryingdutchman]

From "The Huffington Post"....

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are amping up pressure on the White House to divulge details of Rep. Joe Sestak's allegation that the Obama administration offered him a federal job in exchange for dropping his primary challenge to Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania's race for Senate.

Seven Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder demanding the Department of Justice launch a probe into whether any illegal activity took place.

The New York Times reports on the charges the GOP senators detailed in a memo to Holder:

In a letter to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., the Republican senators said the assertions are "very serious and, if true, suggest a possible violation of various federal criminal laws intended to safeguard our political process from the taint of bribes and political machine manipulation." ... Those signing were Senators Jeff Sessions of Mississippi, Jon Kyl of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Cornyn of Texas and Orrin G. Hatch of Utah.
(Earlier this month Holder declined to say whether the DOJ was investigating Sestak's claim).

One the most extreme charges hurled by Republicans at the White House came from Rep. Darrell Issa in an e-mail to his campaign supporters Wednesday. The Hill relays the subject of California congressman's message indicating his latest take on the matter: "The Sestak Affair - Obama's Watergate?"

Even some Democrats are sounding-off on the matter. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell -- one of Specter's strongest allies during the primary fight -- became the latest high-profile Democrat to call on the White House to cough up information on the matter.

"I actually think the White House and Joe Sestak should be a little more detailed and put this behind them," Rendell told reporters at a press conference, but added that he's certain no one is guilty of an illegal offense.

The Allentown Morning Call reports:

[Rendell] predicted that someone at the White House probably told Sestak that if he wanted to do something with his "terrific background in the military" there would likely be a job for him with the administration. But Rendell said he does not believe it was any kind of a bribe to get Sestak out of Specter's way.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Sestak ally Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) also called on the the White House to provide an explanation for Sestak's repeated claims that he was offered a high-ranking position.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration remains mum even after months of being pressed to offer an explanation.



The AP's Philip Elliot reports:

White House officials have insisted that "nothing inappropriate" took place. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs declined to say if Sestak was offered a job, but did say on Sunday that White House lawyers and others have looked into the matter. Political adviser David Axelrod hinted that the White House might have more to say.

"I don't think that any questions will be left unanswered on this," Axelrod said during a Monday appearance on CNN.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Sestak ally Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) also called on the the White House to provide an explanation for Sestak's repeated claims that he was offered a high-ranking position.

[BigBadBrian]

So who's lying, the White House or Sestak? I think Sestsk is telling the truth. So who's the felon in the White House?

And Obama: what did he know and when did he know it? If the job offered was Navy Secretary as has been rumored, Obama undoubtedly gave his OK for such a high post, thereby committing an impeachable offense.

Barry sure is having a bad week with this scandal and also getting flak for such a slow response in the gulf.

[fryingdutchman]

Looks like the White House was engaging in some deception...

Fox News is now reporting that the White House will admit to the job offer.

Apparently Rahm Emanuel sent Bill Clinton out to try some arm-twisting on Sestak.

This should get interesting...

[Hardrock69]

Haha.....they got caught fucking with an election!

Stupid motherfuckers! :biggrin:

[jhale667]

White House says no laws broken in US Senate race row

WASHINGTON — The White House insisted Friday that it broke no laws by asking ex-president Bill Clinton to find out whether a Democratic Senate candidate would quit his race if he was offered a job.

The Obama administration was drafting a memo from the White House counsel's office (PDF) weighing into the controversy, which Republicans have branded a scandal and demanded a special prosecutor.

A White House source said the former president was asked by President Barack Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to gauge whether Joe Sestak would drop out of his ultimately successful challenge to veteran Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania.

The offer was based on the assumption that Sestak would stay in the House of Representatives and related to an unpaid position, the source said.

The White House had an interest in persuading Sestak not to run, since Specter had defected from the Republicans to run as a Democrat in Pennsylvania.

Republicans have charged that such an offer could have violated federal law, and Democrats have increasingly called on Sestak to clarify exactly what transpired ahead of critical November elections.

Previously, the White House had insisted nothing improper happened in the episode, and Obama promised on Thursday that the administration would throw some light on the affair soon.

Clinton still towers over Democratic Party politics, and might be supposed to have influence with Sestak, who was a fervent supporter of Hillary Clinton during her Democratic presidential primary run against Obama.

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0528/white-house-says-no-laws-broken-in-us-senate-race-row/?utm_medium=twitter

[FORD]

Best outcome of this would be the resignation of Rahm Emanuel. And it couldn't happen too soon for me.

[sadaist]

So who's the felon in the White House?



A: Rahm Emmanuel.

Rahm is a bad dude. And that's just from what we know he has done. Can you guys imagine the crooked shit he has pulled that none of us will ever know about? He is pulling a lot more strings than we know.

[FORD]

What Rahm may have done this time has far worse implications than just his typical triangulation, trying to turn the Democratic party into a clone of the GOP, bullshit. This was done to protect Arlen Specter, obviously (though it failed and he lost the primary to Sestak)

Arlen Specter is the guy who helped the BCE literally get away with murder, by constructing the fictional "magic bullet" theory of JFK's assassination for the Warren Commission whitewash.

Why would Rahm Emanuel want to help a BCE tool?

[Nitro Express]

Obama is a salesman and no leader. He takes orders. This is obvious. I think Rahm is the man and he's pure investment banker scum. Why would Rahm help BCE scum? Scum in each party travel in the same boat on the greedy conquest of more power. These people are power addicts period. They don't give a damn about the American people, making the world better, or the environment. Power and money is all they know. They don't give a damn about anything else.

[Nitro Express]

Spector losing and Utah giving Bennet the boot is a good sign. Too many members of Congress have been corrupted. The voters are smelling the coffee. So the assholes in Washington need a distraction from it all. I wouldn't put it past them to start another war for the reason. We live in dangerous times.

[Nitro Express]

Selling forced payment to inflated insurance policies as socialized healthcare and then signing it into law, offering bribes to manipulate elections, a lack of leadership regarding the oil spill disaster, breaking most his campaign promises, and spending like a drunk sailor while the economy tanks. I would say Barry's pool is filling full of shit fast.

[Nitro Express]

Best outcome of this would be the resignation of Rahm Emanuel. And it couldn't happen too soon for me.

I second that. I can't stand the ass wipe. I would love to toss his zionist ass to the Palistinians.

[fryingdutchman]

Rahm Emanuel is to Barack Obama what Dick Cheney was to George Bush....with the exception of the difference in job title.

A deeply rooted, well-connected, no-holds barred attack dog who likes to get down in the shit and fuck people up.

Cheney got more heat though, because of the V.P. title.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Oh, ye of such selected memory....

Let's hearken back to the days of 1981, shall we ??

http://rootswire.org/content/president-reagans-job-offer-california-senator-1981-becomes-relevant-again

The story - it shouldn't even be called a "scandal" - unfolding about Joe Sestak's "job offer" from the White House is only interesting as far as it serves as further evidence of the basic political incompetence of Rahm Emanuel. But since the national news media is back to its usual ways of being the partners of the Republican Party in trying to generate scandal against Democrats, it's worth exploring this whole "job offer" concept in a bit more detail.

Specifically, the fact that President Ronald Reagan tried to offer a job to sitting U.S. Senator S.I. Hayakawa, a Republican from California, in advance of the 1982 election.

Matt Ortega unearthed this article from 1981 about the offer made by the Reagan Administration ahead of a contested GOP primary that year:

Sen. S.I. Hayakawa on Wednesday spurned a Reagan Administration suggestion that if he drops out of the crowded Republican Senate primary race in California, President Reagan would find him a job.

"I'm not interested," said the 75-year old Hayakawa. "I do not want to be an ambassador, and I do not want an administration post."

Polls in California show Hayakawa trailing other candidates seeking the GOP Senate nomination in next year's primary election.

Among Republicans seeking Hayakawa's seat are Rep. Barry Goldwater Jr., R-Calif, Maureen Reagan, the president's daughter, and Pete Wilson, the mayor of San Diego.

Hayakawa was elected to the Senate in 1976, beating incumbent Democrat John Tunney.

Before the election, Hayakawa became nationally known after taking a tough line against student demonstrators at San Francisco State College where he was acting president.

A fuller version of the article indicates it was Ed Rollins who made the offer to Hayakawa.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19811126&id=ibcsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HhQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5060,5317656

----------------------------------------------------

So why is it such a travesty of justice when Dems are accused of it, but no problem when Repubs do it ???

[knuckleboner]

So who's lying, the White House or Sestak? I think Sestsk is telling the truth. So who's the felon in the White House?

And Obama: what did he know and when did he know it? If the job offered was Navy Secretary as has been rumored, Obama undoubtedly gave his OK for such a high post, thereby committing an impeachable offense.

Barry sure is having a bad week with this scandal and also getting flak for such a slow response in the gulf.

felon? in no way is that wrong. the president is allowed to offer anyone he wants a position in the administration. are you saying that admiral stesak is unqualified?...

[BigBadBrian]

in no way is that wrong. the president is allowed to offer anyone he wants a position in the administration.

You're incorrect, kb. He can't bribe someone in a political race to drop out with the promise of a Federal position.

[knuckleboner]

You're incorrect, kb. He can't bribe someone in a political race to drop out with the promise of a Federal position.

what law does it break? especially if it's a "hey, if you're busy with a primary, i probably don't think you'd be focused on this job i might have. on the other hand, if you're not doing anything at the moment, i think you might be worth a look."

there's nothing in that that's illegal. you can totally argue that it's more political than it should be. but that seems about it.

[BigBadBrian]

what law does it break?

Title 18 US Code Section 600 “Whoever directly or indirectly promises any employment position, compensation, contract, appointment, or other benefit provided for or made possible in whole or in part by any Act of Congress, or any special consideration in obtaining any such benefit, to any person as consideration, in favor, or reward for any political activity or for the support of or opposition to any candidate or any political party in connection with any general or special election to any political office … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.”

Title 18 U.S.C. Section 595 “Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States … uses his official authority for the purposes of interfering with, or affecting the nomination of, or the election of any candidate for office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representative…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Title 18 U.S.C. Section 211 “Whoever solicits or receives, either as a political contribution or for personal emolument, any money or thing of value, in consideration of the promise of support or use of influence in obtaining for any person any appointive office or place under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year or both.”

[knuckleboner]

i hear you.

but 2 important points: 1) clinton talked to him. 2) i'd bet nothing was promised. encouraging a person to drop out of a primary and expressing interest in them in a position is not quite the same thing. it's part of politics. doesn't mean you have to like it. but i think there's a reason why the republicans are pointing out that it's wrong, rather than hammering home that it's a violation of the law. they assume there's no legal case, but they're more than happy to go after the PR opinion.

[BigBadBrian]

i hear you.

but 2 important points: 1) clinton talked to him. 2) i'd bet nothing was promised. encouraging a person to drop out of a primary and expressing interest in them in a position is not quite the same thing. it's part of politics. doesn't mean you have to like it. but i think there's a reason why the republicans are pointing out that it's wrong, rather than hammering home that it's a violation of the law. they assume there's no legal case, but they're more than happy to go after the PR opinion.

There's no legal case unless Sestak gives explicit details on a job offer, which I doubt he's willing to do since he's in a neck and neck Senate Race. A House panel just may make him, though.

[knuckleboner]

yeah, but stesak's going to say clinton offered it. and bill may be many things, but he's not dumb. he would've phrased it in just the right way.

consider this slimy if you will, but i don't think there's much chance of an actual law being broken.