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White House: Clinton just talked to Sestak. No big deal.

When in doubt, blame a Clinton:

Senior White House advisers asked former President Bill Clinton to talk to Joe Sestak about whether he was serious about running for Senate, and to feel out whether he’d be open to other alternatives, according to sources familiar with the situation.

But the White House maintains that the Clinton-Sestak discussions were informal, according to the sources. The White House, under pressure to divulge the specifics of its interactions with Sestak, will release a formal statement later today outlining their version of events, including Clinton’s involvement.

So it took them this long to come up with that story? I wonder if they hire writers for this sort of thing. “Hey, so, we need a version of events that isn’t, like, a federal crime. Make that happen.”

The little problem with their story is that no one is buying it. First of all, it took them months to concoct it. There is no doubt that they’ll all stick to the script, now that it’s been written… but as Sargent points out in the WashPo piece, the fact that they brought Clinton in at all does nothing but highlight how heavily invested the White House was in that race. If they’re using former President to dissuade Senate candidates for running, there’s an issue. It’s all about presentation: Let’s send someone seemingly disconnected from the administration but who has sufficient power to strong arm. We’ll pretend to ignore the fact that he’s married to the Secretary of State, so he’s not entirely without connection to the administration.

I’ll join the chorus of bloggers calling BS on the “non-paying advisory” bit. No one paying attention believes that for a second. Who would consider dropping out of a Senate race for a “non-paying” gig? How many White House advisory gigs are actually unpaid?

The questions begs to be asked: how much taxpayer money is going to go to Clinton for this one?

This in no way gets them off the hook.

COMMENTS

  • redneck_hippie

    Your scenario is excellent and credible. Here’s another. Clinton really was brought in in an effort to save appearances at that time. Now the story is out there, I think the Clinton involvement is damaging because it is only making the scandal more available to the masses. Either way, we can take comfort in the history that it’s not the crime, it is the coverup that matters. How could Obama think by bringing Clinton into the story that it would go away? This seems contrived to cater to the drones in the left, a shrinking demographic. Nobody with sense is going to buy any of this.

    I knew the vacation in Chicago was timed in order for Obama to be away while the Sestak cleanup crew got busy. The Gulf press conference and Air Force One gulf visit were timed distractions because they had to start the damage control for Sestak-gate.

  • http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/blog/loren_heal Socrates

    She still owes her pollster three quarters of a mil.

    Obama could wipe that out with well-aimed eyebrow.

  • bobojake
  • Wes_W

    The White announced that they are going to release a statement this afternoon. If you want to hide something, drop a press release on the Friday afternoon before Memorial Day weekend.

  • swamphermit

    Peddling choice jobs in exchange for political favors is part of the ‘Chicago Way’…e.g. Michelle Obama’s former job in Chicago. It is so natural for the Obama Administration to do such, that they probably never considered that such might be illegal.

  • janis

    that not only was it Clinton instead of an administration official who met with Sestak, excuse me, Sestak’s brother, and offered a paying job in the administration, excuse me, non-paying advisory job, but that it was actually an offer of a job in the British government, not Obama’s.

    • 6eorge Jetson

      and expected Sestak to bite on that

      I’ve got a bridge for sale for anyone that believes that

  • momma

    Does whether the position(s) offered were paid or ‘unpaid’ make any difference? Does who spoke with whom, on any point in the range of formality, make any difference? Ex-presidents, lawyers, a West Wing go-fer, a gardener…

    Not to me. They tried to manipulate a declared candidate to get out of a senate race in order for their favored candidate to have a better chance. It’s against the law.

    I know…that concept is completely lost on this administration.

  • mkozikowski

    I have a hard time believing that Sestak would ever drop from a Senate race, or even consider it, based on a causal conversion with B. Clinton.

    There just is no creditability in his statements.

    No, I will also join the Chorus of “BS” Mr. President. This has your finger prints all over it.

    • http://hillbillypolitics.com Steph C

      I just can’t think of Obama being intelligent enough to manipulate any of this. Rahm, on the other hand, is an old hand at just this sort of thing. Obama is just window dressing because he can talk somewhat articulately and is a true believer in Marxist philosophy.

      And because Obama is the window dressing, he will be protected at all costs.

  • rinohater

    Such things are super common…I don’t know what’s the big deal. Even RumsFeld tried to offer a similar to job to top military person to stop going public on Iraq war lies.

    • Scope

      Rush brought up this very thing today. He said that there are even commentators saying it’s no big deal, it happens all the time. I know exactly who he is talking about- Charles Krauthammer said this very thing. So if someone breaks the law, it’s OK for everyone else to break the law? When does it stop?

    • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

      Toodles!

  • wolfster38

    We know Clinton had lunch with Obama yesterday.
    Question one: When did Clinton visit WH prior to yesterday?
    Question two: When did Clinton meet with Sestak or his brother?

    Time Line, phone records or emails needed to prove.

  • RedBeard

    “I didn’t do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can’t prove anything.”

    Yeah, that should work.

  • reddogreport

    The White House is triple-dog-daring Issa, Hatch and the entire blogosphere to prove the lie that everyone knows is being told.

    Who is going to take them up on the challenge?

    I certainly am!

    Brian O’Connor
    www.RedDogReport.com

  • Cheetah772

    Didn’t the federal law specifically state that administration cannot directly or indirectly offer anything to a person in exchange for anything from that person? Asking Clinton to strong-arm Sestak is still an indirect route, and if the person making that offer were to confess of this exchange taking place, then he can easily turn the finger to somebody high in Obama administration, even Obama himself.

    Even if Obama administration tooik an indirect route, somebody still broke law on this one. Somebody is gonna feel the tires of Obama bus, I would bet my life savings on this one. Though, to be sure, I don’t think anybody will go to jail over this, but it’s something to lose job over this.

    • Achance

      Not bloody likely. Special prosecutor? Never appoint one in a million years. Congress? Not as long as Democrats control it. PA AG? Don’t know and don’t know if s/he would have jurisdiction. Anyway, PA is a pretty Blue state, so they’re not likely to upset Comrade Obama.

      I think the most we get out of this is some good campaign commercials.

      • http://hillbillypolitics.com Steph C

        the load of crap included in federal laws that were never enforced since becoming law; or enforced only when it’s politically expedient to do so.

  • bags64

    blame bush!

    • blooch

      I think that falls into the “blame Bush” category.

  • jen0517

    If Clinton is involved, you know that they have a BIG problem on their hands!!

    1. No one would ever take an UNPAID position to drop out of a senator race they are WINNING!

    2. Hillary still owes a crap load of money from failed campaign AND she’s probably still considering a run in the future

    3. Bill volunteers his teflon exterior to talk to Sestak and be the “fall guy” in exchange for something for Hillary

    Methinks that something is rotten in the state of Denmark…eh, DC

    • GregInFla

      Anyone else get the hint in 24 of the similarities between these two characters? I will admit that Logan had a much better wife.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Let us assume, first, that this played out as the White House claims that it has.

    Let us also assume that it is as innocent an event as the White House’s defenders are claiming it to be. I AM NOT SAYING THAT IT WAS: this is strictly a hypothetical.

    If both of these assumptions are true, then there would be absolutely NO reason for the White House to not jump on Sestak with both feet when he first made the claim back in the primary. Remember, back then he was the upstart in a doomed bid to upset Specter.

    • janis

      web that ensues when lies are put ahead of the truth. I also think that it’s no coincidence that they chose a proven liar to be involved in this. He has so much experience in lying with great sincerity.

      These people can’t even lie and cheat competently. What do we have to do to get a REAL politician in the WH?

    • blooch

      or do they wait unitl next week to see who’s saluting the false flag they’ve run up?

      Or is Sestak bulletproof for the moment. I wonder who from the WH is talking to Sestak right now. Maybe RumsFeld…it’s super common, y’know.

  • antisocial

    crime. Getting Bill on the case is even more damaging. He is a proven liar.

    TBP as Becker would say :-)

  • Tbone
  • http://thecorruptworld.blogspot.com/ wayneinnh

    Of course.

    When all else fails, blame it on the womanizing, disbarred, only elected president to be impeached. After all, will anyone really think less of him?

  • http://www.neoavatara.com/blog neoavatara

    The Obama White House cannot be stupid enough to think that this will end the controversy, are they? Honestly, I think this will make things WORSE, not better.

    http://neoavatara.com/blog/?p=11096

  • fotophun

    and what does Bill get out of this if this really happened

  • WarEagle01

    What should we call this? Something-gate. Suggestions?

    • securitymom

      Primarygate, Senategate, Rambogate, Billygate, Promisegate. Just a few…

    • samminusa

      Obammy-Slick Willy-Philly Gate

  • http://www.havearoach.com Lee Hempfling

    The man is a proven liar.

    He was disbarred for lieing!

    Anybody believe that liar?

    Anybody?

    Sestak held off on the details so the WH could get their story straight and they had TWO MONTHS to do it!

    And Bubba is the answer.

    These people are not only criminal.. they’re STUPID!

    • http://hillbillypolitics.com Steph C

      one day we can add them to the “dumb crooks” news????

  • emartin

    Sestak was a huge Hillary supporter. In tight with the Clintons. I suppose it could be possible that Bill was summoned by Rahm to try to influence Sestak to get out of the contest with Specter. But, this all smells foul to me. Somehow I think they’re using the Clintons as fall guys. It looks like the BO administration orchestrated this “solution” at the last minute. My goodness. There have been so many crazy twists and turns in the Clintons’ political life. I guess this is another one. As a grieving fan of the “LOST” television series, this could turn out to be an intriguing drama to follow instead. Whatever happens, I hope Obama goes down…

    • blooch

      Watch as an administration crashes and burns. Emerging from the wreckage, they stumble for years through a series of fantastical misadventures and revelations so convoluted that the audience’s eyes glaze over after the third episode.

      Tabitha is onto something here:

      “Hey, so, we need a version of events that isn

  • redneck_hippie

    He’d know that he’d get the spotlight. And if anybody would, he’d know that this would weaken Obama once it came out. A machiavelian maneuver. I could see Obama turning the Sestak cleanup operation over to Rahm, saying it’s your mess, you clean it up. Then Clinton rides in to the rescue with his fingers crossed behind his back

    • janis

      Anything to put himself back in the public eye. Didn’t end well for him. Clinton should know better than to get involved in something that is going to blow up in his face.

      Did I just say that? Silly me.

      • jonreagan

        Clinton is a grudge-carrier extraordinaire, and has never forgiven team Obama for calling him a racist during the primary wars. Beyond that, Bill sees a Hillary Presidency as inevitable, and Obama is in the way. He

    • jen0517

      Clinton would do anything to be seen in the media and be in power again!

    • Susannah

      …..Moe Lane said above that it was strange that, when Sestak, first made his comments about the job offer, that the White House didn’t come out swinging then, and say, “Hey, we just spoke hypothetically–nothing wrong with that.” And technically there isn’t–politicians have been doing this since the time of the Caesars. So, my question is–”What are they REALLY trying to hide?” In other words, what is more embarrassing than them offering Sestak a job off the record, and him refusing? (This NEVER should have become this big a scandal–as both Megyn Kelly and Charles Krauthammer state. The WH could have made this go away months ago.)

      Well, what’s more embarrassing is Bill Clinton winking and nodding and telling Rahm Emanuel that he would go talk to Joe Sestak and try to convince him to dropout, but then actually telling Sestak— “RUN dammit!! You can easily beat that SOB Specter. He has the personality of a toad! Besides, no one in PA, Republican or Democrat, likes him.”

      Now, what makes me think that Bill Clinton did this? Well, the fact that the Obama campaign called him and Hillary “RAAAAACISTS!!” throughout the Democratic Primary (remember, Bill Clinton was “the first black president”, so this would REALLY piss him off), the fact that the entire Democratic establishment and the liberal MSM were trying to pressure Hillary to drop out of the race (so Sestak is not the first to fall victim to this tactic), and the fact that the Obama campaign pushed the story that Hillary wanted Obama to get assassinated (see link below).

      http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0508/Hillary_cites_RFK_assasination_in_explaining_why_shes_still_in_race.html

      Furthermore, Joe Sestak was an extremely loyal Hillary supporter who stayed with her until the bitter end, and who was perpetually on TV defending her (when most of her supporters had left). Sestak even referred to himself as a “serious” Hillary supporter. (See the link below which quotes Sestak as saying this, plus it points out that Sestak helped Hillary win Bucks county by 15 points–something that I’m sure that Obama hasn’t forgotten).

      http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/28/2010/may/17/bumpy-ride-for-democrats-1.html

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sestak

      So, my question to you all is, who do you think that Bill Clinton would have more loyalty to? Some upstart Chicago politician that called him and his wife “racists” and implied that his wife wanted him assassinated? Or, a guy who stood by them through thick and thin and helped Hillary carry Bucks county by 15 points–when everyone else in the DNC and the MSM was telling her to get out of the race? Just a thought.

      Oh, and one more thing. Two days before the Sestak/Specter election, Bill Clinton was in Johnstown, PA campaigning for Mark Critz. Now, when he was there, Clinton NEVER mentioned Specter’s name (Obama’s choice for Senate) once. Furthermore, Critz’s district went HEAVILY for Hillary, so just by being there, Bill was doing a serious get out the vote drive for Sestak (he didn’t have to say anything–once the people who voted for Hillary heard he was there, they knew what to do).

      And, finally, the reason why I think that Bill Clinton totally kneecapped Obama and stabbed him in the back, is because, frankly, it’s something that I would do. I could totally see myself, if I were in Bill Clinton’s position, smiling sweetly at Obama and Rahm and saying–”Why of course I’ll talk to Sestak.” (and then, conveniently leave out what I planned on telling Sestak). I believe that revenge is a dish best served cold–and I’m sure that Bill Clinton does as well.

      And yes, if it were to be revealed that Bill Clinton convinced Joe Sestak to run and helped him win behind Obama’s back, that would be a whole heck of a lot more embarrassing than Obama offering Sestak a job and him refusing. Why? Because it would make Obama look weak–like he just got pwned (which I think that he did). Just a thought.

      • Susannah

        Here is the link that shows that Clinton was in Johnstown, PA campaigning for Mark Critz two days before the Spector/ Sestak race. I forgot to include it.

        http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/529945.html?nav=742

      • redneck_hippie

        for the express purpose of going behind Obama’s back and helping Sestak. Would be hilarious if true!

        Also, The Ragin Cajun (the corpse, not Erick) was extremely vocal a couple of days ago in denouncing Obama over his Gulf blunders and nonaction. The ragin cajun is also Hillary’s guy. Maybe the Clinton camp is feeling their oats and what we are seeing now is the tip of the iceberg of Democrats wanting to desert the sinking ship.

        • Susannah

          ….And, as Peggy Noonan pointed out in a column the other day (that Jeff Emanuel put in the Red Hots), the Hillary supporters NEVER solidly got behind Obama anyhow. Therefore, I think that we’re witnessing the beginning of the peel off—starting officially w/ Bill Clinton secretly backing Sestak.

          • redneck_hippie

            is good. A successful move by the leader of the Dem-on-Dem opposition would be cringingly embarrassing. Been salivating over Obama facing challenges from the left and right. Let the primary gods rain heckfire on the one’s cash stash,

  • izoneguy

    http://issa.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=22&Itemid=28&flt_m=&flt_y=2010

    5/28/2010
    Sestak Memorandum

    • redneck_hippie

      A senate seat is a ******* valuable thing.

      Thank goodness Issa is on this. Obviously, Obama thinks a senate seat is valuable enough in this year of our Lord 2010 to attempt to bribe a candidate to leave the race.

  • jonreagan

    Clinton is a grudge-carrier extraordinaire, and has never forgiven team Obama for calling him a racist during the primary wars. Beyond that, Bill sees a Hillary Presidency as inevitable, and Obama is in the way. He’ll do anything to take Obama down, and is devious enough to engineer a plot similar to what you describe so that it boomerangs on the annointed one.

    I’ve obviously never bought into the “making nice” that goes on between the Obamas and the Clintons. It’s still a war, and someone is going to get hurt.

  • http://www.barrypopik.com barrypopik

    When your official story is so ridiculous that it cannot be believed by any thinking person, that’s bad.That’s Clinton-esque.

    A classic from Michael Kelly:

    I Believe
    by Michael Kelly
    Washington Post, Wednesday, February 4, 1998; Page A19

    I believe the president. I have always believed him. I believed him when he said he had never been drafted in the Vietnam War and I believed him when he said he had forgotten to mention that he had been drafted in the Vietnam War. I believed him when he said he hadn’t had sex with Gennifer Flowers and I believe him now, when he reportedly says he did.

    I believe the president did not rent out the Lincoln Bedroom, did not sell access to himself and the vice president to hundreds of well-heeled special pleaders and did not supervise the largest, most systematic money-laundering operation in campaign finance history, collecting more than $3 million in illegal and improper donations. I believe that Charlie Trie and James Riady were motivated by nothing but patriotism for their adopted country.

    I believed Vice President Gore when he said that he had made dunning calls to political contributors “on a few occasions” from his White House office, and I believed him when he said that, actually, “a few” meant 46. I believe in no controlling legal authority. …

  • Common_Cents

    Why did sestak say the white house offer instead of Clinton offered? Is bill secretly the president for a third term?

    Did sestak visit the WH in the last yr and who did he see?

    Why did Clinton have lunch with Obama yesterday? The day before he was outted to the media as the guy who offered sestak a job?

    Did anyone brief sestak on how to lie? Because he did a poor job today fumbling his words.

  • pamela1631

    Send his Lieutenants out with offers of employment or increases to the financial coffers in exchange for favors?

    How is that any different with the Bill/Rahm/Barack scenario?

    Someone needs to toss the fish out. Stinks to high heaven.

  • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

    x

    • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

      Specter becomes a Democrat on April 28, 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/28/specter.party.switch/

      • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

        Just heard the clip on Mark Levin of Sestak responding to a question. Sestak said Bill Clinton only called one time (about a job offer).

  • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

    White House Memo:
    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.

    Sounds like there were *at least* two times someone from the White House approached Sestak.Did Clinton call Sestak a second time? If not, who did? Also, why were jobs (plural) offered? Did the White House come back with a “better offer” the second time?

    • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

      Just heard the clip on Mark Levin of Sestak responding to a question. Sestak said Bill Clinton only called one time (about a job offer)

      • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

        and who made the other phone call(s)?

        http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/memorandum-white-house-counsel-regarding-review-discussions-relating-congressman-se

        • http://www.barrypopik.com barrypopik

          I know, no lie detector test for the people’s representatives. Just the little people take lie detector tests.

          Bill O’Reilly’s show today was a repeat of past segments, but I would have liked to have seen the body language expert on.

          The lie detector was practically made for the Clintons.

          • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

            Come November 2010, hopefully we can start measuring the drapes.

  • http://pocketchangeproductions.net/ anotherindyfilmguy

    Bubba Clinton and Obama as cellmates?

    Or at least both as ex-presidents sometime this year?

    Either works…