Making the rounds of the Sunday morning talk shows after his May 18th primary win, Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania answered questions about his claim that the White House offered him an administration job if he would clear the field for ex-Republican, incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter.

Sestak acknowledged that he had been offered a job, but he would not discuss it any further.   He said that he only acknowledged the job offer in an interview in February because he was asked the question.

Sestak said on “Meet the Press” on May 23rd:

I was asked about something that happened months earlier, and I felt I had to answer it honestly, and that’s all I have to say about it, because anything beyond that gets away from what we just talked about, what are the policies.

That was the match that started a forest fire.  Since then, Fox News has been all over this.  Republicans in Congress have called for AG Eric Holder to appoint a Special Prosecutor.  Yesterday, in his first Press Conference in 309 days, President Barack Hussein Obama (mm mmm mmmm) said:

There will be an official response shortly on the Sestak matter.   I mean shortly — I don’t mean weeks or months. … I can assure the public that nothing improper took place. 

At Thursday’s scheduled Press Briefing, White House Press Secretary Robert “Baghdad Bob” Gibbs also said nothing improper happened, but would not make any additional statements, even though he was peppered with questions about the situation.

Today, the White House issued the long-awaited statement that Scooter promised yesterday

The memo released today states that President Obama’s chief of staff used former President Bill Clinton as a go-between in order to see if Representative Joe Sestak would drop out of Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate primary if they bribed him with  a prominent, but unpaid, advisory position, the White House said on Friday.

Waitaminute…they wanted him to give up an opportunity at a $174,000 plus per year prestigious Senatorial seat for a prominent, but unpaid, advisory position?  Isn’t that like offering someone a penny for a dollar?

Chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel asked his former boss,  President Clinton, last summer to explore “options of service” on a presidential or senior government advisory board with Mr. Sestak, per the White House’s statement.  Mr. Sestak said no and went on to defeat Snarlin’ Arlen Specter.

Per White House counsel Robert F. Bauer, there was nothing illegal or sleazy regarding this bribe:

There was no such impropriety.  The Democratic Party leadership had a legitimate interest in averting a divisive primary fight and a similarly legitimate concern about the congressman vacating his seat in the House.

Mr. Bauer went on to write that offering a bribe like this administration did  was a common practice:

There have been numerous, reported instances in the past when prior administrations – both Democratic and Republican, and motivated by the same goals – discussed alternative paths to service for qualified individuals also considering campaigns for public office.  Such discussions are fully consistent with the relevant law and ethical requirements.

Representative Darrell Issa of California, the senior Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, stated that: 

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.

Federal law makes it a crime for anyone:

who directly or indirectly, promises any employment, position, compensation, contract, appointment, or any other benefit” to someone else “as consideration, 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.

 It is also illegal for a government official to use “his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate” for Senate.

While speculation has been rampant that the White House offered to appoint Mr. Sestak as secretary of the Navy, Mr. Bauer claims that the White House did not offer Mr. Sestak a full-time paid position because Mr. Emanuel wanted him to stay in the House rather than risk losing his seat, so he considered “uncompensated advisory board options.”

The White House will not say what those options were, but those in-the-know say that one option was an appointment to the president’s Intelligence Advisory Board, a panel of prominent Americans outside government who provide independent oversight of the nation’s spy apparatus and advise the president.  But White House officials scratched that idea because Rep. Sestak could not serve on the board while still serving in Congress.

To quote The Man who inspired a lot of regular people to become aware of American Politics, Mr. Rush Hudson Limbaugh (Yeah, buddy!):

I guess now we know why, ladies and gentlemen, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton had lunch yesterday. They had to get their stories straight.

As I write this, Rep. Joe Sestak has not yet responded to the White House explanation.  His response will be interesting to behold.  He has to somehow stay in the good graces of  Barrack Hussein Obama (all graft, err, peace be upon him) and the Democratic Party minions, err, leadership, while at the same time, try to portray himself as sinless as he can in order to be successful in his Campaign for Specter’s Senate Seat.

Meanwhile, watch the Democratic Party’s spin.  Right now, they are flailing about, saying:

 BOOOOSH did it, too!

Representatives from President Bush’s administration, including Press Secretary Dana Perino, have already been on Fox News to refute that allegation.

To wrap this caper up in a neat little package, allow me to quote former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin:

So, how’s that hopey-changey thing workin’ out for ya?

Update:  3:35 p.m Central – Sestak just conducted  a staged “casual” (jacket  jauntily draped across his shoulder) Press Conference on the steps of  the Capital Building, where he professed his undying respect for President Clinton and dancing around everything else in a performance that could have been coached by ballet master Rahm Emmanuel .  Remember what I wrote earlier about the Democratic spin?  It will continue.

Sources:  drudgereport.com, nytimes.com, yahoo.com, rushlimbaugh.com