Rep. Joe Sestak, winner of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, is refusing to provide more information on what job he was offered by a White House official to drop of that race, although he confirmed again that the incident occurred.
The White House was backing incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) in the primary. Sestak acknowledged in an interview in February that he was offered a position by an unnamed White House official - a potential violation of federal law - but has not offered any specifics on conversation. Republicans are trying to use the issue against Sestak in the November Senate race.
"It's interesting. I was asked a question about something that happened months earlier, and I felt that I should answer it honestly, and that's all I had to say about it." Sestak said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press. "Anybody else has to decide on what they will say upon their role. That's their responsibility."
Yet Sestak confirmed to NBC's David Gregory that the incident did take place. "I was offered a job, and I answered that," Sestak said. "Anything that goes beyond that is for others to talk about."
Sestak being a retired admiral--it is believed was offered the secretary of Navy position a high level position that would have had to have been approved by the POTUS. Of course Arlen Spector the long time Republican who switched party to become a Democrat directly after Obama took office and voted for the 787 billion dollar stimulus bill. Thoughts from political talking heads suggest that the administration would have had to promise Spector something big for changing his decades long party status--possibly-that there would be no opposition coming from another democrat in the primary season--guaranteeing Spector's nomination.
Therefore, the administration offered Sestak a position which he turned down. Gates--White House press secretary has refused to answer questions about this political pay-off that went sour for months.
Sestak just spilled the beans. If found to be true, this is an impeachable offense on the POTUS.
Sestak confirms WH job offer to get out of Senate race - POLITICO Live - POLITICO.com
so let us begin again, at the beginning....your op and thread starter...
your TITLE states sestak confirms he was asked to DROP OUT OF THE RACE....right? that is YOUR TITLE.
then you post from meet the press, stuff that says he confirms they offered him a JOB, THAT'S IT!
Sestak acknowledged in an interview in February that he was offered a position by an unnamed White House official -...- but has not offered any specifics on conversation.
sestak DOES NOT say or confirm the WH position offered was accompanied by them asking him to drop out of the democratic senatorial race against Spector...in this supposed confirmation interview.
He said, he was confirming that he was offered a job by the white house and ANY THING BEYOND THAT is for others to talk about...
Yet Sestak confirmed to NBC's David Gregory that the incident did take place. "I was offered a job, and I answered that," Sestak said.
sestak did not state with gregory, that the white house offered him a position within it, if he would drop out of the primary race against spector!
now let's take your second article....
it states that sestak was probably offered the secretary of the navy position....
IT DOES NOT SAY he was offered this position, quid pro quo....for him to drop out of the race against Arlin spector....
the author of the opinion piece speculates or presumes arlin spector was offered something by the admin to have no person running against spector in the primary....
And HERE is where the op writer, and you are WRONG.
1. Arlin Spector DID NOT change to the democratic party shortly after obama was elected.
Spector left the republican party and became AN INDEPENDENT, NOT a Democratic party member.
AS an Independent, HE HAD NO PRIMARY to run in against a Democrat... Democrats run against Democrats in their own primaries, they do NOT RUN AGAINST ANY INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES.
......Which Spector was an Independent Candidate, all the way up to the month of May of 2009, which is when Spector decided to change his party affiliation to the Democratic Party....
2. In the month of may, the person that obama did pick for the secretary of the Navy position, was confirmed by the senate...they got the appointment in March of '09 I believe I read, and they vetted this guy for a couple of months before that May confirmation.
So this means, that if the Obama administration did offer him the secretary of the Navy's position, this was BEFORE Spector became a Democratic member...and this was BEFORE spector was in a Democratic primary race for the senator position...because Spector was an Independent at the time.
There COULD NOT HAVE BEEN a tit for tat going on here or even offered.
There was no primary race for spector to even have a challenger in, because he was not a democrat at the time this offer to sestak was even made.
It is IMPOSSIBLE for Sestak to have been offered a white house position if he dropped out of the Senate Primary race against Spector, because there WAS NO PRIMARY RACE against Spector, at the time.