The past couple of days has been filled with an allegation that the Obama Administration offered Rep. Joe Sestak a job in exchange for dropping out of the Democratic primary against Senator Arlen Specter. Conservative talk radio hosts have devoted time towards trying to get to the bottom of this situation, suggesting that Obama could be impeached over it.
Allow me to throw a bucket of cold water on that notion, at least for now. On the surface, it looks like a slam dunk with the possibility of taking down a sitting President, a former President, and the party in power. It's a perfect scenario...except that it's not.
The more facts that come out about the situation, the more I can't help but think we're being played for dupes in a poorly-constructed scam. Even with the power of the Presidency and a sympathetic Congress willing to run interference for Obama (at least until after the November elections), committing an act that is so blatantly against the law is monumentally stupid, even for this Administration. Also, why drag Clinton into this? He lacked the power to give Sestak any position in the Administration, and the job offered wasn't really that much of a step up for Sestak. Add to the fact that Sestak ratted out the Administration for what appears to be no political gain whatsoever.
Put simply, there are too many things that don't make sense about the Sestak job offer, but there's just enough meat on the bone to give conservatives and Republicans reason to pounce. And that's a problem if the meat turns out to be nothing worth pursuing or a fabrication designed to discredit Obama's critics. Having Republicans go on a wild goose chase over this would go a long way towards that end, which is why Republicans and conservatives need to be very careful and do their homework before jumping on this bandwagon. As much fun as it would be to put Obama and the Democrats in a bad position over this, there are too many unanswered questions for my taste.
Hahaha!! The right-wingers create yet another bullshit scandal (SestakGate!), they see it isn't getting any traction, so they try to pass it off as a liberal scam. Funny!
I think it's hysterical that the Right has so little information that's actually damaging to Obama, that they have to puff this thing up. Why discourage them?
Oh, by the way... Will somebody please explain why Reagan doing the same thing is OK, but Obama not?
Rove, too.
"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, 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, or in connection with any primary election or political convention or caucus held to select candidates for any political office, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
What act of Congress provided for or made possible the job he was offered? It's unpaid, meaning Congress' control of the purse strings is irrelevant, and it's a Presidential advisory position, created by the Executive branch, which requires no approval from the Legislative. Congress has set rules about hiring for positions it creates or provides for. This wasn't one of those positions.
Here's why NOTHING was illegal: If they said "IF you quit running, you'll get this job." But that's not what happened. They straight up offered him the job. So, that's that.
If we go by the usual retarded Republican logic: Anytime someone is offered a job in the administration to a congressman, it is illegal. You know why? Because every time a congressman is offered a job in an administration THEY MUST QUIT CONGRESS IF THEY TAKE IT. Which may allow someone else to run for that office, or it will stop that person from making certain votes in the future. Republicans are accidentally saying EVERY president has broken this law. Why? Because Republicans are idiots.
Why do conservatives think they'll win an election by making a giant issue out of their opponent being a stand-up guy who said no to cronyism and politics as usual? What's funniest about this, is that the story really makes Sestak look like a stand up guy. Why are Republicans trying to push a story that does not serve their interests? Especially when so many Republicans turned a blind eye to the many illegal acts of the Bush administration?
I can just tell what the right-wingers are thinking. It's like the fire boom bullshit. "That fire boom shit-flinging stunt didn't work, so let's pull up THIS code and find something else. HAH, that one looks good, let's fling that one at them! Woohoo, I'm awesome!"
The idiotic right-wing pundits really understand law, don't they? They understand it about 20 times better than all the lawyers (including Republican ones) who have come out and said this is not breaking the law.
This is the same nonsense most Conservatives pull. "I know more by looking into the subject for five minutes, than the expert does who has been working on the subject for decades!" (see Evolution, Manmade Global warming, Constitutional law, History, etc..)
They have no idea about the depth of the subjects, and they think everything can be covered by bullshit talking points.
The president offers jobs to all sorts of people with political offices ALL THE TIME. Every president does. It's how cabinets and other offices get filled. Clinton was a senator. So he offered her Sec. of State -- but first she'd have to agree to get out of the office!
Have Republicans simply gone insane? Yes.
That's why this is particularly hilarious.
Don't listen to Lindaman, right-wingers! It was totally a bribe! See?
What more proof do you need? Since when does evidence matter to you guys? We have a totally unretouched photo here!
Go on, keep running with the accusations! It'll go over well with your party! Just like cheering American losing, booing America winning, the Teabaggers, the ACORN Pimp, and blaming Obama for the oil spill!
Keep fucking that chicken!
