"EXCLUSIVE: White House asked Bill Clinton to talk to Sestak about Senate run"

[Clio the Leo]

And now we know the real reason why President Clinton was at the White House to have lunch with President Obama yesterday. I was wondering about that....

EXCLUSIVE: White House asked Clinton to talk to Sestak about Senate run

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.

According to the sources, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel asked Clinton and his longtime adviser, lawyer Doug Band, to talk to Sestak about the race. It's unclear right now whether the White House will say that Clinton was asked to suggest specific administration positions for Sestak, whether Clinton floated positions on his own, whether Clinton discussed other options not related to the adminstration, or whether employment even came up at all in the talks.

But the news that Clinton is at the center of this whole story is noteworthy on its own because of the former president's stature, and underscores how heavily invested the White House was in dissuading Sestak from running. The White House sent Clinton to talk to Sestak because Specter, constituting the 60th Dem vote in the Senate, was viewed as key to enacting Obama's agenda.

The White House maintains that Clinton's overtures to Sestak merely constituted an effort to gauge his seriousness about the race, the sources say, adding that Clinton was informally discussing the range of options open to Sestak as part of a larger conversation meant to ascertain Sestak's thinking.

I've been unable to ascertain precisely what Clinton discussed with Sestak in terms of his future options, but the release of the White House's formal response will clear that up.

By Greg Sargent | May 28, 2010; 9:49 AM ET

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/05/exclusive_white_house_asked_cl_1.html

President Barack Obama talks with former President Bill Clinton, during their meeting with the U.S. World Cup soccer team under the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 27, 2010.

[ShortnFiery]

1. This is UNSAT. Why is the WH leaking this?

Do they ACTUALLY have something to hide and are now trying to muddy the waters?

[SoxFan]

4. OFFS

This is what you consider a scandal?

I've got news for you. Floating alternative positions to people who are looking at entering contested primaries has gone on for as long as there have been contested primaries. This is all just the latest manufactured RW Noise Machine Poutrage, and it figures that you, once again, are buying into it hook, line, and sinker.

[ShortnFiery]

16. What positive GOOD can come out of leaking this information to the press?

None UNLESS you wish to increase speculation. It wasn't the GOP who leaked this information - it was the WH staff.

[YvonneCa]

I agree about the 'noise machine' manufacturing...

...this. But Bill Clinton won't be hurt by this...Rahm E. will be. This deflects the issue away from the WH. I think Rahm is GONE.

[closeupready]

56. That doesn't sound like change, then. So which is it?

Change? Or Business As Usual?

[phleshdef]

65. Ya know, I bet Bush took showers and President Obama takes showers. THATS NOT CHANGE!

THATS MORE OF THE SAME!

[closeupready]

67. Oh, well if you view this as you do personal hygiene, you've probably got a lot of other issues

you need to work on.

[phleshdef]

68. Its about as common place and about as meaningful.

[closeupready]

89. All true except for one thing: you are completely wrong.

n/t

[Cha]

100. That's exactly right.

[Clio the Leo]

5. Because President Obama said yesterday that a statement was forthcoming...

.... and forthcoming it is.

Muddy the waters? I thought you said those were GOP talking points? .... you're making my head spin this morning. :)

[ShortnFiery]

8. Yes, it's called OPSEC. If they are going to release a clear statement, there is no need

to LEAK this advance information to the press.

It's beyond time to release this illustrious statement and put this issue to rest. Not feed the press tidbits to chew on. :shrug:

p.s. The above is not a GOP talking point but basic common sense.

[ProSense]

13. Oh my.

SCANDAL!

...When Sen. Judd Gregg was going to leave Congress to join the Obama administration -- which, in the end, he didn't do, because he realized he disagreed with everything President Obama stands for -- he wasn't going to take the appointment to become commerce secretary unless his replacement in New Hampshire's Senate seat would caucus with the GOP.

[Renew Deal]

Since when is issuing a formal statement a leak?

Or are you just trying to muddy the waters?

[ShortnFiery]

24. They have NOT issued the formal statement yet. This is a LEAK.

I surmise that the WH would love to bury Sestak and run Specter as an Independent. That's why they are allowing a press "feeding frenzy" by leaking this information. If not that, this is punishment to tell Sestak that he better toe the Executive Branch's line.

It's wrong. Sestak was NOT the person "in the wrong."

When Blago did this stuff you were all over him like white on rice.

However, the WH must be kept clean - at all costs.

How Machiavellian and counter to what I would consider *democratic values.*

[Jennicut]

28. Specter can't run as an indie. There is sore loser laws in most states.

PA has one.

[ShortnFiery]

34. Thanks for the information. That's one tidbit of good news. eom

[Renew Deal]

30. Here's your hat

[Tarheel_Dem]

53. For someone who's wrong time & time again, she certainly is the loudest.

She's fueled by emotion & hate for the Obama administration. Her ignorance of the process becomes more clear with each passing day. She thought Jim Webb was some sort of fire breathing West Coast liberal, so I don't take her seriously anymore. Taylor Marsh has nothing on S-n-F.

[Inuca]

86. Sorry to say, but your comments

are getting more Beck-like every day. Running Specter as an independent?!?!?! Leak (http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2010/05/white-house-report-on-communication-with-rep-joe-sestak-about-pa-primary.php?page=1)?!?!?

[lamp_shade]

33. EASY, SHORT, EASY!!!!

[ShortnFiery]

50. Yes, it would be cool for some of us liberals to see Rahm given his pink slip.

I must admit to a not so hidden agenda operating in the background. :evilgrin:

[WeDidIt]

49. AttOd

You really hate Obama, don't you?

Obama said his administration would issue a statement about Sestak. A leak prior to the statement is par for the course.

[DevonRex]

79. Short, this is NOT a military operation. Opsec, unsat, babblebabble.

:eyes:

[havocmom]

2. 'k

:popcorn:

[Clio the Leo]

6. totally.

Of course the only reason I can :popcorn: along with you is that I know nothing will come of it.

[babylonsister]

3. Oh my. The Clenis is involved? The plot will thicken in the

pee-wee minds of the r/w 'media'. This will be 'the' story now. The horror!

[Jennicut]

7. The Clenis! Oh no!

So Bubba talked to Sestak and Sestak said no to any offers. Is this a big deal?

[Clio the Leo]

11. Yes! Because Bill Clinton had SEX in the WHITE HOUSE!!!!

And THAT is important!!!! :sarcasm:

[Jennicut]

15. LOL!

The most interesting thing to me with this is that the Clintons and Obama seem to be getting along fine these days. Oh, we have come so far from the primaries, haven't we?

[Clio the Leo]

17. yeah .... but I always knew that was a temporary thing...

.... which is why I'm not buying into the whole "Carville hates Obama because he's a PUMA" bs.

I've heard Carville defend the President too many times in the last year and a half to be too upset with him.

[babylonsister]

12. No, it's not, but the r/w intends on making it a big deal, or trying to.

While they spout off about this, no one is paying attention to them. Brilliant strategery. :crazy:

[Clio the Leo]

10. Let 'em

Let them piss and moan about something that doesn't matter ... take attention away from the oil spill BS.

[Beacool]

55. Hey, don't forget about the LW Clinton haters.

They'll also throw in their $0.02.

:-(

[SwampG8r]

105. i didnt say a word

why are you talking about me?

[Pirate Smile]

9. Hmmm. Interesting. I can't believe how Sestak managed to blow something normal and not a big

deal into such a big FU.

[Clio the Leo]

14. Yep! ...... but let's get him into the Senate anyway!

:scared:

Better a slightly inept Democrat than a totally inept Republican.

[ShortnFiery]

20. I can't believe you folks. You are defending the indefensible - just to keep the WH's hands clean.

Unbelieveable! :(

[Clio the Leo]

31. We dont have to KEEP the White House's hands clean...

.... they already are.

[ShortnFiery]

41. I'm surmising that if justice is served, Rahm will be tendering his resignation in the

very near future.

[Clio the Leo]

45. For doing what?

And do we now have to recall John Huntsman as well?

[leftynyc]

61. For doing what the President asked?

You sound deranged.

[ShortnFiery]

18. It wasn't Sestak who offered the position. Now Party trumps truth? eom

[NCarolinawoman]

51. Sestak didn't blow this up into a big FU.

The Right-wing Fake-Outrage Machine is responsible for this. This is what they do. And then the talking heads like little Luke Russert (who has nothing better to do) grab on to the right-wing talking points. It's a formula used over and over.

Sestak was asked by a local Philadelphia media guy back in February if the Whitehouse had offered him some kind of position not to run. Sestak answered honestly, "yes". Was he suppose to have said "no" (which would probably have been a lie)? The answer of "no comment" would not have worked out very well either.

I don't think any of this is illegal. Just a slight embarrassment for the Whitehouse, revealing some politics as usual stuff.

The Whitehouse (and Clinton at this point) should get out there and say, "Yes, a job was offered and it was turned down". Nuff said.

[Cha]

101. And, it wasn't a paying job.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

19. This explains Sestak using the word "indirect" when describing how an offer was presented.

I don't think there's an issue here. Clinton was sent to feel him out. Clinton was in no position to make any offers himself. Sestak has proclaimed all along that he wasn't interested in any position. End of story. Hmmm, perhaps it was Sestak himself who said "Secretary of the Navy" and the White House couldn't go along because they already had someone.

Of course Rahm's fingerprints are all over the place. Why not just leave the dynamics in place? Back your guy and hope that he wins and if he doesn't, you still have a strong Democrat. They were dumb to involve themselves at all, in my opinion. Clinton is probably furious at Sestak's loose lips over nothing in an attempt at self-aggrandizement.

The White House should have offered this very reasonable and creible explanation a long time ago when this stuff first came up.

I think Sestak will end up looking like an ass, but he'll still be electable. Perhaps having learned a valuable lesson in discretion.

[ShortnFiery]

23. The lesson learned should be by the Executive Branch. You don't do that.

It's immoral and Bill Clinton (correction) was wrong to "feel him out."

There's no half stepping here - the WH messed up and they should have come clean earlier.

[smoogatz]

25. Impeach! Impeach!!! IMPEEEEEEACH!!!111!

Sestakgate!!11!! OMMFG!!!11!!! IMMMMMPPPEEEEEEEEEEEACH!!!1!1!1!

[ShortnFiery]

26. No, I'm not saying that. Just come clean and fire Rahm. Case closed! eom

[Jennicut]

27. HRC...Hillary? It wasn't her, it was Bill.

[Clio the Leo]

32. lol, it wasn't "HRC" ... it was BILL .......

... you didn't even READ the article. :rofl:

[ShortnFiery]

35. Yes I did. I stand corrected. :-)

That's good news also which I overlooked by not reading closer. HRC will not be implicated so she can just "watch the show." :shrug:

[Clio the Leo]

37. I even gave you a picture.

Perhaps I should have done a bigger one...

[ShortnFiery]

38. There's no need to behave in a haughty manner. I admitted my error. eom

[Clio the Leo]

40. I'm not being haughty .... I'm messing with you.

Just a couple of jokes between fellow Democrats. :hug:

[ShortnFiery]

42. Well Played. The picture should have been a BIG tell.

:blush:

[Clio the Leo]

44. yep and just between you and me....

.... some of them soccer guys were in on it too. ;)

[ShortnFiery]

46. OK ok ok !

I scanned the damn article way too fast. :-) :dunce:

[Clio the Leo]

48. ... and to be fair...

.... I probably should go back and add "Bill" to the subject.


Otherwise, other people might assume it was GEORGE Clinton (which is who *I* use as my go-between)

[Arkana]

90. "That couch was over by that wall when I worked here."

[WI_DEM]

21. Oh Brother! This is much ado about nothing.

[harun]

39. You might be right. The concern legitamately could have been to try

and ascertain if Sestak was serious enough to fight hard for a win once the General came. I think it more likely they are concerned about the difficulties they will face if the seat is lost to a Republican than any desire to keep Specter.

[HughMoran]

97. Yes, it is

Even Mrs Greenspan and David Gregory agree it's nothing. So, it's NOTHING!

[Peacetrain]

22. Oh for the love of Mike.. mountains being made out of Molehills

Is anyone keeping a running tab on how many times the media has been made to look like real a$$hats foaming at things that turned out to be nothing?

[lordcommander]

29. .....

THIS IS A BIG F*CKING DEAL!!!11111!!!!!!!

:sarcasm:


:eyes:

[Clio the Leo]

36. And the WH will be dropping the statement "shortly" ....

(tapping my fingers on my desk)

... per Mark Knoller.

[Clio the Leo]

43. I've got a solution, let's just impeach Bill Clinton AGAIN ....

.... surely there's a sub-clause in the Constitution that will allow that, right?

Just another day on the job for the Big Dawg and then he'll be TOTALLY absolved for the South Carolina remark. :)

[Clio the Leo]

47. Early read out on the WH version...

WH officials say there was no direct contact between Rahm and Sestak.

In WH version, WJC wasn't told to offer anything, Sestak never asked for anything, these are not the droids you are looking for, etc.

Also, call to Sestak's brother Wednesday was a formality and courtesy -- letting the Sestak camp know about the memo's contents.

http://twitter.com/marcambinder

[Beacool]

52. So, they used the Big Dawg?

Bill should have told them to do their own dirty work.

Now they are throwing him to the rabid media.

x(

[Clio the Leo]

57. lol, by doing a photo op with him? How DARE they!

"So, Rahm, I know things are looking kinda shady about that idea you had with Bill and Sestak, but here's what I think I'm gonna do, I'm gonna go out with him and Joe on the NORTH FLIPPIN LAWN and take some pictures with him! Joe thinks it's a t a big f'in deal, but he says that about everything."

:rofl:

Was he trying to save the police the trouble of doing the mug shot?

[Beacool]

63. If Rahm asked Bill to step in, then Obama was aware of it.

Or do you really think that Rahm would dare to involve Bill without Obama's knowledge?

;-)

[Clio the Leo]

72. No, I got that part, I'm calling BS on your "dirty work" accusation..

... and to PROVE it wasn't "dirty work" why would the President (Obama) take a photo with President Clinton yesterday KNOWING what would be revealed today?

Further proof that this is much ado about nothing and I suspect that's one of the reasons Clinton was included in the shot.

[Beacool]

78. Of course it's much ado about nothing.

But next time maybe Obama, or someone else at the WH, should do their own dubious work and leave Bill out of it.

;-)

[Tarheel_Dem]

58. Oh yeah. Sure wouldn't want "Big Dawg" accused of anything immoral...

:eyes:

[Beacool]

62. Yeah, let's pretend Obama is squeaky clean.

Get Bill to talk to Sestak and keep Obama's hands clean.........

:eyes:

[Tarheel_Dem]

66. Never even suggested that. But for you to suggest that "Big Dawg" is

new to moral controversy, and that he's somehow being sacrificed at the alter of the WH, is beyond ludicrous.

I mean, he's "BIG DAWG", and all that term implies. Hell, I don't think it would come as much of a surprise to learn that this was all Bill's idea to begin with. Afterall, he is one shrewd mofo.;-)

[Beacool]

70. Frankly, it sounds more like one of Rahm's ideas.

My point is that they now very conveniently throw Bill to the dogs. Next time they should do their own bidding. Bill has been through enough and he's not in office anymore to have to take their crap.

[Clio the Leo]

74. So Bill lets "dirt bag" Rahm tell him what to do?

Why does he associate with a man of such questionable moral character?

NEWS FLASH: The're FRIENDS.

(and I realize you didnt call Rahm a "dirt bag" but it's pretty clear you're not fond of him)

[Beacool]

76. Unlike most here, I don't have bad feelings about Rahm.

I'm just saying that I don't appreciate the WH trying to deflect the limelight from themselves by throwing Bill to the media and RW wolves. He already paid his dues in spade and doesn't need the aggravation.

Right now Limbaugh is talking about him and how good he is at getting jobs for people to get them to shut up. Of course he brought up how Bill asked Jordan to get Monica a job.

;(

[Clio the Leo]

81. Again, HOW did they thow Pres. Clinton to the wolves?

And even if we presume they did, why do a PHOTO OP with someone you're trying to pass as a scape goat?

I just cant follow the logic.

[Jennicut]

84. Bill helped because he wanted to. I don't see it as Obama using him.

Frankly, I think the Clintons are getting along great with Obama these days, and that is a good thing. Remember all the hysteria that they wouldn't get along?

[Tarheel_Dem]

87. Come on Clio, you and I both know this isn't about Rahm. Hell, it's not even...

about "Big Dawg", it's just a continuation of Beacool's unwillingness to accept the results of the 2008 primaries. No POTUS or FLOTUS will ever come close to her admiration for the Clintons.

[Beacool]

93. Oh, please..........

Get over yourselves. The world doesn't revolve around the WH, no matter who is president.

:eyes:

[SwampG8r]

106. gotta call bullshit

beacool may love herself some clintons but she is not delusional
beacool has had much less trouble accepting the outcome of the primaries than the winners
and she is a super cool gator girl so back off...
before the chomping begins!

[Renew Deal]

71. But there's nothing wrong with what Clinton did.

And Clinton is probably closer to Sestak than Obama was.

[Beacool]

75. I know, but I notice how the WH is trying to divert attention to Bill from themselves.

Even though they probably were the ones who asked Bill to intervene and talk to Sestak in the first place.

I'm not saying that anything illegal was done. It's just the usual political back and forth, but they should now leave Bill out of it. He's been the favorite whipping boy of the right AND left for years. Enough already!!!

Leave Bill alone!!! Hey, where's the Paris Hilton dude when you need him?

:D

[Clio the Leo]

82. How? NT

[Tarheel_Dem]

83. You are such a doof. Don't you know that the Repub congress is trying..

to make this another Whitewater? It would have come out in hearings that Bill was involved. Why should the WH try to hide his involvement, if everything is above board?:shrug:

[Hippo_Tron]

88. Why do you assume Bill is involuntarily taking the bullet on this one?

Clinton is a former Democratic President who dealt with a lot of bullshit like this during his tenure and one of his biggest regrets is how much it kept him from focusing on the things that matter. He's also a good team player and a good guy. I would hardly be surprised if he's happy to act as the diversion so that the White House doesn't have to go through the same crap he went through.

[Beacool]

94. He IS a good guy and deserved better than the crap he got from the right and the left,

let alone the vile media. If he's protecting the WH, then it's far more than they deserve considering the treatment he got in the past.

;(

[Tarheel_Dem]

95. "it's far more than they deserve considering the treatment he got in the past."

That's it, isn't it? You feel that BC was dissed in some way by the current administration? You keep declaring that you've moved on, and not everything revolves around this WH, but you make a statement like this, and it calls your credibility/sincerity into question. I'm just sayin' that if you're over it, why would you make this statement?

"it's far more than they deserve considering the treatment he got in the past."

Are you an honest broker, beacool? You're either over it, or you're not. The above statement belies your earlier protestations. Bill & Hill seem to have moved on, why can't you?

[Beacool]

103. I went away for the long weekend.

Bill was dissed plenty in the past. If he chooses to help them out, more power to him. As for me, I'm entitled to my own opinion.

Enjoy the holiday weekend.

;)

[Tarheel_Dem]

104. You certainly are entitled to your own opinion. But you've spent so much

energy telling us that the negative crap you post about the Obamas has nothing to do with the primaries, and that you're over it. Then you go and "accidentally" divulge the truth, I just thought it was interesting.

So the next time you're taken to task for more of your anti-Obama crap, maybe you'll just be honest and admit that you haven't/can't move on? Honesty's important.;)

[Tarheel_Dem]

96. Crickets?

[Hippo_Tron]

99. Protecting the White House = doing good for the country

The past is the past and I am firmly convinced that President Clinton wants to see President Obama's agenda succeed because he believes that President Obama's agenda is good for the country. I'm sure he's happy to do whatever he can to help.

[BeyondGeography]

54. If they can't get Obama with this, they'll impeach Clinton

:silly:

[Clio the Leo]

59. ha ha ha haaaaaaa................

"I did not... have... effectual conversations with that man... Mr. Sestak."{/i]

twitter.com/jimgeraghty

[Jennicut]

85. Just HOW did Clinton give the "job offer"?

LOL.

[Clio the Leo]

60. WH Council's review just hit the journos' inboxes...

.... and the tension builds.

[TheKentuckian]

64. This will probably allow this to get cleaned up without incident

Bubba will say he spoke about a range of options and that he thought the former Admiral would be the perfect fit for Sec of the Navy.

Sestak can say he perceived the options as an offer especially with the focus on the Secretary position.

The White House can engage in plausible deniability aka we weren't privy to the conversation and just had Bubba speak to Sestak to gage his interest in entering the race as well as how much an asset he could be within the Administration.

Everybody looks maybe a little off kilter or shifty but there is no path to demonstrating that anything improper occurred and Issa can find something else to fuck up.

EASY PEASY!

[freddie mertz]

69. I wonder who leaked this? Would have been better just to get all the info out.

I suspect this is a tempest in a teapot, and would advise the WH that the best idea is to just get it out there, officially, and stop teasing the hungry beast with this sort of thing.

[jenmito]

73. OOH! The Repubs. can impeach Clinton again!

:rofl: It's ridiculous how people are calling for Obama's impeachment when nothing impeachable occurred. Not to mention how many impeachable things BUSH did!

[Robbie88]

77. Yeah, or they could also go back and impeach Reagan:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e9cTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LgYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7178,6653372&hl=en

[ProgressOnTheMove]

80. This is BS the previous administration were cronies are us.

[musiclawyer]

91. Love the expression of Jose Francisco Torres and Clarence

Goodson in the original pic. It's like "WTF is wrong with you Bill..." lol

[PopSixSquish]

92. Well Hell Just Let the Republicans Impeach Bill Clinton All Over Again

and let the rest of us go on with our lives...

[rocktivity]

98. And thank you for playing "Punk the Pundits!"

The President who offered Sestak a job was CLINTON??? Absolutely fabulous, sweetie darling! So how's that impeach-y special prosecut-ey thing working out for you, Rethugs and MSM accomplices? You got PUNKED, and you have no one to blame but yourself! I'M LOVING IT!!!

:rofl:
rocktivity

[Ned Bro]

102. So?

That's not even a news story in American politics!