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

Washington Post ^ | May 28, 2010 | Greg Sargent

[maggief]

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.

[hsalaw]

Ha ha! Put Clinton under oath!!

Maybe we'll finally find out what the meaning of "is" is.

[VeniVidiVici]

Was he offered a job?

I guess it all depends on your definition of "offer"...

Actually, with Bill Clinton involved it all depends on your definition of "job". :-)

[MissH]

I think that is exactly what they are doing - but wouldn’t it be fun if Slick Willy would throw Obama under the bus.....

[Carley]

Wonder if bubba gets something for hitlery for this lie.

[mad_as_he$$]

naw. this is over by the end of next week. it will never stick to clinton let alone 0.

[Carley]

So you are buying into that old line.

No controlling legal authority?

I’m not buy it.

Can you imagine anyone in the Bush administration, either father or son, doing something like this.

[Newton]

This is really interesting.... I don't see the toon being a willing participant....so there must be a big payoff.... yes, I think this could quite possibly make watergate look like a silly game.... but of course, it will take a savvy investigative journalist....

oh well, never mind...move along... nothing to see here....

[rolling_stone]

This is exactly why Sestak should have been put undr oath and made to talk...before a story could be hatched...

[Dementio]

Now all of a sudden the story is that Sestak was offered an “unpaid” position. How do we know he’s not lying, along with the White House, in order to put the controversy to rest?

Didn’t Sestak use the word “job” originally? Or am I wrong.

[ken21]

bj.

[Terry Mross]

Yeah, they asked Clinton to talk to Sestak. When did they ask him? Yesterday at lunch! They asked him to SAY he talked to Sestak. But Clinton will say he didn’t offer him a job and who always gets away with lieing? “I did not offer a job to that man. Mr. Sestak. Now I have to get back to work for Master Obama.”

I knew someone would run interference or fall on his sword but I never dreamed it would be Clinton. islamabama looks more and more like the a.c. What power of persuasion this guy has!

[ken5050]

Just heard the news..IMHO, there’s far more to it..it doesn’t make sense...Who benefits? How does Slick getting Spector the nomination help the Clintons?

[HereInTheHeartland]

“Can you imagine anyone in the Bush administration, either father or son, doing something like this.”

Does the party mechanism encourage and discourage people to run or not run?
Of course!!

When that person is the President and they offer a direct inducement to do it; that is another matter entirely.

But between those points; where do things go over the line?

I don't know the answer to that....

[chickadee]

Both Hillary and Bill are ensnared in Obama’s sticky net. Let’s see if they have the savvy to extricate themselves.

[afraidfortherepublic]

You just have to watch some of Hillary’s recent appearences in foreign countries to diminish her hopes for 2012. She looks AWFUL! And now she’s telling people that it’s OK to tax the wealthy MORE.

With all her money, can’t she afford a hairdresser on call?

[SumProVita]

“So you add a middle man and that makes it legal?”

THAT was my first question too! Does it not still go to INTENT?

[chickadee]

Involving Clinton in this was a huge mistake for the Obama WH. Just the number of replies on this thread is an indicator of the amount of interest Clinton’s involvement will generate. Now this obscure charge from Sestak has star power. The media will chase a story (for Obama or not) if there is public interest.

Everybody was claiming the Gulf spill would be Obama’s Katrina. I think the Sestak story will be Obama’s Valerie Plame. It will go on and on, muddying the WH’s message.

[RoseofTexas]

Holy CRAP!! They are pinning it on the Bubbas....I smell a scapegoat desperation moment from the Joker and his buttboys. I wonder if the SHE-DEVIL will open wide and take it? There goes the Rapist and Hiltery’s presidential aspirations out the window.

[jazusamo]

Can we impeach him again ?

Nah...Once is enough for the first black president but let's go for the second black president, they make a pretty good pair.

[annieokie]

And he knows we know it, there's the rub. He don't care, and will come out of this as the same liar he has always been.

You have to admit, it was a good call to lay the blame on the Clintons, nothing sticks to them, and he lies better than anyone I have ever seen, except Zero.