I don’t know why Joe Sestak initially disclosed that someone in the administration offered him a job. I assume he was trying to pad his anti-establishment credentials, which certainly needed padding considering he is a two-term congressman, and former three-star admiral, and former member of Bill Clinton’s National Security Council. He’s a Clinton-endorsed Rahm-recruit, so his “outsider” status had to be earned. And he did earn it. He earned it by rejecting that job offer and running against the entire Democratic Establishment. But, in disclosing the job offer and refusing to describe it, he’s created a problem.
The leader of a party (in this case, the president) moves pieces around as a matter of routine. Obama made Elena Kagan the Solicitor General to give her a needed credential before nominating her to the Supreme Court. He appointed John McHugh to be Secretary of the Army so that we could take over his seat in the House. He attempted to do something similar in the Senate when he tried to appoint Judd Gregg as Secretary of Commerce. Ellen Tauscher took a job working for Hillary at the State Department, opening up her seat for someone more progressive. Strategic deals are made all the time. Joe Sestak is qualified to be Secretary of the Navy (the rumor is that that was the job he was offered) so it wouldn’t be illegal to offer him the position unless the offer was made in a rather explicit quid pro quo fashion.
For example, they couldn’t say “Hey Joe, if you opt not to run for the Senate, we’ll make you Secretary of the Navy.” And it’s unlikely that anyone (Rahm) would be so impolite as to put the question in those terms. Rather, you just make the offer without inquiring about Sestak’s intentions. He can’t serve in both posts simultaneously so it’s not like there is any implied threat. If he chooses to run for Senate, he’s not eligible to serve as head of the Navy, so you can’t take the offer away as punishment.
Sestak won’t describe what was actually said, which a good indication that he has no intention of testifying about explicit quid pro quo violations of the law. The White House knows there is no legal liability, but they don’t want to talk about a typical backroom deal that will make them look like typical politicians. So, here we are. No one wants to talk about something that wasn’t a crime and they’re all making it worse than the truth would be. Is anyone seriously going to be surprised or outraged that the administration offered a three-star admiral and member of the House Armed Services Committee a post as Secretary of the Navy? We knew they cut a deal with Specter. We watched them throw all their support to him.
So, for the love of God. Just tell people what happened. Who offered him the job? What was the job? And did it happen before or after Sestak officially announced he was running for the Senate? It doesn’t matter what the answers are. They’re all better than looking like you’re trying to cover-up a crime.
