Obama in serious trouble--Sestak confirms WH offer to drop out of Senate race

[oreo]

Like I said...your stupidity belies your education.

You sure do post a lot of unsubstantiated crap that says nothing at all, don't you?

Ok Barbarino here I'll put it in terms you can understand....what.....where......who.....why...law....what.....Obama......cool...Sestak....Where...

Again--the entire point is: Either Sestak is lying or the White house has broken the law.

Take your pick?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

This is a big fucking deal

 

[Sinatra]

This is a big fucking deal

Yes it is - it's laughable how hard some in here are trying to downplay it.

What fools they make themselves out to be...

 

[boedicca]

This is the Most Transparent Administration Not Engaged In Politics As Usual EVAH!

 

[Sinatra]

From The Hill just one hour ago...

___

But could Rahm or anyone else have made such an offer without consulting the president himself? You can’t go around passing out Cabinet posts or ambassadorships without consulting the boss. Whatever position of that level the White House dangled in front of him, it would have to have been approved by the president.

And Sestak must have probed the person who conveyed the offer to ascertain its bona fides. He would reasonably have asked, “Did you clear this with the president?” Otherwise, why would he even consider such an offer?

The White House and Sestak are stonewalling questions from the media and, obviously, a Democratic-controlled Congress is not about to go poking around asking about the proposed deal.

...Either Sestak is lying and there was never an offer or the White House has skirted very close to having committed a crime or may have stepped over the edge. And, considering the stakes and the nature of what the offer would have to have been, this scandal could reach very high indeed.

Is it a high crime and misdemeanor to offer someone something of value in return for withdrawing from a U.S. Senate race? We may be about to find out.

Capitalize on Sestak scandal - TheHill.com
___

Yeah - this is a big deal...

 

[LuckyDan]

211 - “Whoever solicits or receives, either as a political contribution or for personal emolument, any money or thing of value, in consideration of the promise of support or use of influence in obtaining for any person any appointive office or place under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year or both.”

Veep candidate isn't an appointive office.

Really? So we vote for Vice President on a separate ticket? The presidential candidate DOESN'T pick his running mate?

That's interesting.

Precisely. We vote for them. They're not appointed.

Pres candidate isn't an administrative job and has no official authority attached to it outside of the party.

But almost all Presidential Candidates hold other positions that have great amounts of influence that the law would apply to, like US Senator, or congressman.

And once the person was in fact elected to office, and granted the person in question the promised position, the crime would in fact have been committed, just after the fact.

A Senator runnning for President is not using his official authority in any way. He is simply that - a Senator running for President. If he makes a deal with a rival to drop out of the race in exchange for the Veep slot, he has not acted in his Senatorial capacity, he has simply made a deal with another candidate.

But we don't need hypotheticals, we have an on-point case. Sestak was asked if he was offered a high profile job in the administration on the condition that he drop his challenge to Specter. He said he was - maybe to stir up some crap for BO to deal with, maybe because he didn't know enough to deny it.

The condition is the violation, not the offer.

 

[boedicca]

As the Obama White House has conducted an investigation of the Obama White House and has determined that the Obama White House did nothing illegal, how about letting the rest of us in on the facts?

 

[bodecea]

This is commonplace, and has been for hundreds of years.

Welcome to politics.

And, just for shits and giggles, exactly what "impeachable offense" has occurred?

Exactly...when I saw the OP and read thru, I was like...."and.....?" Being a student of American History and politics, this is another day at the office type stuff.

 

[bodecea]

Rep. Joe Sestak, winner of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary,...

...

It's not against the law for the White House to offer somebody in politics a job in the administration.

I smell desperation. Good luck hunting with this dead dawg.

Wait....did it involve a teleprompter?

 

[bodecea]

I can only see two explanations for the way that some Conservatives have been acting towards Obama.

Either they're really naive, and think that every "scandal" they come up with is unique to Obama - that commonplace events are so "outrageous".

Offering the opponent a job is a long-standing political tactic. People have been doing it for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Or they're dishonest.

Now read this very SLOWLY--or if you have to have someone read it and then explain it too you.

Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States … uses his official authority for the purposes of interfering with, or affecting the nomination of, or the election of any candidate for office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representative…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.”

18 U.S.C. § 595 : US Code - Section 595: Interference by administrative employees of Federal, State, or Territorial Governments

Show us the interference with nomination (requiring a vote) or election (requiring a vote).

 

[bodecea]

The President has an Article II power to offer jobs and Sestak's acceptance would have naturally meant withdrawing from the race.

Did Sestak or anyone else say he was asked to drop out as a quid pro quo?

Hmmm, dead dawg hunting.

Yes...Sestak said he was offered the job so he would get out of the race. This is a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of an election.

Not true...he has free will to say no, doesn't he?

 

[Samson]

The President has an Article II power to offer jobs and Sestak's acceptance would have naturally meant withdrawing from the race.

Did Sestak or anyone else say he was asked to drop out as a quid pro quo?

Hmmm, dead dawg hunting.

Yes...Sestak said he was offered the job so he would get out of the race. This is a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of an election.

Not true...he has free will to say no, doesn't he?

"Not true?"

B WTF are you saying? He SAID he was offered a job, and the only way he could accept it was to cease being a candidate.

It illegality has nothing to do with "free will to say no."

 

[Sinatra]

+

From The Hill just one hour ago...

___

But could Rahm or anyone else have made such an offer without consulting the president himself? You can’t go around passing out Cabinet posts or ambassadorships without consulting the boss. Whatever position of that level the White House dangled in front of him, it would have to have been approved by the president.

And Sestak must have probed the person who conveyed the offer to ascertain its bona fides. He would reasonably have asked, “Did you clear this with the president?” Otherwise, why would he even consider such an offer?

The White House and Sestak are stonewalling questions from the media and, obviously, a Democratic-controlled Congress is not about to go poking around asking about the proposed deal.

...Either Sestak is lying and there was never an offer or the White House has skirted very close to having committed a crime or may have stepped over the edge. And, considering the stakes and the nature of what the offer would have to have been, this scandal could reach very high indeed.

Is it a high crime and misdemeanor to offer someone something of value in return for withdrawing from a U.S. Senate race? We may be about to find out.

Capitalize on Sestak scandal - TheHill.com
___

Yeah - this is a big deal...

 

[Samson]

+

From The Hill just one hour ago...

___

But could Rahm or anyone else have made such an offer without consulting the president himself? You can’t go around passing out Cabinet posts or ambassadorships without consulting the boss. Whatever position of that level the White House dangled in front of him, it would have to have been approved by the president.

And Sestak must have probed the person who conveyed the offer to ascertain its bona fides. He would reasonably have asked, “Did you clear this with the president?” Otherwise, why would he even consider such an offer?

The White House and Sestak are stonewalling questions from the media and, obviously, a Democratic-controlled Congress is not about to go poking around asking about the proposed deal.

...Either Sestak is lying and there was never an offer or the White House has skirted very close to having committed a crime or may have stepped over the edge. And, considering the stakes and the nature of what the offer would have to have been, this scandal could reach very high indeed.

Is it a high crime and misdemeanor to offer someone something of value in return for withdrawing from a U.S. Senate race? We may be about to find out.

Capitalize on Sestak scandal - TheHill.com
___

Yeah - this is a big deal...

It is....this could be VERY BAD

Shit.

I really was hoping Obama would be able to avoid this kind of shit.

 

[boedicca]

Why don't they just provide the results of the Very Famous Obama White House investigation?

 

[Sinatra]

Why don't they just provide the results of the Very Famous Obama White House investigation?

They have been circling the wagons on this one for weeks if not months.

The media is FINALLY starting to ask questions though.

The Sestak scandal, along with the total lack of leadership regarding the BP oil spill, is gonna hammer Obama hard, and frankly, he does not appear to have the spine, nor the thick skin, to withstand the pressure without significant damage...

 

[Samson]

Why don't they just provide the results of the Very Famous Obama White House investigation?

They have been circling the wagons on this one for weeks if not months.

The media is FINALLY starting to ask questions though.

The Sestak scandal, along with the total lack of leadership regarding the BP oil spill, is gonna hammer Obama hard, and frankly, he does not appear to have the spine, nor the thick skin, to withstand the pressure without significant damage...

I agree...I also very seriously wonder about his sanity....he's made several comments that have made me suspicious that his cheese might be sliding off his cracker.

 

[boedicca]

Obama is to the Presidency what the Squire Trelane was to Gothos.

Just sayin'.

 

[Samson]

Obama is to the Presidency what the Squire Trelane was to Gothos.

Just sayin'.

Why do you insist on using references that only 0.0005% of the earth's population and I understand?

Must you be so Romulan?

 

[boedicca]

It's my little way of identifying The Copacetic amongst us.