printThe Joe Sestak “scandal” is nothing but garden-variety politics routinely practiced by both parties. Yet as Rome burns, such quid pro quo is what is consuming the Republican Party’s bobbleheads. The signal dishonor of which Obama operatives stand accused, via Sam Stein, is offering a job to “Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Penn) in exchange for him not entering the Pennsylvania Senate primary.” The act has “seasoned political observers, historians, and lawyers responding with veritable yawns”:
American presidential history is littered with quid pro quos, implicit and explicit secret job offers, and backroom deals, so much so that the Sestak offer may be more the norm than the exception to it.
“It is completely unexceptional,” said Dr. Russell Riley, associate professor and chair of the Miller Center’s Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia. “I read some place today that this is evidently illegal, which was shocking news to me. I don’t know what the statutes are that would bear on this… it just doesn’t seem to me to particularly rise to the level of being newsworthy in the first place and the fact that it’s spun out into a scandal has been surprising.”
George Edwards, a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies at Texas A&M University, says: “There is no question whatsoever that presidents have often offered people positions to encourage them not to do something or make it awkward for them to do it. Presidents have also offered people back-ups if they ran for an office and lost. All this is old news historically.”
The complete column is HERE.
Note, this is not to say the shenanigans of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and President Bill Clinton were legal. They could very well be illegal. They are certainly morally dubious. But politicians are by definition immoral. By blowing the scandal du jour out of proportion, an unspeakably crooked class is made to sweat the small stuff only.
I guess Republicans have a stake in perpetuating this state-of-affairs.
POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS factoring into a federal appointment – noooooo! I’m shocked!
What news!
Special BONUS SHOCKER – Bill Clinton acting with dubous ethics- nooooo! I’m shocked! What news!
In the 5 days this non-story has been out, the debt has risen $ 30,000,000,000 . and more people have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan , 10,000 illegals have crossed the border, and several thousand Americans have been arrested for drug possession. None of this, of course, as important as some gotcha point for Michael Steele to make the talk show rounds.
It’s often been noted that those in the professional entertainment and political fields love most to playact each other’s pretenses; the utterly witless improvise incomprehensible scripts, and, the wholly unscrupulous stage morality plays.
Wait!… never mind. Thought I might have gotten that muddled – but it works either way.
IM – “I guess Republicans have a stake in perpetuating this state-of-affairs.”
You got It !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, when something has the “seasoned political observers, historians, and lawyers responding with veritable yawns”, I guess I should just “move on” – maybe not.
I don’t observe much of anyone on the right as being “consumed” by this episode that includes the so called bobble heads whoever they are.
As for the leftist pinheads exemplified in the litany of seasoned observers, I’m unimpressed. Of particular note has to be, “Dr. Russell Riley, associate professor and chair of the Miller Center’s Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia”. I assume his historical expertise is no doubt focused somewhat necessarily on the Clinton presidency?
Wrong is wrong; it really doesn’t matter if “everyone does it” or not. That’s a juvenile excuse at best.
For all the damage that politicians do, at least we occasionally get a return in amusement. The recent scandal with Republican Mark Souder has given me a new favorite euphemism – as in, upon spotting an attractive woman, I can now say “Boy, I’d like to do an ABSTINENCE VIDEO with her!”
The trouble with all the scandals, of course, is that they generally result in merely rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We are still heading towards the iceberg (of hyperinflation/default). Does any really recall the Credit Mobilier, Sherman Adams and the vicuna coat, Edward Doheny, Rostenkowski and the Post Office scandals, and numerous other petty larcenies of bygone eras?
The reason this is news now:context:
Voters on right are watching is they are tired of congress breaking the law with impunity.
Business as usual is not ok for November elections.
Those who just yawn will be booted out if possible including democrats in marginal seats.
Specially the Clintons who are very similar to obama; joined by the hip.
Its not ok if I speak to my American friends.