IS SESTAK NEXT UNDER THE WHITE HOUSE BUS? – AT 7:35 P.M. ET:  The brilliant Barbara Ledeen, wife of the equally brilliant Michael Ledeen, alerts us to the latest installment of Joe Sestak's employment news.

Sestak, a former Navy vice admiral, is the Dem candidate for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, having defeated Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary.  But Sestak opened his mouth some weeks back, and, reflecting his apparent resentment, revealed that someone in the White House had offered him a high position in the administration in return for his dropping out of that very primary.  If true, a serious crime may well have been committed, and Republicans are not giving it a rest:  From ABC News:

In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder today, all seven Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee "urge the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Congressman Joe Sestak's claim that a White House official offered him a job to induce him to exit the Pennsylvania Senate primary race against Senator Arlen Specter."

The seven – Sens. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Orrin Hatch of Utah, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Jon Kyl or Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John Cornyn of Texas and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma – allege that the offer would appear to violate federal criminal laws, including 18 U.S.C. 600, which prohibits promising a government position “as consideration, favor, or reward for any political activity” or “in connection with any primary election or political convention or caucus held to select candidates for any political office.”

Rep. Sestak, D-Penn., who defeated Specter in the primary last week, told Comcast’s Larry Kane in February that the White House had offered him a position in exchange for not challenging Specter. White House senior adviser David Axelrod said on Monday that White House lawyers had looked into it and judged everything “perfectly appropriate.”

COMMENT:  Well, we're sure the White House lawyers found everything good, but the Republicans are absolutely correct in demanding a wider probe.  Holder is on the record as rejecting the notion of a special prosecutor, but Holder can be reversed if Obama decides he needs at least the appearance of rectitude. 

This story will grow.  There's no downside for the Republicans, and no upside for the Democrats.

May 26, 2010