Emanuel, Clinton, and Sestak: Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 600

Chris Cillizza, of the Washington Post, writes:

Party leaders and campaign operatives -- on nearly a daily basis -- approach challenger candidates seeking to disrupt the established political order with a simple message: Get out or else.

And so, the report this morning that former President Bill Clinton was tasked by White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to make such an approach to Rep. Joe Sestak -- allegedly offering him an unpaid advisory role on an intelligence board in exchange for getting him to drop his primary bid against Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) -- would not normally raise much of a stir in official Washington.

That the story has become a major controversy, a regular fixture on cable news chat shows and a momentum-killer for Sestak following his come-from behind victory against Specter in last week's Pennsylvania primary is evidence of how the White House mishandled the controversy, according to conversations with several high-level Democratic strategists.

"How do you make something out of nothing?," asked one such operative who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the matter. "By acting guilty when you're innocent."

Another senior party official said that the White House "has a lot of egg on their face" and described the events as a "PR nightmare".

Is this just a "PR nightmare"?

Is this a matter of "acting guilty when you're innocent"?

Obviously, that's the Obama administration's spin. But I guarantee you, if this were the Bush administration, the Dems and the lib media would be drooling, smelling blood in the water.

From the Wall Street Journal:

It's possible that all we really have here is a case of the Obama White House playing Washington politics as usual, which the White House refused to admit for three months because this is what Mr. Obama promised he would not do if he became President. However, this is clearly what he hired Mr. Emanuel to do for him, and given his ethical record Mr. Clinton was the perfect political cutout. So much for the most transparent Administration in history.

Then again, George W. Bush merely exercised his right to fire a handful of U.S. Attorneys, and Democrats made that a federal case for years even though it has since gone nowhere legally. The Emanuel to Clinton to Sestak job offer still needs a scrub under oath by the Justice Department and the relevant Congressional committees.

I agree.

The Friday of Memorial Day weekend news dump by the White House shouldn't be adequate to make this mess go away.

The statement from Robert F. Bauer, White House Counsel, is weak.

Review of Discussions Relating to Congressman Sestak Recent press reports have reflected questions and speculation about discussions between White House staff and Congressman Joe Sestak in relation to his plans to run for the United States Senate. Our office has reviewed those discussions and claims made about them, focusing in particular on the suggestion that government positions may have been improperly offered to the Congressman to dissuade him from pursuing a Senate candidacy.

We have concluded that allegations of improper conduct rest on factual errors and lack a basis in the law.

...There have been numerous, reported instances in the past when prior Administrations -- both Democratic and Republican, and motivated by the same goals -- discussed alternative paths to service for qualified individuals also considering campaigns for public office. Such discussions are fully consistent with the relevant law and ethical requirements.

"Lack a basis in the law"?

Really?

Here's the law: Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 600.

Sec. 600. Promise of employment or other benefit for political activity

Whoever, directly or indirectly, promises any employment, position, compensation, contract, appointment, or other benefit, provided for or made possible in whole or in part by any Act of Congress, or any special consideration in obtaining any such benefit, to any person as consideration, favor, or reward for any political activity or for the support of or opposition to any candidate or any political party in connection with any general or special election to any political office, or in connection with any primary election or political convention or caucus held to select candidates for any political office, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

The White House is spinning, and many are accepting, that the Sestak matter amounts to little more than a simple mishandling by the Obama administration of a trumped-up controversy.

I don't think Bauer's statement and the Memorial Day weekend distraction should be enough to put an end to this issue.

If it is enough, then I guess Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 600 is a law that was made to be broken.

Once again, Obama falls far short of his promises to have the most ethical, transparent administration in the history of our country. The guy has failed miserably when it comes to rejecting Washington politics as usual.

Is this really supposed to be that Promised Land?
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A related story, about past encounters involving Rahm Emanuel, Bill Clinton, and Joe Sestak:

Emanuel was constantly on the phone to candidates--coaching, reassuring, tormenting. In an August call to candidate Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, Emanuel promised that Bill Clinton would help him raise money. "Joe Sestak, this is your rabbi, Rahm," he intoned playfully. "Clinton. I'm close to having him do an event for you in Philly. ... Clinton will put his arm around you and say, `He's my man.'"

In a fairly typical sign-off, he concluded another call to Sestak: "Don't [mess] it up or ... I'll kill you. All right, I love you. Bye."

Oh, Rahm!

Oh, Obama!