Sunday, May 30, 2010

The Marxo-Fascist 'Social and Economic Justice' Ties that Bind

ShoreBank, Obama, big labor, community organizers, manufacturers, Canadian socialists, progressive trade organizations, triple bottom-line corporations & the Small Business Administration, on the "High Road" to the controlled society

by JeanWTPUSA, www.wethepeopleusa.ning.com

Stanley Kurtz, a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center pointed out in a 09/23/08 Wall Street Journal article that, “Despite having authored two autobiographies, Barack Obama has never written about his most important executive experience.”

The experience that Kurtz referred to was Obama’s appointment in 1995 as Chairman of the Board at the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) a “school reform organization” founded by his longtime friend and political ally, Bill Ayers. Ayers, a home grown terrorist for the Weather Underground during the Vietnam War era, has written, in his book Teaching Toward Freedom, that his educational objective is to “teach against oppression” as embodied in “America’s history of evil and racism, thereby forcing social transformation.”

Kurtz notes that Obama served on the Board or the CAC until 1999 and remained actively involved in the organization until 2001. Although Obama was insistent that the extent of his relationship with Ayers consisted in his being just “a guy” from the neighborhood, a September 2008 article from WorldNetDaily offers details that Obama’s relationship with Ayers was much deeper and that CAC frequently granted money to far-leftist organizations and causes.

Kurtz, in a follow-up article published in the National Review, exposed Obama’s wealth redistributionist ties to the New Party. According to Discover the Networks, most New Party members hailed from the Democratic Socialists of America and the militant organization ACORN. The party’s Chicago chapter also included a large contingent from the Committees of Correspondence, a Marxist coalition of former Maoists, Trotskyites, and Communist Party USA members.

Although the Obama machine tried to dismiss Kurtz on its Fight the Smears website, evidence showed that Obama was heavily involved in the New Party in 1995 and according to New Party News of Spring 1996, page 1, was a bona fide New Party member.

According to the Romanticpoet’s weblog, evidence compiled by noted Marxist researcher, Trevor Loudon, demonstrates that Obama, as early as 1993, was involved with a New Party “sister” organization, Progressive Chicago.

This organization was formed by members of the New Party as a support group for “progressive” candidates. Its main instigators included New Party members Madeline Talbott of ACORN-Chicago and Dan Swinney, a Chicago labor unionist.

In 1994 Dan Swinney was listed on a "Membership, Subscription and Mailing List" for the Chicago Committees of Correspondence, an offshoot of the Communist Party USA. And, in 2009 Dan Swinney, Center for Labor and Community Research (CLCR) was listed as a signer of the Progressives for Obama website.

Although CLCR’s MissionTo strengthen communities through initiatives to redefine, rediscover, and rebuild the manufacturing sector in the knowledge economy,seems rather benign and almost altruistic. However, a closer look at the documents on the organizations “Publications“ page makes clear that CLCR is focused on social, economic and environmental (green) justice.

One example is Dan Swinney’s article on “Building the Bridge to the High Road.” Let’s take a look at what the Mutualist Blog: Free Market Anti-Capitalism had to say in its review of Swinney’s work.

He's preaching to the choir as far as I'm concerned. I've written myself about the need for the alternative economy or counter-economy to grow beyond merely operating in the interstices of a state capitalist structure, and to evolve into an interlocking network of cooperative production, finance and retail operations that will eventually supplant the existing state capitalist framework.

The blogger offers further praise:

Swinney draws several lessons from his years of experience in the CLCR, of using High Road practices to save and turn around failing business firms under labor and community leadership.

One of them I strongly agree with:

The market is not synonymous with capitalism. The market is an achievement of human civilization that both predates capitalism and will persist for a long time even if capitalism is replaced by another system.

Another interesting item is CLCR’s relationship with ShoreBank. Bob Williams writes in a June 2003 article titled “Model of Economic Democracy” that “Shorebank Group from Chicago’s South Side” functioned as a “mentor” in helping Williams establish “Western Canada’s largest financial services cooperative,” Vancity Capital Corporation, a subsidiary of the Vancity Credit Union, which functions as a business lender in the new economy, that lends against cash flow on a subordinated debt basis (cashflow-based, unsecured term loan financing) to British Columbia’s businesses, co-operatives and non-profit organizations. According to Vancouver’s Straight.com, “Vancity has over $14.5 billion in assets and more than 400,000 members” and focuses on environmental success and social sustainability.

Williams grew up in an “old socialist family,” and like Barack Obama is very familiar with Community Organizing and community organizers. He is also used to serving on the board of organizations that focus on “economic justice” and has served in public office as the Chairman of the board of the Crown’s Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. (also of interest on ICBC’s website, B.C.’s Fairness Commission Report - related to healthcare).

Williams a devotee of Bologna, Italy’s Professor Stefano Zamagni, writes in his 2003 article that:

The old Chicago school view of economics as “only an exchange of equivalents” in a commercial marketplace is a view that is unacceptable to Zamagni.

“… the modern attempt to build the welfare state as a highly motivated goal that has gone somewhat awry because of the nature of state delivery systems and the lack of reciprocity in the relationship between the provider of welfare and the client; a pattern that is complicated further by the differing values of the politician and bureaucrat involved in the process.”

It appears that Dan Swinney has learned a lot from Robert (Bob) Williams about “globalization and redistributive wealth.” After graduating with a Bachelor's in History from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Dan worked as a machinist for 13 years in the Chicago area. He organized Steelworker Local 8787 at G+W Taylor Forge in Cicero, Illinois and served as Vice President. Taylor Forge closed in 1983. Dan founded the Center for Labor and Community Research (CLCR) in 1982 in response to the thousands of manufacturing plant closings in the Chicago area.

In July 2005, Swinney started the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council. CMRC has been working to inform the public and influence key leaders, organizations and institutions about the social and economic viability and vitality of the modern manufacturing economy and has established “partnerships” with The City of Chicago, the Department of Community Development and the Office of Apprenticeship, U.S. Department of Labor, and was even commissioned by Illinois Manufacturers’ Association to issue a report, to analyze the condition of Illinois manufacturing.

Although the CMRC may also seem like a benign, pro-business, pro-manufacturing organization, “The Trade Association as a Factor in Reconstruction” by Franklin D. Jones, Counselor at Law, Washington, D.C. clearly reveals that American “reconstruction” involves not only “labor organizations,” like the SEIU but also large and seemingly “reputable” trade organizations.

This fact helps answer the question, “Why would a trade organization that appears to be pro-business and pro-USA manufacturing jobs, like the Illinois Manfuacturers’ Association, commission a socialist organization like the CMRC to issue a report?

If trade associations are indeed involved in this reconstruction effort, Obama’s appointment of Ron Bloom as Manufacturing Czar, makes perfect sense. Because it is only when big labor, trade associations and government are working together that “reconstruction” can be achieved and a Socialist Utopia can be realized.


Ron Bloom, Obama's Mao-quoting manufacturing czar

In the book, Global Profit and Global Justice, Shorebank, like Vancity, designs, implements, manages, and advises loan programs in local banks and loan funds, in developing and transitional economies, with capital from major financial institutions. Also like Vancity, ShoreBank’s focus is on triple bottom line investing,” the idea that a truly sound investment is one that provides financial rewards and offers social and environmental benefits.

To destroy the free U.S economy, Globalist companies’ world-wide must be supportive of “reconstruction” efforts. Groups servicing these companies must be able to identify projects, raise capital, and locate strategic partners. World’s leaders on sustainability must frequently get together to attend conferences where they can network and exchange information and ideas on the best way to implement their New World Order agenda.

On the home front, globalists, through our liberal-biased educational system, the liberal media and various propaganda initiatives have succeeded in demonizing our Founders, our Constitution, business, capitalism and the free market.

However, total reconstruction can not be achieved by “brainwashing” alone which has been going on for decades. It has to be achieved through a coordinated effort that, in effect, demoralizes and discourages entrepreneurs who attempt to realize the “American Dream.”

Entrepreneurs will have to be chronically discouraged. Therefore, taxpayer funded governmental agencies, like the Small Business Administration, developed to help entrepreneurs and small and medium sized businesses with training, and financial opportunities must function as a deterrent by offering “red-tape” and misdirection for entrepreneurs seeking help.

To achieve reconstruction, start-ups and existing small and medium sized businesses must achieve a high rate of failure. And, the SBA must purposely have such poor and lax oversight that every program they are tasked with administering is completely unsuccessful, so their mission is never realized.

They must also establish small business loan programs that are riddled with “red-tape,” in addition to setting unrealistic expectations for small business owners who obtain SBA loans, to ensure that there is a high percentage of loan defaults. This creates a huge financial burden for many community banks and further adds to the growing federal deficit, a win-lose situation where the socialists win and the capitalists lose.

In terms of competition in the marketplace, the system, through regulation, must create an un-level playing field that makes it so difficult to for companies to compete and make a profit, that they are forced to “move” jobs overseas. This creates a win-win for the globalists, because when jobs are moved overseas, economic prosperity is “shifted” from the United States to poorer countries. This creates “wealth redistribution” and “social justice” for other citizens of the world. and results in the job losses that causes our communities to further decline and our standard of living to further decrease. Again, the socialists win and the capitalists lose.

We already know that government is growing at such a fast pace that its growth is endangering our economy. If the end goal is to create a Marxo-Fascist “welfare state” where citizens are entirely dependent on the government for everything; healthcare, housing, food, etc, what better way to achieve this goal then by controlling labor organizations, infiltrating trade organizations, and “sabotaging” entrepreneurs and small and medium sized businesses, to minimize the growth of the private sector?

Permission granted to republish and reproduce with author (JeanWTPUSA of We the People USA) attribution. Any citation of Investigating Obama as original source is appreciated, but not requested.

Is Obama's Marxist Network Willing to Commit False Flag Terrorism?

I.O. has addressed this potential, previously. It is looking increasingly difficult for the Obama Plan-A to work. Is there a Plan-B and does it get terrorist and militaristic? Marxists and fascists have a history of generating not only crises but false flag terrorism. The purpose is to:
  1. provide an excuse and motivator, for either a martial or public relations coup,
  2. literally combat promoters of freedom, and
  3. turn the minds and hearts of easily manipulated people their way, politically (those in the military and law enforcement community and/or the people at large).
Are the Obamunists willing to go that far?

I will let that question hang in the air, for now, but intend to address it in greater length again.

We already know the Obama administration has, to some extent, infiltrated Tea Parties and citizens' militias with falsehood spies/operatives. If you are interested, you may search Investigating Obama with the words "false flag," to see the previous articles (and whatever others use that term). - AW

Saturday, May 29, 2010

James Simpson on Fan the Fire w/ CJ & Tallulah, Tonight

Fan The Fire with CJ & Tallulah - Saturday 5/29/2010, 9-11pm ET

James Simpson, Special Guest

Listen online: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotsheartnetwork

Call In Number: 347-215-6929

Fan the Fire's announcement: This week we are very pleased to welcome James Simpson. James writes as the DC Independent Examiner. Tonight we’ll be discussing his most recent article, Rand Paul’s unintentional warning to conservatives and tea partiers. As the mid-term elections approach, you won’t want to miss his insight of the lessons learned. As circumstances permit, we may also welcome another surprise guest or two. If you have questions or comments for James, call in! We want to hear from you!

Bio: James M. Simpson

Globalizing the Resistance: U.S. Social Forum 2010, June 22-26 in Detroit

Ms. Elliot is coauthor of the best-seller, The Manchurian President.
The book is conclusive, but the story advances upon us.


by Brenda J. Elliot, in RBO / Real Barack Obama

The U.S. Social Forum meets June 22-26, 2010, in Detroit, Michigan, where “Tens of thousands of progressive activists are expected to attend.”
    Detroit was chosen as the site for the 2010 USSF because it is considered ground zero of the current capitalist economic crisis with record levels of foreclosures, evictions, utility shutoffs, unemployment and police terror. Detroit also has a long history of progressive and revolutionary struggle, which the organizations participating in the USSF are intent on building on to bring a better world into birth.

Globalizing the Resistance

What should be of great concern is the USSF goal to globalize resistance:

    A global movement is rising. The USSF is our opportunity to prepare and meet it! The World Social Forum (WSF) has become an important symbol of global movement convergence and the development of alternatives to the dominant paradigm. Over the past nine years, the WSF has gathered the world’s workers, peasants, youth, women, and oppressed peoples to construct a counter-vision to the economic and political elites of the World Economic Forum held annually [since 2001] in Davos, Switzerland.

The 2010 World Social Forum (Forum Social Mundial) held January 25-29 at Porto Alegre, Brazil, called for social revolution (emphasis added):

    We need another society, another economy, a new relation between humanity and the Earth and a more radical democracy.

    All over 2010, everywhere in the world, we will meet to strengthen our alternative responses to the global crises, to involve new actors, to mobilize new social energies, to challenge the existing power.

However, Chico Whitaker, one of the World Social Forum founders, told IPS reporter Mario Osava (emphasis added):

    [It] is a mechanism, “an instrument to unite people. The Forum will not change the world; it is up to society to do that, through a multifaceted global justice movement,” added Whitaker, who rejects the label “movement of movements” for the WSF because it sounds too directive, like a political party. [...]

    Thinking in the United States has changed since the advent [in June 2000] of the WSF, and this will be reflected in the second national Forum, to be held in July in Detroit, a symbol of the country’s way of life. And the WSF has also accelerated development of a “solidarity economy,” Whitaker said.

    Changing the world is the WSF’s goal, without dictating “perfectly finished models, or a single strategy” as a fait accompli, while demanding changes “at all levels, including personal change,” he said.

Socialist Speak

Note the use throughout of “Socialist Speak”. For example, progressive = socialist. It is the U.S. Social Forum, a gathering of members of numerous international socialist groups, including a number of “unions, coalitions, federations and workers’ centers.”

The USSF 2010 website employs “movement.” The Forum is to serve as a “movement-building” event.

    It is not a conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is [an] important step in our struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational, diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country and changes history.

The Forum will “come up with the peoples’ solutions”: peoples denotes socialism. (For a clear explanation, comparing socialism to capitalism, see James Ostrowski’s June 2003 Why Socialism Is the People’s Choice.)

Large Presence: Unions and Youth

by Brenda J. Elliot, RBO (link to original post)

Unions will play a prominent role at the Forum. There will be about “70 labor-themed workshops” and labor will have a “large presence at the opening march on June 22.”

Another group to have a “large presence” at the Forum will be the youth-oriented, “revolutionary, socialist-oriented Fight Imperialism, Stand Together or FIST.” (See RBO’s January 2010 article, Cultural Marxism: FIST (Fight Imperialism Stand Together).)

    FIST will be co-hosting a workshop along with the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal on building a new youth organization in defense of Mumia. An entire decade of youth has grown up without mass consciousness about the implications of Mumia’s case, and we are organizing to counteract that and expose the roots of racism, the role of the police, police brutality and repression of groups fighting for national liberation,” Dante Strobino, a FIST leader from North Carolina, told Workers World.

(FYI: The Free Mumia Movement [is] a Project of Van Jones’ Ella Baker Center.)

FIST was involved in the March 4 National Day of Action to Defend Public Education. (See RBO’s article, Hard Left: March 4 Day of Action and Strike in Defense of Public Education, for details.)

Dante Strobino, a FIST leader from North Carolina, told Workers World, the online organ of the socialist Workers World Party: “We see the USSF as a crucial moment to meet young people in motion and introduce them to socialism and to raise fundamental questions that challenge the entire foundation of our current capitalist system that has wrecked so many people’s lives.”

Planning 2007 for 2010

Tara Lohan wrote June 1, 2007, at AlterNet:

    In 2003 the World Social Forum International Coordinating Committee asked Grassroots Global Justice to begin to formulate a plan for a U.S. forum. Today, there are 35 organizations currently on the National Planning Committee, which will grow to include 50 organizations.

Planning for the event was reported in a July 4, 2007 blog post by marc. While at the Midwest Social Forum on the first U.S. Social Forum held the last week in June in Atlanta and attended by about 10,000, marc wrote:

    The USSF adopted the World Social Forum’s slogan “Another World is Possible,” and added to it the line “Another US is Necessary.” The week’s events demonstrated the dedication of social movements in the United States to building a new and better world.

    The USSF built on the two main issues that drives the WSF: opposition to corporate globalization and repressive neo-liberal policies that leave deep marks on marginalized communities. [...]

    Lead organizers of the USSF (Project South and Grassroots Global Justice) consciously and deliberately organized the forum out of communities of color. It took time and effort and at points was a painful experience, but the result was one of the most participatory, horizontal, and grassroots forums in history. Skeptics wondered whether a forum could be successfully held in the heart of the empire, but rooting the forum in local community struggles provides a challenge and model for other forums to follow.

Note: The 2003 Another World is Possible: Popular alternatives to Globalization at the World Social Forum by William F. Fisher and Thomas Ponniah is available online as a Google book, as is the 2005 World Social Forum. Strategies of Resistance by José Corrêa Leite and Carolina Gil.

National Planning Committee 2007 for 2010

The 2007 U.S. Social Forum’s website for the National Planning Committee lists a number of organizations.

  • 50 Years is Enough NetworkU.S. Network for Global Economic Justice (USNGEJ): “coalition of over 200 U.S. grassroots, women’s, solidarity, faith-based, policy, social- and economic-justice, youth, labor and development organizations dedicated to the profound transformation of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
  • American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).
  • Center for Social Justice (CSJ).
  • Center for Third World Organizing (CWTO).
  • Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), AFL-CIO, describes itself as “both a social movement and a labor union.”
  • Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJA).
  • The Independent Progressive Politics Network .
  • Jobs with Justice (JwJ).
  • Labor / Community Strategy Center (LCSC).
  • National Network for Immigration and Refugee Rights (NNIRR).
  • Miami Workers Center (MWC).
  • NYC AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN).
  • People Organized to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights (PODER).
  • People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER).
  • Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC).
  • The Praxis Project.
  • Project South: Institute for the Elimination of Poverty & Genocide.
  • The Ruckus Society.
  • St. Peter’s Housing Committee.
  • SEIU.
  • Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective.
  • Socialists Without Borders.
  • SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP).
  • Southwest Workers Union (SWU).
  • UNITE HERE.
  • United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS).

    National Planning Committee 2010

    Fastforward to January 2009, when, on behalf of the USSF National Planning Committee, Alice Lovelace, USSF, Cindy Wiesner, GGJA, and Josué Guillén, The Praxis Project, announced that Detroit, Michigan will host the 2010 U.S. Social Forum.

    The Detroit Greens, a local of the Green Party of Michigan, announced five organizations to serve as local anchors for the process: El Centro Obrero de Detroit, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, East Michigan Environmental Action Council, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization and South Eastern Michigan Jobs With Justice.

    STORM-Van Jones Connections

    The following individuals are either associated with USSF organizations or with groups discussed in RBO’s April 2009 STORM Stories series — and to avowed STORM communist leader, POTUS Obama’s former “Green Jobs Czar”, Van Jones.

    Danielle Mahones, executive director at USSF member Center for Third World Organizing, is a board member of SOUL (School of Unity and Liberation).

    Maria Poblet is affiliated with USSF member St. Peter’s Housing Committee.

    Frances Fox Piven, widow of Richard Cloward with whom she co-authored the Cloward-Piven Strategy, is affiliated with USSF member Socialists Without Borders.

    There are a number of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance member organizations, as well as members of GGJA’s Coordinating Committee, that include names and/or groups which may be found in RBO’s previous “STORM Storie” articles:

  • Asian Pacific Environmental Network (Mei-ying Williams)
  • CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities (Ai-jen Poo)
  • Domestic Workers United (Ai-jen Poo, Marisa Franco)
  • Jobs for Justice (NY – Cindy Wiesner, Ilana Berger, Paul Booth (here)
  • Just Cause (Oakland – Adam Gold)
  • Labor/Community Strategy Center (Jaron Browne)
  • Miami Workers Center (Cindy Wiesner)
  • POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights) (Steve Williams, Jaron Browne, Cindy Wiesner, Marisa Franco, Ilana Berger)

  • And I like the quotes. Marxists use words funny, don't they? - I.O.

    Sestak Was Ineligible for 'Board' & GOP asks FBI to Help -- Byron York

    In the Midnight hour, Saturday, 5/29/2009

    Sestak Was Ineligible for job Clinton Offered
    Byron York, Washington Examiner:

    In a little-noticed passage Friday, the New York Times reported that Rep. Joe Sestak was not eligible for a place on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, the job he was reportedly offered by former President Bill Clinton. And indeed a look at the Board’s website reveals this restriction:
    The Board consists of not more than 16 members appointed by the President from among individuals who are not employed by the Federal Government. Members are distinguished citizens selected from the national security, political, academic, and private sectors.

    the remainder...
    Friday, last afternoon:

    GOP Asks FBI to Investigate ‘Collusion,’ Obstruction of Justice in Sestak Case
    Byron York, Washington Examiner:

    All the Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have joined Rep. Darrell Issa, ranking GOP member of the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, in writing a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller over the Joe Sestak affair. The lawmakers urge Mueller to investigate “collusion” and possible obstruction of justice involving the White House, former President Bill Clinton, and Sestak’s brother, who was consulted during the drafting of the new White House report.

    “Not surprisingly, the White House’s own report clears White House officials and former President Bill Clinton of wrongdoing,” the lawmakers write. “But assurances by the Obama White House that no laws were broken are like the Nixon White House promising it did nothing illegal in Watergate. Clearly an independent investigation is necessary to determine once and for all what really happened.”

    and on it goes...

    Meanwhile, Bill Clinton did not answer questions (see Tolbert Report video). And as mentioned previously, keep watching Darrell Issa. (I wonder if he'll be offered anything.) He is the point man, apparently very willingly. Track Byron York here.

    Update: Also see comments, linked below.

    Friday, May 28, 2010

    It was Bill Clinton, Woops (not good enough) um... Sestak's Brother? ...um ...It Was Just a Volunteer Job!

    Reporting this throughout the afternoon in sequential fashion, the lower the later.

    Orginal post, 5/28/2010, 12:07pm CT - Listening to the joint Obama/Sestak story now, on Fox News. They think this will pass the sniff test, by honest news watchers, whether conservative, moderate, or even liberal?

    After all this time for Obama and Sestak to confer/collude on a story, they come up with, "aw, shucks, it was just a volunteer gig?" This makes Nixon's plumbers and axe-men look pretty competent.

    Megyn Kelly, "...still illegal." Soon after that, she discusses the subject with former Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, who seems to take a White House lawyer's point of view....

    Then, Megyn asks Rep. Darrell Issa if it is likely that Obama and Sestak collaborated on their story. Issa laughs, "Ya think?" Note to I.O.: This Kelly-Issa interview must be shown by video.

    Meanwhile, MS-NBC and CNN are covering the Obama Makes it to the Gulf Shore story. I bet he's itching for a cig. These pesky leaks, anyway....

    Obama's news conference at the Gulf of Mexico is coming up shortly. Will he even allow a "conference" with questions? Will he issue the pronouncement, to allay our worries?: "I am not a crook."

    Also, Sestak will do a presser very soon. More to come.

    In the meantime, Phil of TRSoL has issued a new Sestak / White House article: "The Sestak Scandal: Obama Blames Bill, Coordinates with Sestak’s Brother, Claims Position 'Unpaid.'" Excellent work, Phil. And hey, Obama's presser now, sleeves rolled up and Gulf shore in the background, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist at his side. And now, Obama has switched from saying BP is not doing this and that, to saying "We" are doing this and now this other here. And whaddya know, no questions allowed and no questions shouted from reporters, to my ear.

    So that was Ruling Class Barry, who has been spending up to five hours per day lately, on the golf course and who just, finally, today, did a three hour gig with the Gulf Gusher, according to reports.

    Sestak's Capitol steps presser (quotes are pretty much good): Here's the man of the hour, "...a pres-i-dential board, or something..." Can't remember, Joe? Typical skulking. "Oh, pfff, if I'd thought there was something wrong with this, I'd have reported it." "Nobody ever asked me about this..." until February. Like reporters knew to ask you, Joe? His coat is draped over his shoulder, he acts... surprised about the hub-bub; Mr. Casual.

    He's reminded that his campaign was supposed to be about no more "Washington stuff." and he stiffens up, coat still frozen to two fingers on his shoulder. Trying to begin to finish up now, in Senate campaign mode, complete with the hackneyed JFK closed finger thrusts. "I didn't feel comfortable at all, talking about it with a former president of the United States...."

    "Yu'know, at the time, I heard the words 'presidential board' and..." then oh, no, didn't even pay attention to the rest of it (from President Clinton, as the Bill Clinton we know attempted to finish his sentence with Sestak). Referring now to his daughter's brain tumor. Got that in. That suit jacket is still very fixed to that shoulder, now with a third finger holding it up. To one reporter, "You're from Pennsylvania! You know people aren't interested in this, up there!"

    Someone said, "Thank you very much," a reporter actually closing it off? And there Joe is getting pics with fans, coat... hanging... over his shoulder. Taking a few more questions, unheard on the air. The coat holds up through the whole occasion.

    At the same time, apparently, Rep. Darrell Issa is also talking to reporters, though we can't hear it. That may do it for this particular post. Keep your eye and ear out for Issa. Oh, and there's Sestak walking down the sidewalk to his car... security blanket, er, jacket still there, baby.

    Scroll down for background through this morning, on today's broken breaking story.
    If you like, start with "Joe Sestak White House Scandal 101"
    Please ask and promote The Three SOVEREIGNTY NOW Questions. - AW

    The Sestak Scandal: Obama Blames Bill, Coordinates with Sestak’s Brother, Claims Position 'Unpaid'

    by Phil, of The Right Side of Life

    Cue Michelle Malkin quote (emphasis original):

    And I ask again: What did Bob “The Silencer” Bauer know, when did he know it, and how long does the Most Transparent Administration Ever plan to play dodgeball with the public?

    OK, so: apparently, Bubba is the fall guy…

    At the behest of the White House, former President Bill Clinton urged Rep. Joe Sestak to drop out of a Senate primary, according to a White House report. (AP)

    FoxNews (excerpted):

    The White House asked former President Bill Clinton to talk to Rep. Joe Sestak about the possibility of obtaining a senior position in the Obama administration if he would drop out of the Democratic primary race against establishment-backed Sen. Arlen Specter, the Obama administration will say in a report to be released Friday morning, Fox News has confirmed.

    The report, by the White House Counsel’s office, will describe the Clinton conversations as informal and unhinged from any precise job offer since, as a former president, Clinton could not guarantee Sestak anything.

    The conversations with Sestak were initiated by Clinton at the behest of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel was Clinton’s political director when he was president. Clinton had promoted Sestak to vice admiral and made him his director of defense policy. Sestak was a loyal and tireless supporter of Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency in 2008.

    WaPo (excerpted):

    Senior White House advisers asked former President Bill Clinton to talk to Joe Sestak about whether he was serious about running for Senate, and to feel out whether he’d be open to other alternatives, according to sources familiar with the situation.

    But the White House maintains that the Clinton-Sestak discussions were informal, according to the sources. The White House, under pressure to divulge the specifics of its interactions with Sestak, will release a formal statement later today outlining their version of events, including Clinton’s involvement.

    According to the sources, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel asked Clinton and his longtime adviser, lawyer Doug Band, to talk to Sestak about the race. It’s unclear right now whether the White House will say that Clinton was asked to suggest specific administration positions for Sestak, whether Clinton floated positions on his own, whether Clinton discussed other options not related to the adminstration, or whether employment even came up at all in the talks.

    …and Sestak’s brother — his campaign manager — gets contacted to “coordinate” the news:

    Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), left, has said the White House offered  him an administration job in exchange for not running for the Senate.

    Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), left, has said the White House offered him an administration job in exchange for not running for the Senate. (Harry Hamburg/associated Press)

    Again, WaPo (excerpted):

    Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) said Thursday his brother has spoken with White House officials about the congressman’s allegation that he was offered an Obama administration job if he would stay out of a Democratic Senate primary. …

    He told reporters Thursday that he would not expand upon his prior statements until the White House releases its report on the matter. President Obama said in his news conference such a report would come “shortly.”

    Richard Sestak, who has served as his brother’s top political adviser and campaign lawyer, spoke with administration officials Wednesday, Joe Sestak said.

    “They got ahold of my brother on his cellphone, and he spoke to the White House . . . about what’s going to occur,” said Sestak, who said he expects the White House will release its information Friday. He declined to elaborate on his discussions with his brother.

    RollCall provides further details (excerpted; see additional verbiage via the Malkin link, above):

    …Sestak said his brother and an unnamed White House official or officials spoke about “what was going to occur.” Sestak declined to identify who made the call for the administration, adding that he has had no direct contact with the White House.

    Sestak called Obama a “pretty legitimate person.” He added, “But we’ll find out shortly what they have to say.”

    Sestak was tight-lipped about the situation, declining to comment on whether he would agree with the White House’s take on the situation. He pledged to say more — and even to return to Washington for a Capitol Hill news conference over the weekend or early next week — once the White House had made its announcement.

    “When the president speaks — or whoever speaks from the White House — we obviously will have something to say,” he said.

    HotAir reports (via NYTimes) that the issue is a matter of whether or not Sestak was offered a paid position (emphasis original):

    Mr. Obama promised on Thursday to release an account of the matter, which White House lawyers have been drafting in recent days in consultation with Mr. Sestak’s brother, Richard, who runs his campaign. The White House plans to release its statement later on Friday. Until now, the White House has said publicly only that whatever conversations took place with Mr. Sestak were not inappropriate.

    The office of Robert F. Bauer, the White House counsel, has concluded that Mr. Emanuel’s proposal did not violate laws prohibiting government employees from promising employment as a reward for political activitybecause the position being offered was unpaid. The office also found other examples of presidents offering positions to political allies to achieve political aims.

    The same blog (via TheAtlantic) presents the memo:

    Sestak Memorandum

    HotAir asks plenty of worthy questions (all emphases original):

    Obama yesterday claimed that the repor[t] would exonerate him; if so, why hold it until Friday afternoon? That would limit the media coverage of the exoneration. The answer appears to be that the report mayexonerate Obama and his staff from violations of the law — but that it clearly shows Obama attempting to manipulate an election in Pennsylvania for his own political purposes. That may be legal, but it’s certainly not indicative of the “most transparent/ethical administration ever,” as Obama promised to provide. …

    What kind of unpaid position would be attractive enough to get Sestak out of the Senate primary? …

    Shouldn’t [the memo] have been released at 5 pm or so? And the memo itself seems to be evidence of potential wrongdoing, rather than an exoneration…

    …[I]sn’t that at the least an admission of attempting to tamper with the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania? If this didn’t violate the law, why did Rahm Emanuel ask Bill Clinton to make the pitch rather than do it himself?

    Then, Sustek [shall we say] confirms the above (MSNBC emphases original):

    Last summer, I received a phone call from President Clinton. During the course of the conversation, he expressed concern over my prospects if I were to enter the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the value of having me stay in the House of Representatives because of my military background. He said that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had spoken with him about my being on a Presidential Board while remaining in the House of Representatives. I said no. I told President Clinton that my only consideration in getting into the Senate race or not was whether it was the right thing to do for Pennsylvania working families and not any offer. The former President said he knew I’d say that, and the conversation moved on to other subjects.

    There are many important challenges facing Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. I intend to remain focused on those issues and continue my fight on behalf of working families.

    HotAir’s response (emphasis original):

    Excuse me, but a position on a Presidential Board is not a “job” in any sense of the word. Sestak has repeatedly insisted that the White House offered him a job to get him to withdraw from the race. Now we’re at the who’s-lying stage, and it may well be everyone.

    Remember:

    In other words, my take on what just went down:

    From somewhere within the deep, dark recesses of the White House (or maybe a pre-paid cell phone in a parking garage somewhere):

    “Hey, Richard. We really need to get things straight on your brother. Joe’s gotta stay in the race, because we cannot afford any more scheduled losses in the Senate than we already think are going to happen. Also, Barry needs this story out of the way to push his agenda and it absolutely cannot point back to him, otherwise heads are really going to roll. So, here’s what we’re going to do…”

    No, what I would have liked to have been the proverbial fly on the wall for was the conversation(s) that went on before Obama’s presser yesterday.

    Let’s sum up, shall we?

    1. Sestak says he was promised a job to get out of the Democratic primary in PA and never changes his story for months;
    2. The White House admits conversations occurred, but that no wrongdoing came out of it (while simultaneously outright denying any conversations with Colorado’s Romanoff);
    3. The White House calls up Sestak’s brother to confirm [what will likely be the first version of the first] story;
    4. The White House leaks that it’s all Bubba’s fault
    5. The White House releases the memo just before noontime, likely to get it just enough media coverage for interest, but [hopefully] not too much to make a bigger deal out of it, claiming that whatever was offered was unpaid (and so must make it all right);
    6. Sestak picks up on this and suggests that the offer was essentially a non-job job.

    Oh, this is so not going to end well…

    See the Impeachment category for general background on this story.

    -Phil (email: phil [at] therightsideoflife [dot] com)

    Sestak's Lose-Lose Dilemma -- Nan Matthis

    The hint of a White House bribe helped U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak in the Democratic primary for the Pennsylvania US Senate seat. But it will be a liability in the general election.

    In an environment of massive anti-incumbent sentiment, it was advantageous to Sestak to differentiate himself from the self-serving Arlen Specter, who had switched parties to gain Obama’s sponsorship in hopes of saving his place in the Senate. One does not reach a high level in the military without being socially and politically prudent, and Sestak rose to the rank of three-star Admiral. He was also street-savvy enough to win two terms in Congress after that. Yet one can understand how he was tempted to let the story of the White House job offer, purportedly made last July, slip during the taping of a mid-February public affairs television show.

    U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak … stands behind his contention that the Obama administration offered him a federal job if he would back away from a Democratic primary race against Sen. Arlen Specter.

    “Yes, I was offered a job,” Sestak said….

    Sestak said top party officials urged him to abandon his Senate bid when Specter joined the Democratic Party….

    “Look, I am comfortable that I answered honestly,” Sestak said. “I said I would never agree with the type of deal that was done with Specter, so I would never go for a deal for myself.”

    As early as last June, establishment Democrats were lining up against his then unannounced candidacy.

    The public mulling of a Senate bid by Sestak – a retired admiral who’s just begun his second term in the House – is giving heartburn to many influential Democrats in Washington and in the Keystone State. Democratic leaders painstakingly worked to recruit Specter, potentially the Democrats’ filibuster-breaking 60th vote in the Senate, under the assumption that the former Republican would be able to coast through his adopted party’s primary on his way to another term.

    Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell personified the great disconnect between Democratic incumbants and public sentiment, and proved himself a dismal prognosticator, when he assumed a loss for Sestak last June:

    Gov. Ed Rendell (D) offered especially blunt words against a Sestak candidacy, telling MSNBC that “Joe should not run for the Senate in the Democratic primary. He would get killed. … [If] Joe Sestak runs against Arlen Specter, he is out of the Congress after just two short terms. We will lose a terrific Congressman and when he loses to Arlen, he fades into political obscurity.”

    Now Sestak has handily won the primary, and the spectre of Specter has instead faded into political obscurity. Within Democratic circles, Sestak is diametrically opposed to the incumbent administration. He was a Hillary Clinton supporter. And there is a more painful fact, one that most political pundits overlook — Obama’s minion Admiral Michael Mullen, currently Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was responsible for ending Sestak’s 31-year naval career.

    Sestak’s Navy career ended in a less-than-ideal fashion. In July 2005 – within a week of Adm. Michael Mullen’s swearing-in as chief of naval operations – Sestak was dismissed as deputy chief of naval operations due to a “poor command climate,” according to the Navy Times…. The ouster represented a stunning (albeit temporary) reversal of fortune for Sestak.

    In fact, Mullen fired Sestak his first day on the job, so it most likely was a political move, and not based on performance.

    So much for the machinations of the Democratic primary. The story of the job offer, potentially a bribe intended to interfere in the electoral process, has taken on a life of its own. The White House denies it, but Sestak is sticking by his story.

    Democratic Senate Nominee Sestak Repeats Claim: White House Offered Him Job to Drop Out of Race Against Specter
    Friday, May 21, 2010

    Rep. Joe Sestak, the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat, said again this week that the White House offered him a job to keep him from challenging Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary.

    Darrell Issa, a Republican Congressman from California, wants to find out whether Obama committed an impeachable offense.

    Rep. Joe Sestak’s allegation that the White House offered him a job to drop out of the Pennsylvania Senate primary race against Arlen Specter is a crime that could lead to the impeachment of President Obama, Rep. Darrell Issa said….

    Issa, R-Calif., is one of many inside and outside Washington who want the Democratic Senate primary candidate to explain in detail what offer the White House made.

    “It’s very clear that allegation is one that everyone from Arlen Spector to Dick Morris has said is in fact a crime, and could be impeachable,” said Issa, who is threatening to file an ethics compliant if Sestak doesn’t provide more details about the alleged job offer.

    ….Sestak, a former vice admiral in the Navy, first alleged in February that the White House offered him a high-ranking position in the administration last summer if he would sit out the primary against Specter, who won the backing of the White House and state Democratic leaders for switching parties.

    If this event happened as described, here is the legal basis for impeachment:

    U.S. Constitution Article II, Section 4 – Disqualification – The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

    And here is the definition for impeachment:

    Impeachment – Impeachment, in the U.S. and Great Britain, proceeding by a legislature for the removal from office of a public official charged with misconduct in office. Impeachment comprises both the act of formulating the accusation and the resulting trial of the charges; it is frequently but erroneously taken to mean only the removal from office of an accused public official. An impeachment trial may result in either an acquittal or in a verdict of guilty. In the latter case the impeached official is removed from office; if the charges warrant such action, the official is also remanded to the proper authorities for trial before a court.

    An article in the Washington Examiner details the dilemma facing Sestak in the general election:

    During his bid for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania Sestak claimed that he was offered a job in the Administration if he would agree to drop his bid to challenge the incumbent, Arlen Specter.

    This is a felony according to the law.

    The U.S. Code specifically forbids anyone from seeking to tamper with an election by offering a bribe or anything else of value or substance to a candidate. This is known as ‘quid-pro-quo.’ And it is a serious offense for which a person who is convicted of the crime could spend up to 5 years in prison….

    How could the White House claim that nothing inappropriate took place when the very fact that Sestak was engaged in conversations with Administration officials during a hotly contested campaign is a highly suspicious act in and of itself?

    Why would the White House even wish to talk to Sestak at all when it had clearly thrown its support to Specter?

    Someone in this sordid mess is lying. And there are only 2 choices–Sestak or Robert Gibbs at the White House, who as press secretary must state to the public whatever he is instructed to say by the President and his advisers.

    If Sestak is lying and the entire story is bogus, then his chances of beating the Republican in the Fall will drop like a lead balloon. But if he is telling the truth and continues to refuse to name the parties at the White House who offered him this deal, then he is protecting a felon. Either way Sestak loses.

    Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton issued the following statement:

    This latest bribery allegation reflects a disturbing pattern by the Obama White House. We still don’t have all the details about involvement of Obama administration officials in the sale of Obama’s former Illinois U.S. Senate seat by Rod Blagojevich. And we still don’t have answers about the charge that Obama Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina offered a federal job to Colorado Democratic Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff to keep him out of the Senate race. There is also the report that President Obama tried to push disgruntled White House Counsel Greg Craig out of the White House by offering a federal judgeship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. And now we have Joe Sestak.

    The Chicago Machine has truly come to Washington.

    Other than impeachment, other parts of the law might be relevant, according to Judicial Watch:

    According to Judicial Watch, the following laws (among others) may have been violated in the Sestak matter: 18 USC 210: Offer to procure appointive public office; 18 USC 211: Acceptance of solicitation to obtain appointive public office; 18 USC 595: Interference by administrative employees by Federal, State or Territorial Governments; and 18 USC 600: Promise of employment or other benefit for political activity.

    That legal opinion is reinforced by Jay Sekulow of The American Center for Law & Justice, who said in an interview:

    Well, article 2, section 4 of the Constitution is there for a reason. And … this is spinning out of control, as far as the White House is concerned right now. This is getting big coverage and it’s getting big coverage because something’s wrong here. It’s undercutting democracy if, in fact, offers were made to have someone not run.

    And it’s not just one or two sections of federal law that’s been violated here. We’ve done an analysis of this. There could be four or even five sections of the federal criminal code that was violated….

    These are serious allegations here. …. I understand why Mr. Sestak is trying to not say anything right now because he’s now obtained the nomination and he may want the White House support. But the reality is, somebody’s going to have to speak. And if, in fact, it is established that an offer of employment was made so that he would not run, that is interference with a political campaign, it’s interference with elected office, it’s the promise and solicitation of a job opportunity in order to forego something. That violates … not only the Constitution, it violates federal law….

    The opinion by most legal observers seems to be that Obama must have known if a job offer was made, but that someone else in the administration will take the fall for it. We, as ordinary citizens, watch this play out and have to decide who is not telling the truth — a high ranking military officer or a community organizer from Chicago. Hard choice that!

    Related:

    Michelle Malkin — "Obama responds to Sestak scandal: Just trust me"

    Dick Morris.com"Penn AG Tom Corbett Should Empanel Grand Jury in Sestak Affair"

    Hyscience"Just ‘trust him’"

    Obama Promises a Sestak Explanation “Shortly;” Outright Denies Offer to Romanoff -- Phil, TRSoL

    See also today's articles:

    "The Silence of the Sestak: The Big Me involved?; Update: WH memo released," by Ed Morrissey, HotAir

    "White House Asked Bill Clinton to Urge Sestak to Drop Out of Senate Race," by Fox News.

    by Phil, The Right Side of Life

    As one Democrat Senator thinks that Obama will “pay a political price” for the Gulf oil spill, Mr. Obama began circling the proverbial wagons on a leg-growing story in the press: he finally broke silence on the Sestak scandal.

    The actual quote:

    “There will be an official response shortly on the Sestak matter,” Obama said, when asked about the issue by Fox News at the president’s press conference. “I mean shortly — I don’t mean weeks or months. … I can assure the public that nothing improper took place.”

    Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the ranking member on the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, claims in an email reported by TheHill that this could be Obama’s Watergate (excerpted):

    The campaign e-mail says the allegations would amount to three felony charges of bribery and corruption.”Congressman Sestak has continued to repeat his story whenever asked without varying from the original version. The White House however has arrogantly and wrongly assumed that they can sweep this matter under the rug,” Issa, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, says in the e-mail.

    “This may be the way business is done in Chicago, but it’s not the way things are done in our nation’s capitol [sic] and I am intent on getting to the bottom of this.”

    We’ve already heard what former Clinton advisor Dick Morris had to say, and Bush advisor Karl Rove went further:

    One of two things is true, you can’t have two things true. One or the other is true. Either Joe Sestak is lying and he was not offered a position in the administration in return for getting out of the primary.

    Democrat president Barack Obama and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel in  the Oval Office

    Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and President Barack Obama (LATimes.com)

    You know he’s a liar, in which case not worthy of public service.

    Or, he’s telling the truth, in which case somebody inside the White House committed a felony. 18usc211 says that, a government official cannot promise a job in return for anything of value and it has a long list of values.

    Saying to a member of Congress if you drop out of the primary and give a free ride to the general election for our Democratic nominee in return for which we will give you a government job, is clearly receiving something of value. The value is a clear path to the nomination of your favorite candidate…..

    What he in essence is saying is that there’s a felon inside the White House and I am going to stonewall and protect that individual. He has an obligation to tell. Either you’re a liar, Joe Sestak, or you’re protecting a felon.

    Here’s 18 U.S.C. Sec. 900:

    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.

    Recall also that Article 2, Section 4 of the US Constitution specifically mentions “bribery” as a specifically impeachable offense:

    Section. 4. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

    RedState went on to recount how Admiral Sestak was offered (by someone) a “high-ranking” job (“Navy secretary?” received a “no comment”) and that Obama advisor David Axelrod essentially said that the White House had looked into the allegations and that the White House found nothing improper.

    Or something like that.

    Yikes.

    Sestak doesn’t want to go into any more detail or he’ll risk his candidacy for the Senate, but he’s not backing down from what he says he knows. And apparently the White House won’t go into any more detail because someone has to take the fall for this thing, and everyone knows it. Taking time to come up with a formal response will subsequently move this political issue in the legal arena, thereby making the chess moves necessary — in theory — for both the Administration and Sestak to maneuver through, at least until after the mid-term elections.

    Yet, in a similar case out in Colorado, the White House flatly denies any wrongdoing at all. According to NewsMax:

    Allegations that the White House offered Joe Sestak a job in exchange for dropping out of the Pennsylvania Senate race echo an earlier report of a job offer to candidate Andrew Romanoff in Colorado.

    On Sept. 27, 2009, the Denver Post reported that the Obama administration offered Senate candidate Romanoff a position if he canceled plans to run for the Democratic nomination against incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet.

    The paper said the job offer, which specified particular jobs, reportedly was delivered by Jim Messina, Obama’s deputy chief of staff. One position the Post cited was a job at USAID, the foreign aid agency. …

    The White House denied that Romanoff had been offered a job.

    “Mr. Romanoff was never offered a position within the administration,” said White House spokesman Adam Abrams.

    Nevertheless, the Denver Post disclosures may have worked against Bennet.

    “People in Colorado have an adverse reaction to the external forces coming down and telling them how to think,” said Colorado state Rep. Kathleen Curry, a Romanoff supporter.

    The casual observer can clearly see that the Obama Administration is flatly denying the latter, but hedging on the former. If nothing is amiss, you come straight out and admit it, else you’ll forever have to maneuver around it until something or someone — such as a potentially majority-changing election — stops you.

    This won’t end well.

    -Phil (Email: phil [at] therightsideoflife [dot] com)

    Thursday, May 27, 2010

    Hearing about 'Sentinel Intelligence Services, LLC, Lyle J. Rapacki, Ph.D.' Notices? Feel Free to Email Me

    BTW, this has nothing to do with Sentinel Radio.

    You may have seen documents from "Sentinel Intelligence Services LLC" and Lyle Rapacki, Ph.D. If you wish to converse about them, please don't hesitate to send me an email: arlenwilliams/at/yahoo/dot/com. - AW

    Joe Sestak White House Scandal 102

    I am watching the presidential oil leak press conference and Obama's statement about Joe Sestak, saying his administration will respond more fully "soon," and "not weeks or months." Suddenly a morph occurred in my mind's eye. Jowls grew, nose lengthened, and skin blanched and there he was, Richard Nixon. Well, we'll see what the White House response finally is. We know they have already covered up, by their prior months of failure to answer questions about it.

    I'll be looking for more on this, from Phil, as per below. You may also wish to see Allan Erickson's pointed essay, "Obama's Katrina, Obama's Watergate."

    Joe Sestak White House Scandal 101

    by Phil, The Right Side of Life

    If you haven’t heard about this story, it’s time to brush up on it, because it’s a potentially big, huge deal for the White House.

    This story has to do with Pennsylvania Democratic Senatorial nominee Joe Sestak; the following video — h/t LibertarianRepublican.com — will catch you up:


    "Who is Wrong" video

    WND.com (excerpted):

    If a Democratic member of Congress is to be believed, there’s someone in the Obama administration who has committed a crime – and if the president knew about it, analysts say it could be grounds for impeachment.

    “This scandal could be enormous,” said Dick Morris, a former White House adviser to President Bill Clinton, on the Fox News Sean Hannity show last night. “It’s Valerie Plame only 10 times bigger, because it’s illegal and Joe Sestak is either lying or the White House committed a crime.

    “Obviously, the offer of a significant job in the White House could not be made unless it was by Rahm Emanuel or cleared with Rahm Emanuel,” he said. If the job offer was high enough that it also had Obama’s apppoval, “that is a high crime and misdemeanor.”

    “In other words, an impeachable offense?” Hannity asked.

    “Absolutely,” said Morris.

    Slate.com (excerpted):

    The problem with both responses, of course, is that we can’t just take the word of White House officials. Sestak says the offer was made, and the White House admits there were conversations. At least three laws might have been broken, according to Darrell Issa, the Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. With that many, it shouldn’t be up to one of the interested parties to decide whether any laws were broken.

    Michelle Malkin covers who’s behind the White House stonewalling (hint: it includes attorney Bob Bauer — you know, the attorney at the Perkins Coie law firm, the same firm that represented the Administration through dozens of eligibility suits), and both RedState and HotAir point out that all 7 GOP Senators on the Judiciary Committee are asking Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the job offer.

    So, what laws are allegedly being broken? Prof. Jacobson has the run-down:

    18 U.S.C. section 210 provides:

    Whoever pays or offers or promises any money or thing of value,to any person, firm, or corporation in consideration of the use or promise to use any influence to procure any appointive office or place under the United States for any person, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

    18 U.S.C. section 211 provides:

    Whoever solicits or receives, either as a political contribution,or for personal emolument, any money or thing of value, inconsideration 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….

    In the same posting wherein Prof. Jacobson recommends that Mr. Sestak needs to start talking, he poses some great questions:

    Is Sestak refusing to talk on advice of counsel so that there is no waiver of his 5th Amendment privilege against self-incrimination? Or is Sestak refusing to talk just because Admirals don’t talk?

    Legally, Sestak is right to keep quiet.

    Politically, there is only one thing which can keep Sestak’s ship from sinking — loose lips.

    I have been following this story off and on for a few months, with thanks to those concerned citizens who have emailed me about it from time to time. The bottom line is that the nominee’s stance has never changed; he simply refuses, to date, to go into further details about it.

    Unfortunately, this is not the first time that questionable actions have occurred with this Administration. In fact, as Jim Kouri of the Law Enforcement Examiner points out, Judicial Watch claims that the White House has attempted to “bribe” Democrats with federal judgeships.

    -Phil (Email: phil [at] therightsideoflife [dot] com)