Research Briefing

The White House’s Repeated Assertion To Have Investigated Sestak Job Offer Internally Is Not An Acceptable Response

PRESIDENT OBAMA TODAY REPEATED CLAIM THAT WHITE HOUSE

HAD REVIEWED SESTAK MATTER INTERNALLY

President Obama: “I Can Assure The Public That Nothing Improper Took Place…” (President Barack Obama, Press Conference, Washington, DC, 5/27/10)

• Obama’s Claim Just Repeats White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ Assertion That The White House Has Determined Conversations With Sestak “Were Not Inappropriate In Any Way.” were not inappropriate in any way.” “Bob Schieffer, the host, pressed Mr. Gibbs about whether the White House had actually offered Mr. Sestak a job to clear the field for Mr. Specter. ‘I’m not going to get into it,’ Mr. Gibbs said, ‘but people who have looked into it assure me the conversations were not inappropriate in any way.’” (Katharine Q. Seelye, “Gibbs on Sestak’s Claim of a Job Offer,” The New York Times’ The Caucus Blog, 5/23/10)
• White House Advisor Has Also Claimed The White House Had Determined That “Nothing Inappropriate Happened.” Axelrod: “Look, all I can tell you, Chuck is what I’ve been told by the folks who’ve looked into this and that nothing inappropriate happened. That’s what Robert [Gibbs] said. That’s -- and I’m repeating that here. I’m sure he was told the same thing I was told.” (MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” 5/24/10)

BUT THAT DEFENSE HAS ALREADY BEEN REJECTED

The Washington Post: “Still, the White House position that everyone should just trust it and go away is unacceptable from any administration; it is especially hypocritical coming from this one.” (Editorial, “Lack Of Sunlight Over Mr. Sestak’s Claims,” The Washington Post, 5/25/10)

• WaPo: “[H]igh-handed, conclusory assurances from the White House are not enough to satisfy legitimate questions about the episode.” (Editorial, “Lack Of Sunlight Over Mr. Sestak’s Claims,” The Washington Post, 5/25/10)

The New York Times: “Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ‘trust us’ response from the White House has not exactly put the matter to rest.” (Peter Baker, “For Sestak Matter, A ‘Trust Us’ Response From White House,” The New York Times, 5/24/10)

• NYT: “[T]he refusal to even discuss what was discussed does not advance the White House’s well-worn claim to being ‘the most transparent’ in history.” (Peter Baker, “For Sestak Matter, A ‘Trust Us’ Response From White House,” The New York Times, 5/24/10)

National Journal’s Hotline On Call Blog: “[White House] Stonewalling Has Gone To Incredible Lengths.” (Reid Wilson, “Why The GOP Loves Joe Sestak,” National Journal’s “Hotline On Call” Blog, 5/24/10)

LA Times Top Of The Ticket Blog: “Obama White House Probe Of Obama White House Finds No Obama White House Impropriety On Sestak.” (Andrew Malcolm, The Los Angeles Times Top Of The Ticket Blog, 5/24/10)

Real Clear Politics’ Tom Bevan: “With public trust in government at an all time low, the White House's ‘trust us’ response to the Sestak matter simply isn't going to cut it.” (Tom Bevan, “Best Case for White House: It's Business as Usual,” Time Magazine’s Real Clear Politics Blog, 5/24/10) 

AND EVEN TOP DEMOCRATS AGREE IT’S TIME FOR WHITE HOUSE TO COME CLEAN

PA Gov. Ed Rendell: “I think he should be more precise, and I think the White House should also give a little more detail.” (Shira Toeplitz, “Dems: Sestak Must Explain Job Offer,” Politico, 5/27/10)

Rep. Anthony Weiner: “I think what the White House should do is, to some degree, say, 'Here are the facts’ … If there's not a lot [to] what's going on here, then just say what happened.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 5/24/10)

• Rep. Weiner: “Someone has to help us out here, and I think the White House and Congressman Sestak need to make sure we're not talking about this next week.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 5/24/10)

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine: “If the question gets asked, it is something that they should deal with.” (Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 5/23/10)