Research Briefing

As The White House’s Story Continues To Evolve,

The Question That Must Be Asked Is Who If Anyone Is In Charge?

AFTER SESTAK CONTORTIONS,

WHITE HOUSE NOW CAN’T GET ITS STORY STRAIGHT ON ROMANOFF

Following Initial Denver Post Story, White House Denied The Romanoff Offer Job Offer. “The White House said that no job was ever offered to Romanoff and that it would be wrong to suggest administration officials tried to buy him out of the contest. ‘Mr. Romanoff was never offered a position within the administration,’ said White House spokesman Adam Abrams.” (Michael Riley, “D.C. Job Alleged As Attempt To Deter Romanoff,” The Denver Post, 9/27/09)

And At First Romanoff Played Along, Declining To Discuss The Report. “Romanoff declined to discuss the matter on Friday, despite mounting pressure from state GOP chair Dick Wadhams. ‘It would be very easy for him to say, 'No, I was not offered a job',’ Wadhams said. ‘But he hasn't said that. His non-response, to me, is a very clear response there's something there.’” (Eli Stokols, “Romanoff Mum On Possible Obama Job Offer,” KDVR-TV, 5/28/10)

• The Denver Post: “Romanoff never spoke publicly last fall about the supposed job offer and declined comment Thursday.” (Michael Booth, “No Impropriety By White House Regarding Rep. Sestak's Job-Offer Claim, Says Obama,” The Denver Post, 5/28/10) 

Yesterday, Romanoff Admitted He Had Discussed Administration Jobs With White House Deputy Chief Of Staff Jim Messina. “Colorado Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff, responding to an Associated Press report about discussions he held with the White House while contemplating a challenge to Sen. Michael Bennet, released a statement that he said details his contacts with the Obama administration.” (“Romanoff Details Job Discussions With White House,” Coloradoan, 6/2/10)

• In Statement, Romanoff Says Messina Contacted Him Shortly After His Plans To Run For Senate Became Public And Specifically Mentioned Three Positions. Romanoff: “In September 2009, shortly after the news media first reported my plans to run for the Senate, I received a call from Jim Messina, the President’s deputy chief of staff. Mr. Messina informed me that the White House would support Sen. Bennet. I informed Mr. Messina that I had made my decision to run… Mr. Messina also suggested three positions that might be available to me were I not pursuing the Senate race.” (“Romanoff Details Job Discussions With White House,” Coloradoan, 6/2/10)

Today The White House Quickly Shifted Its Story And Claimed Messina Had Only Called To Follow Up On Romanoff’s Job Applications “To Determine If It Was Possible To Avoid A Costly Battle.” “Andrew Romanoff applied for a position at USAID during the Presidential transition. He filed this application through the Transition on-line process… Jim Messina called and emailed Romanoff last September to see if he was still interested in a position at USAID, or if, as had been reported, he was running for the US Senate.  Months earlier, the President had endorsed Senator Michael Bennet for the Colorado seat, and Messina wanted to determine if it was possible to avoid a costly battle between two supporters.” (“Statement From The Press Secretary On Colorado Senate Race,” The White House, 6/3/10)

WHO’S IN CHARGE AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND WHAT HAPPENED?

The Hotline: “Usually we don't see this kind of bumbling until late in the second term. If this is the A-Team, what's Pres. Obama's B-Team going to look like?” (“Wake-Up Call!” The National Journal’s “The Hotline,” 6/3/10)

The Denver Post: “We don't know what to make of all the secrecy. Without an explanation, voters are left to wonder who to believe. And if Obama doesn't mind the position in which that places Romanoff, he ought to care about where it places him.” (Editorial, “Clear The Air On Romanoff Deal,” The Denver Post, 6/2/10)

Politico’s Ben Smith: “[T]he Real Problem Of Emailing A Politico What Can Only Be Read As A Menu Of Senior Government Jobs Puts A More Fundamental Tarnish On The Obama Brand.” (Ben Smith, “Romanoff’s Menu,” Politico, 6/3/10)

Politico’s Jonathan Allen: “[I]n pure power-politics terms, the moves by Sestak and Romanoff amount to a remarkable rebuff of a Democratic White House – by two men who hope to someday serve in a senate Democratic caucus.” (Jonathan Allen, “Romanoff: W.H. Offered Three Jobs,” Politico, 6/2/10)

• Allen: “Taken together, the Sestak and Romanoff cases suggest a White House team that is one part Dick Daley, one part Barney Fife.” (Jonathan Allen, “W.H. Political Team Stumbles, Bumbles,” Politico, 6/2/10)

The Washington Times: “A single job offer for somebody to abandon a senate race is nefarious enough. But If this has happened twice or more, it starts to show evidence of a mens rea - a ‘guilty mind,’ or a specific intent.” (Editorial, “Sestak Offer Was No “One-Off,” The Washington Times, 5/31/10)

The Los Angeles Times’s Andrew Malcolm: “Does anyone else notice an emerging pattern of Obama job-handing here that's creating state-level political chaos for his Democratic party?” (Andrew Malcolm, “Anybody Left Who Hasn’t Been Offered  A Payoff Job By The Obama White House, Please Put Out Your Hand,” The Los Angeles Times, 6/3/10)

Time’s Mark Halperin: “It's kind of extraordinary that the White House early this morning as Mike said put out this statement saying here's what happened. Their statement doesn't answer all the questions.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 6/3/10)

NBC’s Chuck Todd: “Unlike the Sestak situation, everybody decided to, quote, unquote, come clean and yet once again we're not getting the full story.” (MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” 6/3/10)

The Washington Post: “Romanoff's statement raises questions about whether the White House accurately described its conversations with him prior to Thursday, and whether dangling three potential positions is tantamount to a job offer.” (Chris Cillizza & Debbi Wilgoren, “White House: Romanoff Sought Job Before Race,” The Washington Post, 6/3/10)