White House Faces Fresh Questions Over (Illegal) Back-Room Dealmaking

fox news ^ | 6/3/2010 | fox news

[tobyhill]

The White House faced fresh questions over back-room dealmaking after a Democrat acknowledged he had been encouraged by one of President Barack Obama's top advisers to apply for an international development job instead of challenging the candidate whom the president favored in a Senate race.

The revelation again called into question repeated promises by Obama to run an open government that was above private political horse-trading. In appealing to voters this election year, Republicans charge that Obama's promise to change the ways of Washington has given way to the craven politics he campaigned against.

Former Colorado House of Representatives Speaker Andrew Romanoff on Wednesday night released a copy of an e-mail in which White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina described three federal international development jobs that might be available to him if he were not challenging Sen. Michael Bennet for the Democratic nomination.

"He added that he could not guarantee my appointment to any of these positions," Romanoff said in a statement. "At no time was I promised a job, nor did I request Mr. Messina's assistance in obtaining one."

[silverleaf]

e-mail

Buh Bye Mr Messina, Rahm and Soetero thank you for your service

D’OH!

[Oceander]

"At no time was I promised a job, nor did I request Mr. Messina's assistance in obtaining one."

It all depends on what "is" is, doesn't it? Apparently Mr. Romanoff wants to be coy here; the simple fact of the matter is, if someone in a position of high authority tells you that he wants you to not do something you want to do, and then alludes to the fact that there are several other positions you could be holding if you weren't so busy carrying on the activity this person wants you to stop engaging in, you've been promised one of those three alternatives in every substantive way, all that's missing is nothing more than a little rhetorical flourish.

[randita]

Add to that, “and if the job offer does not apply in the event you are unsuccessful in the pursuit of your current activity, i.e. you lose the primary election”...

[a fool in paradise]

never forget that President Obama traded a judicial appointment for a vote on Obamacare:

Obama Now Selling Judgeships for Health Care Votes?
The weekly standard ^ | 6:15 PM, Mar 3, 2010 | BY John McCormack
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2463545/posts

Tonight, Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he’s obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah. The White House just sent out a press release announcing that today President Obama nominated Matheson’s brother Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.