Sestak Confirms WH Offered Him Job, Gibbs Says “Nothing Inappropriate Happened”

Did the White House offer Rep. Joe Sestak a job (rumored to be Navy secretary) in return for not running against Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary on Tuesday? No one will say for absolute sure. One imagines that if Rand Paul had not been afforded quite so much media time to clarify his views on the Civil Rights Act this storyline might have received more attention. As it is, it got secondary mention on all three network Sunday shows this morning.

On Meet the Press this morning Sestak says they did.

“It’s interesting. I was asked a question about something that happened months earlier, and I felt that I should answer it honestly, and that’s all I had to say about it…Anybody else has to decide on what they will say upon their role. That’s their responsibility…I was offered a job, and I answered that…Anything that goes beyond that is for others to talk about.”

The “others” in question didn’t seem too keen to provide any clarification. On This Week, DNC chairman Tim Kaine refused to clarify whether he felt the White House should disclose the offer that was made: “I don’t know that they do. I mean, the issue is what the White House needs to do now, along with us, is working with — with him to make sure he’s the next senator. ” Fellow guest Michael Steele was, needless to say, less than impressed.

Meanwhile — in Sestak trifecta! — over at State of the Nation Robert Gibbs told Bob Schieffer: “Nothing inappropriate happened. … Republicans are continuing to dredge this up … I’m not going to get further into what the conversations were. People that have looked into them assure me that they weren’t inappropriate.”

Whether this story will really take hold I suspect will depend greatly on the sort of news cycle the week ahead brings. If things quiet down the White House might be looking at some tough questions, otherwise I imagine it will remain a footnote in this week’s primary news. Videos below.

Videos below.