Sestak Confirms Clinton Offer: 'I Said No'

Drip by drip, we're getting a clearer picture of the White House's attempt to keep Joe Sestak out of the Arlen Specter race. Sestak today confirmed that Bill Clinton called him last summer, reports Politico. A portion of his statement: "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."

The White House counsel today issued a two-page memo (read it in full here) saying no rules were broken. "Allegations of improper conduct rest on factual errors and lack a basis in the law," wrote Bob Bauer. He concluded that Sestak had been offered "uncompensated" positions, not the top Navy spot as had been widely speculated. Bauer said discussions about "alternatives" to a Senate run weren't illegal or even unusual, reports the Washington Post. (More Joe Sestak stories.)