An influential Republican congressman has intensified his rhetoric accusing the Obama administration of an illegal job offer to another member of Congress, calling it “Nixonian."
California Rep. Darrell Issa, the ranking member on the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, made his comments regarding the alleged job offer to Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak during an interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto.
Issa also sent a letter March 10 to White House Counsel Robert Bauer asking the administration to come clean regarding allegations Sestak made on a Philadelphia cable news show last month indicating the White House had offered him a senior post in exchange for dropping out of the race against Republican-turned-Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter.
Sestak, a former three-star admiral, is widely believed to have been offered the post of secretary of the Navy, although he has declined comment. The congressman chose to enter the Senate race because of his chagrin over what he saw as Specter’s political opportunism in his decision to change parties.
Democratic leaders, including President Obama and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, have endorsed Specter’s bid for re-election.
“And this is sort of Nixonian, actually, more than Clintonian,” Issa said in response to Cavuto’s analogy comparing this offer to certain actions during the Clinton administration. “If it was done, it was probably at a level well below the president. It was probably done by, quote, ‘some of the president’s men.’”
The congressman warned the White House in his earlier letter that such an offer would have violated at least three federal laws if it could be verified.
Issa also accused White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs of participating in a cover-up by refusing to answer questions on the issue.
“But, at this point, the spokesperson for the president is now part of the cover-up, day after day after day, by saying he’s going to ‘get back to you’ . . . with something that should be easy to confirm or deny,” Issa said.
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