The 1st Thread For 2/19/10: They Won't Ask Again Now

Joe Sestak has an interesting story that sure made the White House angry yesterday. Via TPM, the Philadelphia Inquirer has a story that Sestak was offered a job by the Obama Administration to get out of challenging Arlen Specter for his Senate seat, only to decline.

Unsurprisingly, the White House declined this vehemently. But I clearly believe Sestak and his office on this one.

The Administration didn't want to deal with the headache of Sestak running against their "Welcome back" buddy on the road to becoming the next conservative headache in this party if he gets re-elected. Even though the headache will be more Specter acting like a Lieberman, Nelson, Lincoln, Landrieu, Bayh any other conservadem whenever he wanted (unless they don't mind the headache of the corporatists in the Senate).

Regardless of all of this, it is a little "meh" for Sestak to say this in the midst of the fire of this forthcoming primary. But deep in his heart, the retired Navy Admiral knows that it wouldn't be the best move for the White House to support Specter over him in the primary. The base of the party will be upset and easily paint the White House as part of the status quo.

And that is a move that the White House just cannot make publicly now.