Karl Rove: Joe Sestak's lying or he's protecting a felon in Barack Obama's White House

Well, it looks like we have an answer now to the question raised in that Monday Ticket item here: Obama White House probe of Obama White House finds no Obama White House impropriety on Sestak.

This Joe Sestak/Obama White House job mess does have legs. The public and the media are not buying the White House's self-cleansing, self-serving explanation that everything was appropriate, just move along.

The issue of what Democrat Sestak was offered by an Obama aide to drop out of his ultimately successful Pennsylvania Senate primary challenge of what's-his-name-the-old-former-Democrat-ex-Republican-now-Democrat Specter may well come up this morning at President Obama's first White House news conference in months. (UPDATE: The news conference's full transcript is now available here.)

It's a lesson that White House after White House fails to learn, incomplete answers only raise more questions. If it smells like a fish, good chance it's a fish.

With an opening oil statement, Obama will try to steer/frame the media focus toward the messy....

...Gulf spill story because a) there's another bad guy to blame and b) the president has laid on another photo op down there on Friday before he skips the Memorial Day services at Arlington National Cemetery to vacation again, this time in Chicago.

One-time White House insider Karl Rove has been outside Washington most of recent months, promoting his new best-seller,"Courage and Consequence." But Wednesday he chatted with our buddy Scott Hennen, the upper Midwest's top political talk-show host.

We've got a good piece of video down below for you to ponder. But let's just quote some of the characteristically blunt, clear insight that's made Rove so successful in politics, on the Fox News Channel and so hated/feared by opponents.

Here's Rove on Sestak:

One of two things is true, you can't have two things true. One or the other is true. Either Joe Sestak is lying and he was not offered a position in the administration in return for getting out of the primary.

You know he's a liar, in which case not worthy of public service.

Or, he's telling the truth, in which case somebody inside the White House committed a felony. 18usc211 says that, a government official cannot promise a job in return for anything of value and it has a long list of values.

Saying to a member of Congress if you drop out of the primary and give a free ride to the general election for our Democratic nominee in return for which we will give you a government job, is clearly receiving something of value. The value is a clear path to the nomination of your favorite candidate.....

What he in essence is saying is that there's a felon inside the White House and I am going to stonewall and protect that individual. He has an obligation to tell. Either you're a liar, Joe Sestak, or you're protecting a felon.

Now, Rove on Democrats trying to blame George W. Bush for last month's oil spill, as The Ticket revealed here Tuesday:

Obama Administration officials last year short-circuited the process and allowed Transocean and British Petroleum to drill this well to put this unit at the place that they were drilling and to do so without full environmental review and a full safety review.

It was Obama Administration officials.

Chris Dodd, you know, is reaching back. I wish he knew the facts. He clearly knew that facts when he got that improper mortgage from people he was writing legislation benefits for, but he doesn't have the facts known here.

In fact, it was on the front page of the New York Times....that the decision to allow this rig to drill in this place was granted last year with expedited approvals without a full environmental and safety review by Obama Administration officials.

And, finally, Rove on presidential behavior:

Look, the American people don't elect a president with the hope that he's going to spend most of his time blaming his predecessor. They elect a president to get things done.

I think it hurts President Obama. It makes him look weak. You know, this constant 'poor us, we were handed a bad thing, all the problems are the problems of the previous administration.' You know, look, when Bush came into office he had a recession.

You didn't hear Bush go out and say, 'Well you know Clinton, the stock market peaked in March of 2000. NASDAQ lost 50% of it's value. We were headed to a recession and it's all Clinton's fault and we are cleaning up after the Clinton mess.'

The American people don't want to hear that. So, look, that's fine if they want to do that because I think it hurts them. It diminishes them. It makes them look weak and pitiful and that's not what the American people want.

The reason why the President has such a low approval rating when he should have high ones, is because of the way he conducts himself in office.

So, you think Obama will invite Rove over to shoot some hoops anytime soon? While you wait, give this tape a listen. There's much more, including talk of the role of Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in Penn-gate.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photos: Pete Souza / White House; Associated Press (Sestak, file).

Comments

[lost_nacf_gop]

Karl Rove, spokesperson for political ethics? You're kidding, right? What's next, the lost "Jack the Ripper" interviews, where he decries the level of societal violence in 19th century Britain? This sweaty little gnome should still be inside a prison cell for blowing a CIA agent's cover in an act of petty political retailiation. Using him as a credible source underscores Mr. Malcolm's political hackery, or, perhaps, abject shilli-ness.

[jackspratt1]

self cleansing - when you are rotten through and through - pleeeeeeeease... INDEPENDANT PROSECUTOR or charge Obama with obstruction of justice and impeach immediately - get it done and no retreat - we have a very corrupt leader with a horde of like mindedness around him

[Johnny B]

I think it's the honor among thieves thing.

Congress has no trouble passing laws to punish people who try to bribe public officials. But when someone offers them a bribe it's no big deal ... when it's a fellow Democrat.

[walter12]

Karl Rove is correct. This Obama is the most deceitful, the most leftist, the most corrupt, the most inept, the most disgusting man to ever sit in the White House. He is a disaster for this nation.

[Ranger_Ric]

After November when the Marxist obama finds all his lapdog friends in congress replaced with enemies... there won't be a shovel big enough to cover his dirty trails.

IMPEACH!

[Lorenzo]

Here's the difference between the Bush Whitehouse and the Obama Whitehouse in a nutshell. When Bush (et al) pinched their collective noses and supported Arlen Specter, they DID NOT offer Pat Toomey a bribe to drop out of the primary. That support cost Repos dearly here in PA with Conservatives and probably cost Rick Santorum his job because we wanted Toomey elected in a big way, and Bush and Santorum screwed us. But at least it was and honest screwing. The Obama Whitehouse is Chicago gang-land politics at it's finest. Can we hope that liberals will feel the same way toward Rahm Emmanuel and Obama for supporting Arlen at all costs as we felt toward Bush, Rove and the rest? I guess that depends on whether or not you believe liberals have the same level of integrity. I have my doubts.

[Hoffmann]

The only criminal here is Karl Rove. Arrest him!

[Mekhong Kurt]

Of all the folks in this particularl nattering class, Karl Rove is the one I most wish would could a permanent (as is life-long) major attack of laryngitis.

I'm sick to death of his babblings.

[badgerboy23]

I am born, raised and live in southern Illinois. Just wait until Blago starts talking. He has no where to go, no way to get at money, and Obama and his Chicago thugs have put as much space between Blago and themselves as they have with Wright, etc.. Blago will spill, spill, spill. This is simply business as usual in Illinois, and the Chicago Dem machine has always been able to bury it somewhere in Cook County with the rest of the bodies. This could be fun.

[funkonaut]

Karl's got a point. This is Obama's version of Plamegate. Someone in his administration has committed a felony, or Sestak is lying. Either way it's not pretty.

[GHT]

Laws/ethics don't apply to pigs; some animals are more equal than others.

[Captain Steve]

Obama and his team came from the Chicago political cesspool of thugs, liars thieves and crooks. What did anyone expect? Rove is right.

[YouName]

This news crew sucks

[Obama Woot]

Karl Rove has hit the nail on the head again.

[Lorenzo]

Hoffman and lost_nacf_gop.....you either haven't been listening or you aren't honest. A. It was Richard Armatage who inadvertantly leaked Plame's vocation to Novak (but nice attempt at disinformation) and NOT Rove and B. Rove has never been accused by anyone of committing any crime except by whacked out, dishonest liberal partisans. The bad guys here committed a FELONY. Trying to shill them for by deflecting the conversation to your hatred for Rove just illustrates for the millionth time that if it weren't for the most shameless of double standards, liberals would have no standards at all.

[John E ritenour]

A lot of anger here directed at Karl Rove. Why? What did Karl rovr ever do?

[RealAmerica]

Anything coming from this WH is spin & lies. Obama's WH will do whatever it takes to keep their corrupt lapdogs in power. Karl Rove may raise some lib hackles, but when he presents facts and truths, he is vilified. What's the matter with Dems. Can't stand truth when it hits you in the face? Time to open the windows at the WH, get rid of the stench of corruption, and throw the bums out.

[Sheldonrs]

Rove is a lying, cheating, thieving thug. ANYONE who sides with him on ANY political opinion, idea, practice or comment is a Limbaugh/Beck/Hannity cool-aid drinker and needs to watch something other than FOX "News" once in a while. "South Park" reports the news more accurately than Fox.

[Paul in Colorado]

When Lyndon Johnson stole the Democratic Senate nomination in Texas in 1948 he was able to stop the Justice Department from interfering by arguing that a political party's nominating process is not a federal election, and a party to free to choose it's nominee by whatever means it wishes, including outright theft. Has the law changed? Are caususes, straw polls and backroom deals now federal elections, and subject to federal oversight?

[annie]

Aren't you and your journalist so far and away OVERDUE to investigate and report HONESTLY just what is going on in this administration. Joe Scarborough is absolutely CORRECT......the main stream media is committing MEDIA MALPRACTICE.
The barack administration is shunning you - the main stream media - and you continue to be his LAPDOG. WHY? WHY? WHY?

Also, when will pelosi and reid and dodd and frank and rangel etal going to FINALLY get their criminal activity exposed.

Annie

[Czechbikr]

If someone like Rahm did offer th Secretary of the Navy job to Rep. Sestack, then it follows that it must have been cleared with the President as Rahm does not have the authority to make cabinet appointments.

[Lester]

OILgate. OILbama meets his OILoo.

[Don]

Rove should be penning his jailhouse memoirs right about now. Have you no shame Mr.Rove?

[Chris Hayden]

I blame Obama for not seeing that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove, Rice and a few hundred others were not immediately locked up and held indefinitely in Guantanamo Bay.

You Democrats will know next time--if there IS one!

[RightStuff]

Never forget that we are dealing with the criminal mind in Barack Obama and his band of thugs. Just like two-bit thugs, one of them is going to crack, and he/she will start talking. When that happens, you can bet it will be a circus.

[Elisha]

Obama: Bush's Fault

[berndtc]

November 25, 1981 The A.P. reported that President Reagan's political adviser Ed Rollins planned to offer California Sen. S.I. Hayakawa a job in the administration in exchange for not seeking re-election. From the AP article (Nexis database): Sen. S.I. Hayakawa on Wednesday spurned a Reagan administration suggestion that if he drops out of the crowded Republican Senate primary race in California, President Reagan would find him a job. "I'm not interested," said the 75-year-old Hayakawa. "I do not want to be an ambassador, and I do not want an administration post."
In an interview earlier this week, Ed Rollins, who will become the president's chief political adviser in January, said Hayakawa would be offered an administration post if he decided not to seek re-election. No offer has been made directly to Hayakawa, Rollins said. Similarly, Hayakawa said in a statement, "I have not contacted the White House in regard to any administration or ambassadorial post, and they have not been in contact with me."
Yeah, Sleeper Ron should have been charged, this was obviously a crime. Too bad the right weenies don’t treat their own the way they treat others. How do I spell Hypocrite? R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N!

[Karl Rove]

ROVE IS A FELON

[Mom]

So Plame was a big deal, but this is not?

[Shaun Haynam]

@ Hoffman,

Rove's a criminal huh? You and your ilk are dedicated enough to your cause to rent homes in Alaska and stalk the Palin family, but you weren't able to get to the bottom of the CIA leak? With all you idiots out there digging away, you should’ve found something, were there something to find. Did Bush out maneuver you? That’s shocking, considering that I had to listen to eight years of you telling me how dumb Bush was.

Stop hating yourself and your country and open your eyes little buddy. Your little hopey-changey tingly-leggy is nothing more than politics as usual.

[George Brown]

Sestak must be deposed immediately! He is the sole complaintant. While he may not have actually realized it when he was saying they promised him a job to drop out. If Mr. Sestak refuses to do so, he himself is then guilty of the charge of Misprision Of A Felony now that he is fully aware this is a serious felony crime. On the other hand, many others in the Obama administration including the president himself might very well be charged with this crime.
For instance if it was Rham Emanuel who committed this crime all who gain knowledge of same and assist or attempt to cover it up including the president can and should be charged with Misprision of a Felony. It is high time these people learn the United States is a nation of laws that were intended to be enforced equally. Now its time to start the process.

[Logical1]

This is normal B.O. proceedure, ignore the law, lie, cheat, steal and surround yourself with only the highest calibre of criminals.
You can expect nothing less from an administration that has been commiting crimes against the Nation and its people since day 1 but
what does he care. The ultimate goal for obama and his ilke has always been the destruction of the USA.

I say deport him and incarcerate all associated with him.

Vote anyone but obama in 2012

[phidda]

In your frothy frenzy to gin up a scandal, you've failed to tell us what law any offer for a job in the administration would violate. Maybe you could twitter it?

Also, has this sort of thing occurred before?

(AM responds: No need to gin up scandals these days. As as for citations, in your eagerness to comment--always welcome here--you skipped over the US? statute citation of Rove's.)

[Amanda]

I'm no fan of Rove but Emanuel makes Rove look like a schoolgirl when it comes to cutting dirty deals. This story is going to cause BIG heads to roll. If I were obama I'd be watching my back. The skeletons don't end with shenanigans in Pennsylvania. That's only the beginning. Chicago holds many more secrets. Blago is going to make sure if he goes down THEY ALL DO. Obama is in over his head. He's been set up by Soros and Strong. Those two will cut the strings and watch Obama go down with not a tear shed between them. I don't think obama knows who his real friends are. What a tragedy!

[John]

Rove got it right. Obama's record of achievement is dismal enough, and his ridiculous policies are losers too, but his crowning glory is blaming everyone else for anything wrong.

I live in suburban Chicago and this is nothing more than Chicago thuggery and slime on a national scale. It is entirely predictable. If you want a forecast of Obama's behavior, read news stories of Mayor Daley's process in dealing with problem issues. " I don't know who hired him." "We are looking into it." "We didn't do it - that was their responsibility - not ours".

Obama's handlers are professional slime and Obama is dumb enough to listen to them. And we pay the price for his incompetence on every issue.

[John Q.]

It should be investigated by outside sources from the WH. If Obama's lawyers say there is nothing wrong here, then what's to hide? This is just another example, though possibly much worse, of the administration trying to dishonestly influence politics outside of it's domain. Corruption and and unethical behavior are alive and well in Washington, and only a hypocrite in Congress would be against an independent investigation of this bribery.

[An Independent Viewer]

The above reproach, no skeletons in his closet, never tricked anyone, that pillar of ethics and morality KARL ROVE and new co-hort Darrell Issa....gee they aren't playing politics....are they?....GEEE I guess all of our problems, challenges have been solved and nothing else is worth addressing anymore...

[Thetired]

The story is not about how Karl Rove is a slimeball. It's about how Chris Dodd out of reflex deflects blame to the Bush administration for something that he knows nothing about. This has worked for the last 6 years for the Democratic party whether it be the housing bubble, the home loan mess, the lack of action on the home loan mess (they threw out both proposed fixes on the basis of class warfare) and the Wall street bailout.

Democratic Party Checklist of who to blame
1. BUSH
2. BUSH (People might have forgotten the first time you blamed him)
3. Wall Street
4. Evil Creditors who take advantage of people who are spending money they don't have
5. Fox News

[Shelly]

Am I in Fantasyland? Did I just read this article in the LA TIMES???
Kudos to LA Times for finally coming out of the lefty stupor they've been in
for years ! Finally, some acknowledgement that even if you disagree with a
very intelligent Rove politically, you can still see the wisdom of his analysis.
This wisdom and clear thinking is exactly why he was so successful during the 8 years of the Bush Presidency.
Oh, and to those reading this screaming "Halliburton - HALLIBURTON !!"
Try reading up on Halliburton. Theya re an amzing company and there are few if ANY companies worldwide that can accomplish what they can. Especially in the world of giant projects and undertakings.
So what if Rove was once employed there. How many politicians on both sides of the aisle have been employed by companies they later favored?
Companies have always fostered political ties to be able to get gov't contracts. This is not illegal.

(AM responds: Thanks for the kudos. No one here should be surprised.. We've been here doing this for three years now. Great to have you aboard, Shelly. And all the others.)

[Ltpar]

Frankly speaking, who really gives a damn? With the magnitude of problems this country faces, the Republicans are focused on whether some Democrat was offered a job at the White House, not to run for a political office. The Republicans need to step back, take a look in the mirror and see what a bunch of hypocrites they are. Activities like this one is why many Republicans, including this one, has no respect for the Party any longer. Political appointments to well paying jobs have been a patronage thing for as long as there have been politics. So has offering a carrot on a stick to someone, who might not meet the image of who the Party (Republican or Democrat) wants in the job. This is why, this voter supports firing all of Congress that are up for election in November. It is high time to get some people in Washington who can identify and work on the problems we face today in America.

[crimson123]

lost_nacf_gop: Your assertion about Karl Rove and his role in the Valerie Plame affair is about 5 years out of date (although it lives on in Leftwing Blog-o-sphere Looneyland, which is still weeping and gnashing its teeth that Rove and Bush were never indicted). It was questionable whether Valerie Plame's identity was EVER covered under federal law, but the issue was not addressed by the special prosecutor anyway. FYI: Valerie Plame's (and her husband's) lawsuit against Bush administration officials has gone officially nowhere, having lost in the trial court in 2007, then having lost on appeal in the U.S. District Court in D.C. in 2008. And by the way, the Obama administration sides with the Bush administration in saying that she has no grounds on which to sue. So I guess you can put to rest the idea that Karl Rove "outed" Valerie Plame, unless you can come up with some new facts instead of regurgitated blogosphere foamings.

[A DEMOCRAT FOR TRUTH]

IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW BLINDLY PARTISAN ONE IS, simply read:

18 USC 600 & 18 USC 595--- DEADLY!!!

[Eric]

This is nothing new, Obama's been bribing, extorting and blackmailing opponents throughout his career. It's sicking that people were naive enough to elect this socialist tryannt who's finding new way to trash our Constituion everyday. Read Michelle Malkin's article.

[McBob]

Rove is obviously correct and the facts (even if you don't believe his statements) are everywhere to back it up. Either Sestack is lying or protecting someone in the White House... any debate? Seriously. Does anyone dispute that the administration helped BP fastrack this rig? It's all over the place... read it. And of course the blame game is just obvious... Mr. Obama does nothing but blame. Look, Obama is a nice guy and he is smart, but his policies are not working on almost every front... that's not really debatable.

[Prospector]

Can we blame Sarah Palin? Anybody have a better idea?

[PhilMcKraken]

lost_nacf_gop: Who blew Plame's cover? Rove you say? Maybe you should do a little research and stop calling someone a hack when you are the one spouting shilli-ness. Robert Novak outed Plame and said so on CNN and in many writings. I'm sorry you are misinformed but try not to blame Mr. Rove or Mr. Malcolm for your lack of knowledge.

[Tenfaace]

lost_nacf_gop you should actually try learning the facts before spouting off clearly incorrect propaganda. It's well know and documented that Richard Armitage leaked Plame's name to the press. Richard admitted this himself and the original reporter confirmed this after Richard came out. Richard was a low level state department employee who was a vocal critic of the war, it had NOTHING to do with Rove or Bush.

[roveLies]

the commander in chief should just say the political horse-trading was for the sake of national security and thus cannot possibly be criminal- rove should respect that.

reagan did this with hayakawa. all presidents basically do this. numerous legal experts, including bush's chief ethics counsel, deny that this is illegal. but i'll go with rove, because, when has rove ever let me down?

but seriously, rove is a weasel's weasel.

[berndtc]

November 25, 1981A.P. reported that President Reagan's political adviser Ed Rollins planned to offer California Sen. S.I. Hayakawa a job in the administration in exchange for not seeking re-election. From the AP article (Nexis database): Sen. S.I. Hayakawa on Wednesday spurned a Reagan administration suggestion that if he drops out of the crowded Republican Senate primary race in California, President Reagan would find him a job. "I'm not interested," said the 75-year-old Hayakawa. "I do not want to be an ambassador, and I do not want an administration post."
In an interview earlier this week, Ed Rollins, who will become the president's chief political adviser in January, said Hayakawa would be offered an administration post if he decided not to seek re-election. No offer has been made directly to Hayakawa, Rollins said. Similarly, Hayakawa said in a statement, "I have not contacted the White House in regard to any administration or ambassadorial post, and they have not been in contact with me."
Yeah, Sleeper Ron should have been charged, this was obviously a crime. Too bad the right weenies don’t treat their own the way they treat others. How do I spell Hypocrite? R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N!

[Luther Poach]

These things are hard to pin down. For example, during the Iran-Contra criminal trial either Reagan was lying or Ollie North, yet today they are both heroes to many of the same people who are demanding to know the story on this potential scandal.