From the Philly Inquirer:
Rep. Joe Sestak (D., Pa.) said yesterday that the White House offered him a federal job in an effort to dissuade him from challenging Sen. Arlen Specter in the state’s Democratic primary.
The disclosure came during an afternoon taping of Larry Kane: Voice of Reason, a Sunday news-analysis show on the Comcast Network. Sestak would not elaborate on the circumstances and seemed chagrined after blurting out “yes” to veteran news anchor Kane’s direct question.
“Was it secretary of the Navy?” Kane asked.
“No comment,” Sestak said.
The White House naturally denied that such an offer was made. Sestak said it was made over the summer, before he entered the race against incumbent Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter, Pa. The episode illustrates the White House’s concern over losing Senate seats in this fall’s elections — a concern that has only heightened since the retirement of Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and the election of Republican Sen. Scott Brown to Ted Kennedy’s former Senate seat in Massachusetts.
