In The Promise, a sympathetic account of the Obama administration’s first year, Jonathan Alter reports that the president attempted to entice troubled White House Counsel Greg Craig to gracefully exit the White House by offering him an appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.  According to Alter, “the White House was anxious that the offer not leak, for fear it would look as if Obama were offering judgeships as consolation prizes.”  Deservedly so.

True, President Obama’s willingness to use presidential appointments to end political trouble is hardly news.  Rep. Joe Sestak, for example, disclosed the president’s attempt to use an executive branch appointment to dissuade him from pursuing his successful primary challenge to the president’s favored incumbent, Sen. Arlen Specter.