Clinton Denies White House Version of Jobsgate Scandal

[Geee]

American Spectator:


Clinton Denies White House Version of Jobsgate Scandal
By Jeffrey Lord on 8.13.10 @ 6:09AM

Uh-oh.
Former President Bill Clinton, campaigning this week for Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee Joe Sestak, has been caught on video contradicting the Obama White House official statement on the Jobsgate scandal.

Not once. Not twice. But three times.

The scandal involved a February allegation by Sestak that the Obama White House offered him a job if he would back off a challenge to incumbent Democratic Senator Arlen Specter. After months of silence and controversy swirling around the issue, the White House was forced to admit it had in fact not only offered a position to Sestak but offered a choice of three to Colorado Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff. Romanoff was preparing a bid against incumbent Democratic Senator Michael Bennet, a race he lost to Bennet on Tuesday.

California Congressman Darrell Issa, the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has seen the tape and immediately pounced, pointedly noting there seemed to be "three sides" to the Jobsgate story.
First, the background.

On Tuesday, August 10, the former President was in Wilkes-Barre in Northeastern Pennsylvania to campaign for Sestak, who defeated Specter in the May primary and is now in a tight race against Republican nominee Pat Toomey.

Working the crowd at the Sestak event, Clinton is questioned by reporter Doug Currin of WBRE-TV, an NBC affiliate. Here's the clip, with the words from the hard-to-hear tape on screen. I've reprinted below.

REPORTER: Why did you campaign for Sestak if you tried to get him out of the race?

In the din, the reporter shouts the question a second time at Clinton, who is standing but a few feet away:

REPORTER: Why did you campaign for Sestak if you were in line with getting him out of the race?

CLINTON: I wasn't. I didn't try to get him out of the race.

REPORTER: For Arlen Specter?

CLINTON: I didn't try to get him out of the race.

REPORTER: You did not?