Sestak, White House still mum on alleged administration job offer

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs refused to give further details this morning on Sestak's claim that he was offered a job last summer by the Obama administration if he would not run against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary.

Sestak repeated his claim today, telling NBC's David Gregory that he was offered a job. But he dodged questions on the specifics, saying that "anything that goes beyond that is for others to talk about." He repeated that assertion in an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," saying that "anything beyond that just gets into politics."

Gibbs, who also appeared on "Face the Nation," said that "nothing inappropriate" happened, but would not confirm whether or not an offer was made in the first place.

In the days since Sestak's upset victory over Specter, both the White House and the two-term congressman have come under increasing pressure to provide further details on Sestak's claim.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement this week that "it is unacceptable for an administration that touts itself as the 'most transparent' in history to continue to stonewall a significant and potentially devastating accusation of political corruption."
Steele repeated his call this morning in a joint appearance with Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine.

"What did the president offer and when did he offer it?" Steele said on ABC's "This Week." He questioned whether Sestak is "lying" by saying Obama made an offer, adding that "at this point, somebody's got to come through and clarify exactly what happened."

For his part, Kaine said he had "no idea" whether Sestak was offered a job, but acknowledged that "if the question gets asked," it's something that the White House "should deal with."