Former Colorado Speaker of the House and Golden Boy Andrew Romanoff has done nothing wrong. Yet. All he has done is provide Colorado Democratic voters a choice when choosing their candidate for U.S. Senator. So far, Romanoff appears to be winning. Prince Andrew Romanoff has a lot of power, but there are pressures aplenty.
Foremost is time pressure. The clock is ticking on valiant Prince Andrew. It appears he may be holding the keys to the Kingdom. Will Andrew make this nightmare go away for King Obama? Will he make it worse? When will Andrew Romanoff talk? What will he say? Will he say it soon on our Caplis and Silverman radio show?
President Obama said at the start of this Memorial Day weekend that all of his attention is on the Gulf oil spill. I doubt it. I doubt him more and more. When a criminal scandal is brewing, and your White House is the target, it takes away at least some of your attention. I don't care how cool you are.
How do you know people at the White House are anxious about criminal exposure? Listen to the way they are talking and acting. Nervous. They have good reason to be. When asked directly about Sestak at the end of a recent and rare press conference, our glib President Obama said nothing and referred to a statement soon to be crafted and delivered by his White House lawyer.
Previously, White House political pro David Axelrod admitted that, if the Sestak tale is true, it would "constitute a serious breach of law." Mr. Axelrod further told John King on CNN that he could not tell King what was said on any conversations, "I was not a party to the conversations." Axelrod does not want to be a target. Sestak seems to be unloosening his lips.
Robert Gibbs, hemming and hawing even more than normal, is sounding like Nixon's Ron Ziegler. The White House lawyer, Robert Bauer, issued a Memorial Day Weekend statement of exoneration without ever even citing the relevant statute. The only thing hope and change for the Obama White House about this apparent electoral tampering is hoping that America will change the subject.
This is old school. That is the apparent defense and by its very assertion, the confession. We have a business as usual White House. Maybe even more so. Elevate Governors and Senators to the Cabinet, get Obama approved people to move up. This has some of the stench of corporate type electioneering, like Massey Mining and how they practically fixed elections, the kind of thing that hurts and kills real Americans.
The applicable crime, as written, 18 United States Code, Section 600, seems to fit like a glove around the facts as reported. If the elements fit, the jury cannot acquit. But will it ever get to a jury? How about a grand jury where you can get sworn answers to tough questions?
If Republicans could take it to any jury, they would. But they can't. It is the Obama-Holder Justice Department. Politics and prosecution are a poor, but powerful, mix. Remember the hubbub over the Bush-Cheney-Rove replacement of U.S. Attorneys who would not play political party ball. Seems like small ball compared to the U.S. Senate.
Even if this matter never gets any attention in a federal courtroom, the case is now on the docket in the court of public opinion. The loser is Obama. Our President has been undressed. We were promised transparency and now we see disturbing images of what is going on inside this White House.
The other losers are Obama Democrats. That includes almost all Dems. But not Andrew Romanoff. Not yet. Last year, Andrew Romanoff took on the Obama approved Democrat, Michael Bennet.
Andrew Romanoff is no Charlie Crist. He is not going third party. This is a Colorado Democratic intraparty insurrection. Andrew Romanoff is a Denver Democrat with demonstrated legislative and leadership skills. He was there as a leader when Colorado Democrats at long last wrested control at the statehouse. It was pre-Obama.
Andrew Romanoff's aspiration to be appointed a U.S. Senator was shot down by Bill Ritter/Barack Obama/Ken Salazar/Roy Romer, the DNC powerbrokers round these parts. Denver Public Schools has been graduating about 50% of its students. DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet leapfrogged from that great accomplishment to the Most Exclusive Club in the World -- the U.S. Senate.
Boil this incumbent-gate scandal down. Sestak-Romanoff is all about the U.S. Senate and a Presidential desire to dominate its members. This White House also likes to control Governors. In its zeal, it appears the Obama White House may have bumped up against a felony.
Andrew Romanoff has a substantial history with our radio show. Several years ago, he survived and thrived after two days of co-hosting with Dan Caplis. The term limited Speaker is a good humored wordsmith, almost always willing to engage and banter with us. Romanoff is also the rare policy wonk who can be entertaining.
Michael Bennet has assiduously avoided Dan Caplis and only to a slightly lesser extent, me. We see him at events, never in our radio studio. How will we all get to know Senator Bennet? Through million dollar ad campaigns with slick spots that are designed for us to buy a carefully crafted corporate product - Michael Bennet.
In the past, on our radio show, when we asked if he was offered a job, Andrew Romanoff has bantered, dodged and evaded. That was then. This is now. Now, we all know about the apparently applicable federal felony.
On September 27, 2009, Denver Post D.C. based reporter Michael Riley wrote an article titled D.C Job Alleged as Attempt to Deter Romanoff :
WASHINGTON -- Not long after news leaked last month that Andrew Romanoff was determined to make a Democratic primary run against Sen. Michael Bennet, Romanoff received an unexpected communication from one of the most powerful men in Washington.
Jim Messina, President Barack Obama's deputy chief of staff and a storied fixer in the White House political shop, suggested a place for Romanoff might be found in the administration and offered specific suggestions, according to several sources who described the communication to The Denver Post.
Andrew Romanoff has never denied the accuracy of this Denver Post story. He has played it coy. Rarely does Andrew Romanoff let the public see him peeved at Obama/Ritter/Salazar/Romer for bypassing him and putting Bennet in the Senate. The predominant message of the campaign is that Romanoff really does want a government job, but one that he gets on his own, the job of U.S. Senator.
So far, Romanoff has been kicking Bennet's butt in everything but money (Bennet tapped right into the Obama money machine, covets corporate money, and has a ton of his own). Even with all that money and backing, Senator Bennet, appointed to the Ken Salazar Senate seat, has been leaking oil.
Will Senator Bennet now be persuaded by a worried White House to go away before the August primary? Even if Romanoff becomes the new Obama approved choice (see Sestak), no one can expect the GOP candidate for this prized Colorado Salazar/Obama/Bennet Senate seat, to leave this issue alone. What will Andrew say and when will he say it?
The price of this political game of poker has gone way up over the Memorial Day Weekend. Andrew Romanoff is too smart to not perceive the game change. If Andrew Romanoff continues to dodge and evade when asked, that will likely ruin the Romanoff brand. Not many people will accept a non-answer. I don't know how Andrew Romanoff can win the election playing his hand that way.
So what to do now, Mr. Romanoff? How about telling the truth? Mama always said, honesty is the best policy. Andrew Romanoff might well be hailed as a new Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. No corporate money taken. No White House quid pro quos.
Going rogue would make Romanoff a famous person, but will there be a happy ending? For President Obama? For the United States of America? For Andrew Romanoff? Andrew Romanoff, M.D. The Moral Democrat.
Here is what is touted on www.andrewromanoff.com - A Man of Honor and Conviction. A Sterling Reputation. A Record of Integrity and Simple Decency. A Bridge Builder. The Best in Government Leaders. Working for the People of Colorado.
Colorado and America might fall in love with Andrew Romanoff. Most Americans hate this kind of crap out of D.C. Screwing us every which way they can.
They call it horse trading. We call it bull crap. The selling of high government jobs that we, the citizens, pay for. What are we paying for? So the White House can use each job as our blank check that it can fill out, in any amount, to bribe candidates. Do you really have to offer a government job? Can't you Dems in the White House use corporate buddies like Republicans do? At least that might not run afoul of felony laws.
In this patronage/bribery scenario, do we, the citizens, ever get the best person for the job? Or do we get incompetent political people (Janet Napolitano) and vote getters without proper technical backgrounds (Ken Salazar)? Does anything other than electoral manipulations matter in the White House hiring process? Is it like the mob? You join Team Obama. You get connected. You support all things Obama.
And what more do we the people get? Our right to choose between good candidates is gone. Soviet style, the election is fixed before it ever really begins. You will not run this time Leonid. Not now Sestak. Wrong time Romanoff. The White House does not yet trust you enough. Team Obama definitely can't trust the voters. Especially now that the Obamacare and Arizona polls are so bad.
Favor for Favor. Back scratching. How do you get a job in this economy? Sign up for Team Obama. Obama Agenda by any means necessary. Control democracy. And for goodness sake, control Democrats.
The White House supported an ancient Arlen Specter over a younger, decorated Admiral who had long been a Democrat. That was another dirty deal. Switch sides Arlen, vote for Obamacare and Kagan, and we, your grateful friends in the White House, will clear the Democratic decks for you to beat Pat Toomey again. Did anybody consult with Pennsylvania Democratic voters?
How about Colorado Dems? Did they get a say? What kind of deal was made with Michael Bennett - the shocking choice to succeed Ken Salazar? Something tells me that Obama can always count on Bennett. Quid pro quo. Who needs the American people if you control the United States Senate?
This Obama stain may spread and gush right onto the heads of the establishment and Obama co-opted Dems. How quickly the worm, or should I say drill bit, has turned since the Denver DNC.
In the flow path might be former DNC head and Colorado Governor Roy Romer, Romer's protégée and current Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Romer's former lawyer, Ken Salazar, and Romer's Denver Congress Park neighbor and good friend Michel Bennet. Read below Romer's son, Colorado State Senator Chris Romer's, reaction to the White House job offer to Romanoff.
State Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, said the White House has "every right" to get involved in the race.
"People locally are taking a position. Why wouldn't Barack Obama, who by the way is more affected by the outcome, have a right to be involved?" said Romer, who is supporting Bennet. "It's absolutely consistent with what other presidents have done in both parties."
Still, the tactics have surprised others in the party, sparking growing concern especially as efforts that should have been kept private spill into public view.
Involved is one thing. Using taxpayer financed jobs to induce candidates to go away is another. What most people did not know back in September when the Denver Post ran its story was 18 USC, Section 600. But ignorance of the law is no defense.
How could the Obama smart guys dance so close to the flame so soon after Blago? Didn't Clinton also get in trouble for, among other things, finding Monica a job at the Pentagon? Hard habits to break? Is there any adult supervision? Does this stuff really work in Chicago?
Will the Denver Post follow up and become the Washington Post of this potential Watergate? The Post has the Michael Riley September story head start, but have they squandered their lead? Does the Denver Post want to get at this truth? Since the Rocky Mountain News died, we don't get a lot of the political investigative journalism we once had in this town. Same story really. We consumers suffer when competition goes away.
Will other members of mainstream media look the other way? Tea partiers and the ideological left are no doubt interested even if the good old political parties consider it business as usual. I think this story has staying power.
One thing is for sure. Denver's Talk Station, 630 KHOW, will be all over this story. Legendary morning host Peter Boyles has been on this Romanoff angle for months. We, at the New York Times' acclaimed Caplis and Silverman Show, will be all over the legal and political fallout. You can stream us. You can podcast our show to listen to while you go for a run. It will be fascinating, especially at the White House, to see which way Romanoff now runs.
Offering someone a full time job is a mutually exclusive prospect. It implies, by necessity, that they cannot hold another full time job. Unless you can prove that Obama did not intend to furnish the recipient with a job, or that there is some extraneous favor implied beyond merely taking the job, there is no violation of law. 18 U.S.C. § 600 specifically does NOT mention merely taking a job. There must also be an extraneous "favor" performed in the capacity of his current employment that the offeree renders on behalf of his would-be employer. No such favor is alleged or implied, and thus, there can be no violation of 18 U.S.C. § 600.
18 U.S.C. § 600 does *NOT* render mere job offers to candidates illegal. It doesn't say what you are implying it says.
Both Rom and Sestak have confessed that there was "iffy" activity. The fact is, whether there actually was or not should be investigated by independent groups, not from WITHIN the White House. Does anyone really think a White House investigation is going to out the White House? Lets be real here folks...
It's not likely any such investigation will happen any time soon, however, given the inbalance of powers that currently exists with the "democratic" party holding government hostage.
The arrogance to suggest investigating "criminal" activity with the oil spill and yet not investigate the Black Panthers voter fraud, these affairs with Rom and Sestak, buying off senate votes with "kickbacks", etc, is nothing short of laughable.
If progressivism is about protecting the law, then why has this progressive administration done the exact opposite every chance they get? They broke the law with their twisting of "reconciliation", with forcing people to buy a product(health care), with CONTINUEING Bush's wiretapping policies, and making them WORSE (still waiting for you to drop the double standard on that one oh you "noble" progressives), with bribes to get senate votes, with misuse of taxpayer money ($100,000+ alcohol tab by Pelosi anyone?) and the list goes on and on.
If you are so noble stop being hypocrites and expect the best from BOTH parties.
Examples: "Mr. Bush’s team looking for a position for Representative Benjamin A. Gilman of New York in 2002 to avoid him challenging another Republican incumbent; Mr. Clinton nominating Gov. William Weld of Massachusetts to be ambassador to Mexico in 1997, making it easier for a Democrat to win his office; and Ronald Reagan’s advisers dangling an ambassadorship in 1981 if Senator S. I. Hayakawa dropped out of a California Republican primary." http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/us/30memo.html
Your comment shamefully ignores facts & reality.
If the administration officials offered either man a job then I seriously doubt that they included the caveat that primaries be avoided. I could be wrongbut I don't think that we are dealing with Pres.Nixon's White House. staff.
Do you think the "Justice" department is going to look into this? I'm going to go with a big NO given the racist Eric Holder refusing to try the Black Panthers because they were either A) Black or B) Registered DNC members.
That was about as clear cut as it gets considering there's video all over the internet of this voter intimidation, and that's why the lower courts agreed with the plaintiffs. But not "Sir Holder".
You should also know Miss Cronk that Craig is actually a Democrat. If you listened to the show maybe you would know that he keeps with the Democratic principles pretty regularly, and that Caplis used to be a Demorat as well.
I think the liberal media has really got you with their fear mongering over "right wing extremists". I guess it's extreme to hold politicians accountable for their actions and to make them uphold the law, not have all these back-room deals, not all these racist notions (and yes, when you pull the race card when someone disagrees with you, YOU are racist, not the other), and have the PEOPLES VOTE count for something anymore.
If that's extreme, then the world has really tumbled...