Judgeships for Sale and Sestak Offered High-Ranking Position not to Challenge Specter

Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT-2nd) voted against the House health care bill in November, and is on Obama's "undecided" list to vote for the next legislation. So what is a President to do? Buy him off, of course.  Jim Matheson's brother Scott was nominated yesterday for the 10th Circuit Court by Obama. If this health care business is going to be over as soon as the President indicates, why not hold this nomination? There is vote-buying going on. If Rep. Matheson could not support the bill the first time around, he surely cannot stomach it now. Rep. Sestak revealed that he was offered a high-ranking position, by the White House, not to challenge Senator Arlen Specter's Senate seat.

The President invited ten House Democrats to the White House last night. Each voted no the first time around: Rep. Jason Altmire (PA), Rep. Allen Boyd (FL), Rep. Lincoln Davis (TN), Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (SD), Rep. Frank Kratovil (MD), Rep. Ed Markey (Mass), Rep. Jim Matheson (PA), Rep. Patrick Murphy (PA), Rep. Heath Shuler (NC) and Rep. John Tanner (TN).

Consider Congressman Matheson's record on the health care bill. He voted against the bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee back in July and again when it passed the House in November. 

But now he's "undecided" on ramming the bill through Congress. "The Congressman is looking for development of bipartisan consensus," Matheson's press secretary Alyson Heyrend wrote to THE WEEKLY STANDARD on February 22. "It’s too early to know if that will occur." 

Asked if one could infer that if no Republican votes in favor of the bill (i.e. if a bipartisan consensus is not reached) then Rep. Matheson would vote no, Heyrend replied: "I would not infer anything.  I’d wait to see what develops, starting with the health care summit on Thursday." 

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) says he was offered a federal job in July 2009, by the White House, if he would not challenge Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. The White House essentially said Sestak lied:

A White House spokesman this morning strongly denied Sestak had been offered yesterday. Before the spokesman issued the denial a senior Pennsylvania Democrat yesterday said Whitye House officials there were angered by Sestak's account.

Sestak announced his candidacy for the Senate in August. Rumors are that Sestak was offered the position of Secretary of the Navy, rumors which Sestak refuses to confirm, although he did say the position was a "high-ranking." Sestak (58) is a retired Navy admiral.