Arnold the "Climanator"

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told reporters today that he’d like an Obama administration job dealing with energy or the environment. Geez. He would probably be good a "pumping" the global warming scam.

The Ticket reported:

In an interview with editors at the Los Angeles Times, the outgoing California governor said he was in “no rush” to find a new job when his term ends next month. But asked specifically whether he’d consider a post working for President Obama, “he said yes and began to riff on his credentials,” according to the Times’ David Lauter.

Schwarzenegger, who counts legislation combating global warming as one of his signature achievements in office, suggested he might be interested in a post dealing with energy or the environment.

Video: Robert Gibbs Wants To Consult Counsel Before Answering Why White House Waited 3 Months to Give Answer on Sestak Job Offer

Gibbs is such a weasel. When asked why the Obama administration took three months to answer the Joe Sestak job offer allegation, Gibbs said,

“I'd have to ask counsel for a better answer on that!”

This mealy-mouthed answer hardly inspires confidence the Obama administration has nothing to hide.

The Obligatory Gov. Ed Rendell 'Sestak Illegal Job Offer is No Big Deal' Video: "I Did the Same Thing In 2006"

I'll bet you did Governor. Are there any other potential crimes you want to confess?

Governor Ed Rendell on Sestak Scandal: It's no Big Deal - I Did It Too

Obama Decides on Sestak Story: "Bubba" did it

The White House has decided to blame the illegal Joe Sestak job offer on former President Bill Clinton. This gives them some distance and plausible deny-ability about the actual language used. In many ways, Bill Clinton is the perfect fall guy. Obama has leverage over him because of Hillary's position as Secretary of State. Additionally, the White House claims it was an unpaid job as an adviser. This makes the illegality a gray area. Bill Clinton certainly has credibility about offering unpaid positions. He is well known for the 'unpaid' position he put Monica Lewinsky in. Bill Clinton had lunch with President Obama yesterday. Was this to finalize their story? Bill Clinton wouldn't take a hit like this for free. I wonder what Obama offered him? So far, Bill Clinton is refusing to comment. Joe Sestak is desperate to put this behind him because it has become a campaign issue. Sestak wasted no time corroborating the White House story. Obama and his advisers must think Americans are idiots if they expect us to believe Sestak could be be dissuaded from running for the Senate by an unpaid advisory position most people never knew existed. Here is the text of the White house memo (pdf).

The Plum Line reported:

Senior White House advisers asked former President Bill Clinton to talk to Joe Sestak about whether he was serious about running for Senate, and to feel out whether he’d be open to other alternatives, according to sources familiar with the situation.

But the White House maintains that the Clinton-Sestak discussions were informal...

According to the sources, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel asked Clinton and his longtime adviser, lawyer Doug Band, to talk to Sestak about the race. It’s unclear right now whether the White House will say that Clinton was asked to suggest specific administration positions for Sestak, whether Clinton floated positions on his own, whether Clinton discussed other options not related to the adminstration [sic], or whether employment even came up at all in the talks...

Dem Gov. Rendell: White House and Joe Sestak should explain what happened with the alleged job offer

Democrats are joining the call for more information about the job offer Sestak said he was offered. Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell is calling on the White House and Joe Sestak to come clean about the alleged administration job offer to drop the primary challenge against Arlen Specter. Sestak defeated Specter and Republicans are calling for an independent prosecutor. Some are even using the "impeachment" word. This has become a huge distraction in Sestak's bid to defeat Republican Pat Toomey in November. The Obama administration is expected to address this issue on some level tomorrow.

The Morning Call reported:

The White House and Joe Sestak should explain what happened with the alleged job offer, Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday before a press conference on Capitol Hill.

"I actually think the White House and Joe Sestak should be a little more detailed and put this behind them," Rendell said...

Rep. Joe Sestak Confirms Illegal WH Job Offer To Drop Out Of Race Against Arlen Specter

Rep. Joe Sestak again confirmed the White House illegally offered him a job if he would drop out of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary race against Arlen Specter. The confirmation came in an interview on Sunday's NBC's "Meet the Press." Sestak is still refusing to say what job was offered, but many have speculated it was Secretary of the Navy. The video is embedded below.

Politico reported:

Rep. Joe Sestak, winner of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, is refusing to provide more information on what job he was offered by a White House official to drop of that race, although he confirmed again that the incident occurred...

"It's interesting. I was asked a question about something that happened months earlier, and I felt that I should answer it honestly, and that's all I had to say about it." Sestak said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Anybody else has to decide on what they will say upon their role. That's their responsibility."

Yet Sestak confirmed to NBC's David Gregory that the incident did take place.

Sestak Stands by Claim WH Offered Job to not Run Against Specter

The White House is denying this allegation, but Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) is sticking by his statement. Sestak is a retired Admiral. Hm... Secretary of the Navy Sestak?

Sestak:

I answered a direct question honestly.

Obama Loses More Jobs In One Year Than Any President In Modern History

President Obama has presided over the worst loss of jobs of any President since World War II. What happened to the 8% peak were were promised if the stimulus passed?

USA Today reported:

Even before Barack Obama took the oath of office, his economic advisers projected that without hundreds of billions of dollars in government spending, the U.S. economy could lose another 3 million to 4 million jobs on top of the 3.1 million lost in 2008.

It turns out they were optimistic. Even with the $787 billion stimulus package that Obama signed in February, more than 4 million jobs have been lost in 2009, the worst year for job losses since World War II. The jobless rate that advisers projected would peak at 8% has topped 10%.

More jobs lost as a percentage of peak employment than any time since the Great Depression

Click image for larger view.

The chart shown above graphs the percent job loss of all recessions since the Great Depression. The current recession has lost more jobs on a percentage basis than any other since World War 2.

From Business Insider:

It's now official: The country has lost more jobs as a percentage of peak employment than any time since the Great Depression.

This includes the recessions of the early 1980s, even when they are combined.

Green Czar Van Jones Can't Define Green Job, But Does a Great Crack Head Imitation

Obama's Green Jobs czar, Anthony Van Jones, can't define a green job, but that doesn't keep him from being in charge of $30 billion in stimulus money. On the other hand, he does a great crack head imitation. Here is the video. Enjoy!

Gallup: Obama’s weekly average approval at new low

President Obama's approval is dropping dramatically among seniors, the young and upper income Americans.

From Gallop:

Approval of Obama is down among all major age groups over the past month, but the drop has been particularly steep -- 11 points -- among adults aged 18 to 29 (though young Americans continue to give Obama the strongest support). It has dropped by four to seven points during that time among the three older age categories of Americans. However, over the past week, the sharpest drop -- from 48% to 43% -- has been among seniors.

Seniors remain the only age group whose average approval rating of Obama is below 50%, a pattern seen since mid-July. But last week, for the first time, finds more seniors disapproving than approving of Obama (48% disapprove vs. 43% who approve).

Support for Obama has also dropped below 50% for the first time among upper-income Americans (those making $90,000 or more per year) and registers below that threshold for only the second time among upper-middle-income earners (those earning from $60,000 to $89,999).

Chicago University Hospital paid Michelle Obama for not working

No wonder health care costs are so unaffordable. At least this should really make Michelle proud to be an American. The AP reported today that:

Obama earned $139,204 as a Democratic senator from Illinois last year before leaving his seat after winning the November election. Michelle Obama received a salary of $62,709 from the University of Chicago Hospitals, where she was an executive.

The only problem is Michelle Obama did not work last year. Instead, she campaigned with her husband. Her hospital job was eliminated after she left. I guess they didn't need her after all.