White House Statement on Romanoff

The press is selling the idea that Obama is engaged in "backroom politics." I think it's just politics. It's also a distraction. Because Obama is expected to walk on water, and because he has vehement opposition (republicans), he needs to stay above the fray, more so than any other president. The White House's statement:

Andrew Romanoff applied for a position at USAID during the Presidential transition. He filed this application through the Transition on-line process. After the new administration took office, he followed up by phone with White House personnel.

Jim Messina called and emailed Romanoff last September to see if he was still interested in a position at USAID, or if, as had been reported, he was running for the US Senate. Months earlier, the President had endorsed Senator Michael Bennet for the Colorado seat, and Messina wanted to determine if it was possible to avoid a costly battle between two supporters.

But Romanoff said that he was committed to the Senate race and no longer interested in working for the Administration, and that ended the discussion. As Mr. Romanoff has stated, there was no offer of a job.