The Chicago Way: Obama Trading Judgeship for Healthcare Vote?

Put nothing beneath this lowlife.

Tonight, Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he's obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah. The White House just sent out a press release that President Obama nominated Matheson's brother, Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

The timing of this nomination looks suspicious, especially in light Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak's claim that he was offered a federal job not to run against Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania primary. Many speculated that Sestak, a former admiral, was offered the Secretary of the Navy job.