An e-mail:

I’m baffled by the Administration’s Sestak memo. At this initial stage I expected a much more artfully crafted smokescreen based on the theory of a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Instead, the administration appears to be admitting fundamentally damaging facts while relying on a very narrow and at least arguably incorrect interpretation of the statute in question. Their position (we didn’t make a direct offer, opting instead to use Bill C. as an intermediary; the “alternatives” we presented were unpaid positions) doesn’t facially remove them from the statute’s reach because it says the offer can be indirect and doesn’t contain an exception for unpaid positions.
The Obama Administration has almost made me nostalgic for the Clinton Administration’s ability to obfuscate on a daily basis without appearing to break a sweat.