For the past couple of weeks, Fox News White House reporter Major Garrett has been trying to get flack Robert Gibbs to confirm or deny Rep. Joe Sestak’s claim that he was offered a job (allegedly Secretary of the Navy) in return for dropping out of his primary challenge against incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter. Such an offer is a federal crime.

Seeing a what could be the beginnings of a trend with rumors that retiring Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) has been promised the NASA administrator job if he switches his “No” to a “Yes” for Obamacare, Sen. Tom Coburn has put down a marker.

“I want to send a couple of messages to my colleagues in the House.

“If you voted no, and you vote yes, and you lose your election, and you think any nomination to a federal post isn’t going to be held in the Senate, I’ve got news for you. It’s going to be held.

“Number two is, if you get a parochial deal for you or your district, I’ve already instructed my staff and the staff of seven other senators that we will look at every appropriations bill … and we will associate that with the buying of your vote. So if you think you can cut a deal now and it not come out until after the election. I want to tell you that your deal isn’t going to happen.

And be prepared to defend selling your vote.”

Of course, we’ve long known what many of our politicians are – the question was always what their price was.