That soot in the air? It's the GOP blowing the dust off their oppo folders on the Joe Sestak/White House job offer, in advance of Bill Clinton stumping for the Senate candidate next week.

The White House announced in May that Rahm Emanuel asked the former prez to act as an intermediary, in seeing if Sestak would drop his Senate bid against Arlen Specter in exchange for a big (but unpaid) job. So we'll probably be hearing about that (and the ongoing calls for an ethics investigation) from Republicans over the next week.

Democrats on the other hand may focus on why Clinton knows Sestak in the first place -- the former Navy admiral was a defense policy advisor to the Clinton White House, and the Democrat's campaign has lately been highlighting his military background.

Not to mention Clinton (who is also stumping for Dan Onorato and 15th District hopeful John Callahan next week) has major mojo these days, having campaigned successfully for the embattled Mark Critz and Blanche Lincoln.

Here's the Morning Call on the Sestak/Clinton get-together in Scranton on Tuesday:

Sestak, from Delaware County, has long described his relationship with Clinton positively. He was at Clinton's Georgetown home to discuss running for the Senate the evening he found out that Specter was leaving the Republican Party to become a Democrat. Sestak defeated Specter in the primary election.

Clinton brought up the idea for next week's event, the Sestak campaign said, but Sestak suggested the location. Clinton had said he'd be coming through Pennsylvania.

The event is at Scranton High School on Munchak Way. Doors open at 2 p.m.