Friday, April 21, 2006

Doolittle Smells Fine ..... To Republicans

Representative John Doolittle (CA-4) continues to blame the media for his relationship with convicted felons such as Jack Abramoff and soon to be indicted co-conspirators such as Brent Wilkes. According to Doolittle the media is to blame for his sweetheart deal with his wife that moves 15% of all campaign and PAC contributions directly into his bank account.

Doolittle met with a group of Orange County Republicans this week and according to conservative blogger, Jon Fleischman, he wowed the crowd. Fleischman says that Doolittle claims to be under a….

…relentless barrage by the media (he equated it out to an equivalent of over a million dollars being spent against his re-election). He said that he enjoys debates over issues and ideas (he wishes someone would take him on for being against illegal immigration) -- but these are attacks on baseless ethical charges.

Of course Doolittle would rather talk about immigration than Abramoff or his wife’s cut of his campaign contributions. What is sad is that Republican conservatives would rather join corrupt politicians like Doolittle in blaming others than do something to clean house in their own party. According to Fleischman the Orange County Republicans all had the same thoughts after their meet and greet with Doolittle.

I think that everyone at the event had the same feeling that I did - gee, I wish this could be my Congressman -- he's great! (Well, my Congressman - John Campbell - is great, too). Ken Campbell, Aaron Park and all of my other Placer County friends are lucky to have John Doolittle as their U.S. Representative.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is the Washington Post. Today in an editorial, the Post suggests that Doolittle’s 15% cut of all campaign funds is just plan wrong.

IMAGINE THAT every time members of Congress received a $1,000 campaign contribution, they could skim $150 off the top and put it straight into their personal bank accounts. Sound shady? That is, in effect, how Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) and his wife, Julie, operate. According to our review of campaign finance records, Mrs. Doolittle has received at least $215,000 from Mr. Doolittle's various campaign committees since 2001. This doesn't include $6,800 in payments to another of Mrs. Doolittle's companies, Events Plus, before she started doing his fundraising work. She's taken in nearly $100,000 during the 2006 campaign alone.

The Post has a single line comment that sums up how most normal people respond to a deal like Doolittle’s.

The arrangement couldn't smell more.

Apparently, to conservative Republicans Doolittle smells just fine. I guess after 5+ years of the Bush Administration Republican noses aren't very sensitive anymore.