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Blog: Doolittle Won't Seek Reelection
Say it ain't so, John!
The California Majority Report reports that Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), one of the long-time subjects of the Jack Abramoff investigation, "will announce that he will not seek re-election." That could come as soon as this week, reports John Bresnahan of The Politico. Back in September, Doolittle proclaimed "I am running again. Period."
Ever since Doolittle refused to plead guilty, the Justice Department has evidently been building a bribery case against him. Doolittle, meanwhile, has made quite a pastime of demanding that the DoJ fish or cut bait. All that tough talk hasn't helped his fundraising, and his campaign has increasingly been drained by payments to his wife for her purported fundraising work. Things just aren't like they used to be during the glory days before Abramoff's downfall.
He's bilked enough tax money to get by nicely. Look for the crook to emerge as a lobbyist. Its what white collar thieves do nowadays.
January 7, 2008 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another big piece of crap down the drain. One thing we must never forget is that this corruption and incompetence are not all Bush's fault and will not end a year from now or with this Senator or that Representative's resignation. The Dems should be running against the Republican Party, which, a few exceptions aside, is the party of corruption and greed to the core. Bye-bye Johnny! Hope to see ya' in the clink! Only other wish before I die is to see all the Abramoff contacts with the WH!
January 7, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Dems have a better chance in taking the seat if Doolittle stays in. The guy he is standing with in the picture on the blog link is Ted not Rico. They are both Doolittle minime's.
January 7, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gee is this the first turd of the new year to plunk. It was only a matter of time. I'm sure at least one more will go down this week. Who of many will it be?
I wonder if the helpful Mr. Abramoff assisted on this one?
January 7, 2008 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ha, ha!
Doolittle's dead!
:-D
January 7, 2008 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hang on. The CMR reported this in November, too. Back this summer they reported that Maxine Waters was resigning. There's no other report of this and so I'm going to hold off on saying that it'll definitely happen until a second source goes on the record.
January 7, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is quite a blow. If epicene Doolittle quits, the Republicans will probably keep that seat --it's the most Republican district in our gerrymandered state. The Democrat who nearly unseated him last time, Charlie Brown, is a good man, but probably wouldn't have had more than one term. Those of you who saw Michael Moore's movie may remember Doolittle as the congressman who ran away when Moore tried to read him from the Patriot Act.
--Charles Johnson, Sacramento
January 7, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Alas, poor Rep. Doolittle! I knew him - A man of infinite muck, of most excellent copy.
January 7, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does this mean that he will keep his Virginia home and get rid of the Calif apartment?
It has been rough having to go back two or three times in an election year and talk to those pesky constituents. He never answered mail and those annoying phone calls and no way to contact him by email.
Rarely was he directly quoted in the papers, it was always through his spokesperson. Since they have all been called to testify in the grand jury, maybe he ran out of people to talk for him?
In fact the election before last, 2002, he didn't even show up in California...or at least that's what his campaign records show.
He did all his campaigning in Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Poor man, he does have all these people picking on him.
Well he is at least close to K Street. Ah what a good religious man.
One of his constituents...who was fooled into voting for him.... I am so ashamed.
January 7, 2008 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, though Brown may be a great guy, the district means he'll likely go the way McNerny and Chris Carney have.
Going for Gallegley's and Dreier's seats in SoCal seems to me what California Democrats should be doing. Those are a lot closer to tipping Blue.
January 7, 2008 6:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great news--now, what about Jerry Lewis? The feds have been breathing down his neck forever, so let's see an indictment!
January 7, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if any news has surfaced regarding just how many times Abramoff actually DID visit the White House. I know back when this was headline stuff, his visits were downplayed, and the photo-ops picts were taken off the internet...
Also, remember Bush, rather than giving Abramoff's donations to the AG's office to be legally distributed to its rightful owners, forewarded them to some nonprofits...
Most of us learned rather young to given stolen and illgotten funds to the authorities. I guess Bush's brand of Christianity allows him to purchase influence with these same funds...
January 7, 2008 7:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is what we've expected all along - Doolittle's announcement about not seeking another term would come in January. His rumored support for Oller is a bit surprising but not in the sense that Boss Doolittle would feel compelled to pick his successor.
Still, J-Doo's support ain't what it used to be and CA Assemblymember Ted Gaines should have no problem winning the Republican primary in CA-04. Things will be interesting.
January 8, 2008 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rico Oller is the BIGGEST a-hole I ever dealt with in Sacramento. He is the quintessential coyote cocksucker.
January 8, 2008 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink