April 20, 2007

Doolittle Does The Right Thing

Congressman John Doolittle stepped down from his position on the House Appropriations Committee after FBI agents raided his home in connection to a Jack Abramoff investigation. Doolittle had previously come under suspicion for his unusual arrangement with his wife's consultantcy, which allowed the Doolittles to keep 10% of all political contributions -- including those from Abramoff clients -- as personal property:

Less than a week after the FBI raided the Northern Virginia home of his wife, Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) gave up his coveted seat on the House Appropriations Committee yesterday amid concerns that he had used that post to advance the interests of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and other allies.

"I understand how the most recent circumstances may lead some to question my tenure on the Appropriations Committee," the conservative nine-term congressman wrote in a letter to House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). "Therefore, I feel it may be in the best interest of the House that I take a temporary leave with seniority from this Committee until this matter can be resolved."

Boehner accepted the decision, saying in a statement that it "is in the best interest of the House and the American people."

Doolittle's wife, Julie, operates Sierra Dominion Financial Services Inc. out of the couple's home in Oakton. Since 2005, a Justice Department task force has been looking into payments made by Abramoff and other lobbyists to Doolittle's wife and the spouses of other lawmakers. The couple's house was raided last Friday, the same day that Doolittle's former legislative director, Kevin Ring, abruptly resigned as a lobbyist for Barnes & Thornburg. Ring had been an intermediary in Abramoff's hiring of Julie Doolittle's firm as a fundraiser for a charity the lobbyist had founded.

This is an appropriate step by both Doolittle and the Republican leadership in the House. Questions remain about Doolittle's actions in appropriating contracts and money after personally benefitting from campaign donations in a unique way. After the raid, it became apparent that the FBI is taking the allegations very seriously, and it would not serve the nation's interest to have a politician suspected of corruption with their hand on the largest till in Congress.

Contrast this with the actions Democrats took with their own suspect, William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson. Faced with a corruption case that has produced two raids and a freezer fileld with $90,000, the Democrats placed Jefferson onto the critical Homeland Security committee. During a war on terror, one would presume that both parties would place only the most qualified and serious Representatives on the front lines of the war, but Nancy Pelosi insisted on having Jefferson on the committee -- probably to quiet the complaints from the Congressional Black Caucus.

It's the difference between management and leadership. John Boehner demonstrated the latter with this decision.

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/cq082307.cgi/9745

Comments (12)

Posted by mojo [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 9:23 AM

Does this mean we won't have to hear about that stupid dam project of his ever again? I sure hope so...

Posted by RBMN [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 9:48 AM

It seems, about 90% of federal office-holders promise to go to Washington and "change the system for the better." What really happens, about 90% of the time, is the system changes them for the worse--in short order. Maybe the only people really suited for Congress are stubborn maniacal SOBs, that nobody can change. At least McCain's got that going for him.

Posted by Publius Hamilton [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 9:56 AM

Now maybe the Dems will show some leadership like Republcans John Boehner and Tom Coburn and ask Harry Reid to step down from his leadership position if not just resign, based on his not only reckless, but treasonous remarks in declaring the war lost. He says this while we have troops in the thick of battle. What kind of moron is this guy?

The Dems and Reid said Bush needed a change of course in Iraq. So, Bush removes Rummy, installs Petraus and his new plan in Iraq with overwhelming Senate approval, and they want yet another change of course? The change of course they have wanted all along is Surrender. Because surrender advances their partisan political agenda and personal political fortunes.

Sorry for straying off topic but I am anxiously awaiting the Captain's take on this. Reid is damn lucky the Virginia Tech and Gonzales issues are keeping his comments from getting too much media exposure.

Publius

Posted by Carol_Herman [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 10:59 AM

3 OBSERVATIONS:

Scandals come and go;

Politics is HARDBALL;

And, timing is everything.

Doolittle? Lucky this is the week his scandal, if any different from other blokes wo go to Congress; heads out the revolving door, while most people are worried about other things.

Yes, the state of education. And, how UNsafe our kids really are in the hands of others.

Politics, which is HARDBALL, so I don't know why people think it's nicer than watching prizefighting, I dunno? There's always cheer leaders. And, there's always gonna be writers who hook their careers to telling these stories. As if you can translate a punch in the gut. A bleeding wound over an eye, or a broken jaw; as an entertainment fit for words. But that's a reality, right there.

I don't think Doolittle's scandal is really what's going to capture hearts and minds, ahead.

BUSH BLEW IT!

By sending Gonzales up to the Hill; he has shown that he lets real incompetents hold keys to his executive offices. THERE ARE NO EXCUSES!

Both Aschcroft and Gonzales are not men of courage. And, Libby's beatings should have been stopped. But then? You'd need more qualified men.

Has something else happened?

Yes. I think so. I think the conservatives are now worried sick. They were in the front lines of Bush's innept leadership. Doing divisive dances just makes some people appear as crazy as what we've seen going on, on the left.

If the idea was that the left would always be ridiculed, Bush misjudged.

When Bush came out with his "dream" (which is the Saudi's desire to OWN the Mideast oil, and to KILL ISRAEL's right to exist) ... I knew something bad was in the air.

I saw it in the ways different politicians fell away. Tony Blair's gone. Olmert never climbed on board the "train to Auschwitz. " But then I was that the truth, itself, went into hiding.

How come, after 9/11, we didn't STOMP OUT THE mosques that breed terrorism? The People were so together! Diversity, herself, would have been given a back seat.

Instead, we are in a loser's war. The arabs WILL NEVER COOPERATE WITH US! And, believe it or not, ISRAEL IS NOT TO BLAME!

Yeah. Some of Bush's players are incompetents. Colin Powell, and Condi are two. Gonzales, is three. But does it matter? Bush talked about conservative "values." Then he gave a tax break that didn't compute. And, all it did was shove decent budgetary considerations, aside. While almost every American pocketed a $33 check. You invested yours? You locked it away, someplace? Most people didn't.

And, that's how Paul O'Niell, hired by Cheney, to be our Treasury Secretary "slipped up." Bush got angry that he tried to fight the package. Bush labelled him as "not loyal."

Again, ALL politics is HARDBALL. For some reason a misconception grew (in Bush's head), that he'd be unable to be stopped; because the name-calling against the left, would frighten Americans away from making up their own minds.

Instead? The conservatives are weakened, now, too.

And, most candidates, ambitious to become president, have to take into consideration what's going on out there, in the mainstream.

How good are you as a businessman? If you saw merchandise stuck on your shelves; you wouldn't change a thing? You'd just wait for the "ax to fall?" Why?

In 1982, Israel went into Lebanon. A real cesspool! They got rid of Arafat, but then with the press against them, and one set of enemies, the Christian Falangalists, going into a PA camp, just killed everybody. That stain fell on Arik Sharon.

And, yes. Politics is brutal. As much so in Israel, as here. And, after ten years of not gaining any ground in Lebanon, the Israelis PULLED OUT. Sometimes, when you're dealing with folk who are not looking to improve their lives. Where there's NO INTEREST in Western LEARNING. Wearing jeans, and playing music, doesn't count! What can you do? This is what we did in Vietnam.

You bet. The decent folk pull out and things get worse.

When the soldiers were kidnapped by Nasrallah, Olmert was fast. The IDF shot in 32-seconds later. Then? You saw the crazy diplomacy. You saw Bush sending in James Baker. To tell Olmert. To use his forces. To go in and decapitate Assad.

Hell. No! Israel does not want the HOUSE OF SAUD in Syria! Yes. Assad's a bad guy. But his group is different. And, it's much better to DIVIDE the HOUSE, rather than letting the Saud's own all.

By now? I think Bush's reputaton is in the toilet.

I think he will be caught out for having gone into Iraq. Because Iraq wasn't Saudi Arabia. ANd, Egypt. Those two latter countries were up to their eyeballs in 9/11. And, still are devoted to world wide terror.

Maliki? He doesn't think Iraq's problems should be tied to Israel's existence. And, he walked out on Bush, when Bush went to Jordan, and the Jordan king did this "dance." The Jordan king, by the way, is the weakest link in the chain.

And, among the arabs? We got nothing to show for it.

Well, the Israelis didn't either. Their Lebanon excursion was a bust. On the other hand? Last summer they "probed" Nasrallah's arsenal. IF NASARALLAH'S MISSILES HAS KILLED 1000 JEWS, Olmert was set to let loose the dogs of war. (Not on Assad. But on Beirut.) The media told you the IDF bombed Beirut to hell and gone? Well, then. You were lied to.

But the Israelis PULLED OUT! They looked around. Went in deep enouth to "headquarters/hospital" to do a raid and take their injured hostages home. To no avail. The kids were gone. And, from the computers taken, it was probably found that they were dead. Because Israel would have followed ALL leads to their captured headquarters.

Yes. Olmert saw what Condi was doing. And, shrugged. It's of no-never-mind if the french are in southern lebanon. Should hostilities break, again?

Well, look at the death tolls. If necessary. If Jews are really getting killed. Expect all the listening posts, from embassies to UN outposts, to be put out of business.

When all hell breaks loose it will not look, one iota, like the crap Bush has pulled. While most of us remained oblivious.

It's interesting, too, that Gonazales, showing himself to be such a turkey, pulled all the wrappings off lots of the corruption that was passing for "war." You think we've been at war for five years? With our tools?

On the other hand, here, the mosques keep growing in size. And, we keep housing lots of their "yoots" on our college campuses; where no one is learning a thing.

At least, in this process, I think I've learned something. Including the fact, that Doolittle isn't the problem.

When are we going to tell the House of Saud, and Mubarak, that they're not invested properly, in diplomacy, or fair play, or justice in their own countries, to do business with us?

Thanks to Bush this problem is a lot, lot, worse.

Posted by unclesmrgol [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 11:12 AM

Carol,

Can you at least stay on topic?

Posted by tommy1nut [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 11:50 AM

LEADERSHIP????????? Man most folks in the 43 Admin and G.O.P Congresscritters are lucky to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. And the Captain wants to talk about fucking leadership????????? Mn us Dems are going to take the Oval in Nov 08 mark my words.

Posted by docjim505 [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 12:49 PM

I'm not saying that Doolittle is guilty of anything, because I don't know.

But I'm becoming increasingly in favor of extreme penalties for governmental corruption, such as burning at the stake, stoning, or something similarly medieval.

Posted by Right2thePoint [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 1:32 PM

What would be interesting is should we put activities o f the spouse on congressional disclosure documents?

The only way you can find it now is to search it out.

Posted by Publius Hamilton [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 4:46 PM

Ok, that post from Tommy1nut is almost comical.

Tommy seems to have forgotten Nancy "I'm in over my head" Pelosi, Harry "We Surrender" Reid, and Jack "Redeploy to Okinawa" Murtha. And then there is Dollar Bill Jefferson, aka The Fridge.

Boehner showed leadership by getting Doolittle to step down. Pelosi put petty personal politics ahead of national security in bypassing fellow Democrat Jane Harman to Chair the House Intel Committee in favor of that crook Alcee Hastings, so she could curry favor with the Black Caucus. Then after she is forced to back off, she puts in a guy who doesnt know a Shiite from Shinola..., I mean, Sunni. Uh huh, very impressive roster you have there in the donkey party Tommy.

Posted by Doc Neaves [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 5:20 PM

Maybe the only people really suited for Congress are stubborn maniacal SOBs, that nobody can change. At least McCain's got that going for him.


Posted by: RBMN at April 20, 2007 09:48 AM

Don't you dare offer me up for office again, RBMN. It's a VOLUNTEER position, got it?

"I'm not saying that Doolittle is guilty of anything, because I don't know.

But I'm becoming increasingly in favor of extreme penalties for governmental corruption, such as burning at the stake, stoning, or something similarly medieval."

Posted by: docjim505 at April 20, 2007 12:49 PM

I'm thinking the moment an official is indicted, he's temorarily removed from office, with pay, but no resonsibilities, no representing the country, etc. If he's found guilty, give them to docjim. If they're found innocent or not guilty, back into office, back pay, public apology, etc.

Posted by conservative democrat [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 9:25 PM

Doolittle is as crooked as the day is long, so is William Jefferson. Both should be booted out.

Posted by augdog [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 20, 2007 11:19 PM

[1] Carol: Does the term "flight of ideas"mean anything to you? If not,look it up. [2]Right2thepoint: DiFi's husband,Hillary with the cattle futures money laundering scam,the former South Dakota Sen majority leader 's wife that is ,was, a lobbyist for Boeing in D.C. while he was in office. If you run for Congress, then your entire family- Harry Reid's sons- get the total body cavity exam. Not unlike the nominees for the scotus must endure.