Posted on 10/05/2007 3:59:16 PM PDT by fifedom
If Rep. John Doolittle is the Republican nominee here in 2008, the seat is a certain loss for the GOP. ... Doolittle ... has pledged to fight plans to push him off the ballot in 2008. ... Charlie Brown, who nearly beat Doolittle in 2006, is back again. But given the Republican nature of this district, he needs Doolittle on the ballot to win.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.washingtonpost.com ...
Generally, I like the Republicans’ chances next year. There are a ton of Dems in Republican-leaning districts. If the Republicans can successfully tie this Congress to those Dems, they should be able to retake the House. It’s the Senate I’m worried about. Five retirements? Sheesh...
The left continues to go after Doolittle.
Let’s see how many freepers join in with innuendo.
Although the worries about Larry Craig having a bad effect are somewhat overstated, since we aren’t likely to lose his seat (since he has declared he is not running for reelection), conversely, it’s folks like Doolittle that are threatening any chances we have at retaking the House by needlessly jeopardizing solid Republican seats.
Although challenger Brown should’ve maxed out in ‘06, Doolittle has all but made it completely possible for Brown to oust him next year if he insists on staying. Trailing badly in fundraising with the general appearance of ethical impropriety, Doolittle thinks he’ll get by like a Democrat, and that’s not going to happen. We need to coalesce around one Conservative challenger to oust him, or we lost the seat, and it’s just that simple.
He’s toast and he’s not even taking his reelection seriously. We either recognize the reality and put up a solid Conservative challenger here, or kiss the seat goodbye.
Maybe he's "hanging on" because he did NOTHING wrong. Don't suppose that's a possibility is it?
I’m torn on why Doolittle is doing this. On one hand, Posting # 1 may be correct, that he simply is sticking around so he can milk full retiremene benefits from his job. But also, he may be motivated by a sense of entitlement, that his position of power justifies anything and everything he does and that no one has the right to question his actions or judgement.
Either way, he should go. Unfortunately, he faces a multi-candidate primary, which means that the anti-Doolittle primary vote will be split. If more shoes drop, he could still lose (like Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma did in 1992).
Loyalty Matters
Sacramento, California, Sep 3 -
Tim Leslie , Former State Senator and Assemblyman
As Benjamin Franklin said so well, so long ago, "a friend in need is a friend indeed". Our friend John Doolittle is under attack from the liberal left and now from those to whom he has shown true friendship.
In a startling and disappointing display of opportunism and self promotion, Ted Gaines has broken the faith not only with a true friend -- John Doolittle -- but with the cause for which John has born the standard for so many years. Of course, those of us who have fought in the arena beside John Doolittle know not only his actions, but over time, his character.
John has never wavered in defense of the unborn. He has never faltered in defense of the second amendment. He has never shirked the battle for freedom.
And yet, those who see an opportunity to advance themselves stand ready and willing to join the Sacramento Bee and their left wing minions in viciously attacking John Doolittle. Shame on these small men. I am calling on you to join me in rejecting the designs of the misguided few. Their faithless assault will only result in harming the conservative cause and the America we love.
America needs John Doolittle. He is our friend. Please join me in supporting him.
Whether we like it or not, the man isn’t taking his reelection seriously. Does he think he can get reelected with pocket change ? The district already views him in a negative light. Are we supposed to ignore all of this and pretend it isn’t so ? We do that and blindly support someone who isn’t even taking all of this a fraction as seriously as some of his stalwart defenders are on FR, and we’ll deserve the loss that we will get. He may be guilty and he may be innocent, but all of that is moot because of everything else.
Retire from an elected position? There's all the reason I need to donate to Eric Egland.
“John has never wavered in defense of the unborn. He has never faltered in defense of the second amendment. He has never shirked the battle for freedom.”
I have no problem with that, but he’s not the only Republican in the distrcit who has done this. I realize that he did some good back in the 1990’s. But the unfortunate fact is that John Doolittle is no longer the same man who came to Congress to do right by the country. Every action he has taken indicates this. He can still earn a good living in the private sector, and make the big money he so obviously covets. The United States won’t cease to exist without him in Congress.
The reason so many Freepers want him to retire is because we want the district to have conservative, pro-life, pro-second amendment representation. And that won’t happen if Doolittle is the nominee. He is not going to be reelected, regardless of what he does. So why not take one for the team? He’ll still have a life after leaving Congress.
Next we'll be hearing that the sky is falling from those who read it in the Bee.
I never expect positive pieces about Republicans from the media, but what I’ve been hearing about Doolittle in general for the past 2 years is troubling. He can retire gracefully and become a lobbyist or something and we can hold this seat with a non-tainted (and fully funded) Conservative Republican, or we can lose the seat to a rodent. Those are the choices.
“Retire from an elected position? There’s all the reason I need to donate to Eric Egland.”
You didn’t know Congressmen get retirement pay that depends on the number of terms they serve?
At this point, there is ZERO evidence that Doolittle has done anything illegal, yet people like Eric Egland, along with Arnie's old campaign manager Steve Schmidt, have been perfectly happy to lend their voice to the liberal media smearing the man as "ethically challenged" and the like. I wouldn't donate to the carpetbagger Eric Egland--he's already proven that he is willing to smear a man who served the district for almost 20 years and has not been found to have done ANYTHING wrong, despite years of investigators trying to take him down. People here call refer to Doolittle's "ilk" and want to strip him of his seniority. I ask: FOR WHAT????
For those who say "from what I hear," I must only ask if you are listening to anything other than Charlie Brown, the liberal media, or those who want to take Doolittle's seat and are offering slanderous self-serving comments to the media.
In America, people are innocent until proven guilty. I guess that isn't true in the Republican Party. It seems public lynching is the treatment-du-jour.
This thread makes me want to cry.
I'm logging out--have at it!
Doolittle is stone-walling the investigation into his ties to Abramoff and other shenanigans. People in his district know this and are sick of him. The district is overwhelmingly Republican and he nearly lost in 2006 to that phony Charlie Brown. Reason enough for him to retire and let new blood come in.
Sure I knew, I also know I’m completely against any publicly funded retirement packages for any elected official, I’m also against publicly funded retirement for most government workers as well, but elected, absolutely disagree with it.
“For those who say “from what I hear,”
And what weare hearing is that his own consitutents have given up on him. His biggest crime is that he is in the process of losing the seat and we just cannot have that. we lost 7 of these seats directly because of incumbent scandals. For the good of the party he needs to leave.
Tom Sullivan, who subs for Rush sometimes, has said he would run only if Doolittle does not. It’s a shame because Tom would win easily. He is well known and liked.
I love you, hun, I really do, but you know I’m not a rube and not easily fooled (you know I detest RINOs and went to the mat at the risk of having my account permanently deleted by the mods exposing Ah-nold’s record), but you have a big blind spot here with respect to Doolittle. It doesn’t matter how you feel about him and how innocent you believe him to be, it’s how he’s viewed by his constituents, and it’s all over now but the shooting. Right now, it’s either him that does the right thing and announces his retirement or WE get shot. This is a no-brainer.
Bingo.
OK then maybe you can describe some of these "actions". What has he done wrong? Tell us. If you can't then knock it off and go away.
Tom Sullivan is a slimy RINO puke. If Doolittle chooses not to run there are plenty of good loyal conservatives to fill the seat.
How so. Please explain your understanding of this "stone-walling" in detail...and what other "shenanigans?" Name one.
That’s not an example of anything. They are going on an open-ended fishing expedition with no evidence that he’s committed any crime - that’s why he’s challenging the subpoenas.
How many unpopular (and I’m sorry, guys, but he is) members of Congress do you know of win reelection while being (at last report) in DEBT while his rodent opponent has raised a fortune ? This is a Republican seat and no excuse for losing it, and if we insist on sycophantic devotion to a person (like Katherine Harris had last year — y’know, the lady who everybody was screaming “She’s gonna WINNNNNNNNNNNN !” Really ? Well, I don’t see her in Bill Nelson’s Senate seat, do you ?) who acts like someone who wants to LOSE, we’re going to deserve what we get — and that’s handing the seat to rodent Brown on a silver platter. Wake up, people ! He’s damaged goods and he ain’t going to recover.
It doesn’t matter if he’s guilty of crimes or not, his strange behavior and the appearance of more than one act of impropriety (and arrogance of someone enjoying the DC perks for a bit too long) have already rubbed his constituents the wrong way. He barely pulled out a win in a solid Republican seat. He won’t repeat the feat. He has jumped the shark and we need to get someone else in there who intends to do what it takes to win.
You didn’t answer my question...
I answered it, but you don’t like it. Not my fault. We’re grown-ups here and we need to stop engaging in flights of fancy. No matter how passionately we feel towards Doolittle, it doesn’t matter. Reality is the reality. You don’t win reelection as a Republican under that scenario. I’m fed up with telling people “I told you so” after the fact, because I’m telling you now. We can still save this House seat if we act like grown ups instead of whiny ra-ra sycophants.
No! This is wrong!! What you are agitating for is wrong!!!
There is absolutely NO evidence of ANY wrong doing and no charges are forthcoming from the DOJ! The man has been smeared just like Rush and it's all just as BOGUS!!!
You're lame idea of throwing him under the bus when this administration was first using this to try to save their AG, but is now just completely unjustified in continuing this stupid fishing expidition without charging anything... At this point this administration is engaging in inexplicable mental torture of this long-time principled Congressman's whole family and it sucks canal water!!!
Your presumption of defeat is also way premature and without virtue. Please stop knee-jerking and conclusion jumping and assuming that throwing the conservatives out of the Republican Party at each opportunity is what's best for all the rest of us.
You have no special information as to what is the right thing to do here. This is just your hunch and you're stirring up a lynch mob to carry out your premature ejection!!!
This borders on the personal for me, so be careful what you say. A conservative leader back in the 80s and 90s who was a dear friend and mentor of my wife and me, and godfather to one of our children was railroaded in this exact fashion. His life was absolutely ruined. It kills me to see this happening again.
So until you've been through it yourself, I don't think you can characterize any response or behavior as "strange" because you sure as hell can't imagine what it's like or how you would react.
Not quite: ... the suggestion, by the left, of more than one act of impropriety has sent the McClatchy syndicate into operation .. is much closer to reality.
You need to stop this. Step back. Take a look at the situation. What part of “it no longer matters the man’s guilt or innocence, it’s about the appearance to his constituents” do you not understand ? Even if he is innocent of any and all charges, it makes it an even sadder situation, because he’s already damaged with respect to his standing in the district. I’m telling you from my perspective of having been involved in politics and analysis for well over 20 years that THIS LOOKS BAD.
He nearly lost his seat last November in a district that ought to be reelecting him with close to 70% of the vote. He’s GOING to lose if he is renominated this time. They ran Pombo out of office on FAR less, but Pombo had no suitable primary replacement, but Doolittle will. Do you want this to happen again ? Shooting the messenger will not change the reality of this situation. I think I’ve established enough Conservative and analytical credentials on this site to not be attacked for stating how this all looks, and I’m deeply hurt by it, truly.
Shooting the analyst won’t get him another term in Congress.
Pombo’s district is in one of the most conservative parts of CA. He or another R should be able to get that seat back.
What can I say, Dan ? This is a tragedy, but if you expect me to sit here and lie or pretend what is going on here isn’t, I can’t do that. I feel sorry for the Congressman, but it is how it is. ALL of us know what it’s like to be under attack as Conservatives. I’ve known what it was like since the day I converted to the Republican party in 1986 back when I was in grade school. I could’ve had a much less rougher time remaining on the left, but I couldn’t reconcile my conscience to remaining one on those matters. I’d have been living a lie.
I thought we, as Conservatives, are supposed to deal in the reality ? The hyperemotionalism on this thread is what we see from liberals. Ignoring the elephant in the room won’t change the fact that it’s still there. I feel like I’m having to stage an intervention in here. You guys are intelligent and I wouldn’t question ANY of you on your Conservative bonafides. We’ve all almost never disagreed (in fact, I can’t cite one thing I’ve ever disagreed with you or Calcowgirl on), it’s what makes it heartbreaking to see these attacks coming forth, all just for bringing up the fact that there’s a serious problem here. We’re on the same side, guys. Let’s not turn the guns on each other. I’m just sorry we can’t discuss this issue rationally. :-(
No longer matters. Guilty or innocent, the smear job worked. Even Newt knew when it was time to go when he realized he didn’t have all the votes. The Congressman has got to realize this and do the right thing. At the very least, to spare his family another round.
We’ll get it back, but Pombo himself won’t.
What is going on? Your presumption is that he did something wrong. He didn't.
You can make ALL of your arguments about Rush Limbaugh too.
Rush Limbaugh isn’t a member of Congress facing likely defeat in a safe Republican district. John Doolittle is.
You are acting like one gigantic dis-loyal agitator driven by inordinant fear of that chump Charlie Brown who only did as well as he did because of the national headlines that took Pombo out and nearly took JTD out just by mere implication and smear... NOTHING MORE!!!
Boy! I'll tell you!! When we conservatives get in a fight with the lying Liberals about ANYTHING... I DO NOT WANT YOU ON MY SIDE!!! You are acting out the epitome of conservative Republicans eating their own at the behest and treachery of Liberal Democrats! What a shame!!!
You're acting as if he's done what Larry Craig is accused of and plead guilty to. Please stop and don't condemn an individual who's not really even been formally accused of ANYTHING!!! That's facilitating his/our adversaries who evidently don't need you help!!!
You're siding with the school yard bullies!!!
I'm truly sorry you feel that way. Remember, I never attacked you like that and I never questioned your loyalty, nor that of any of the other Doolittle defenders, so thanks a lot.
10,000 apologies, sir. I’m so sorry that I actually want the seat to remain in Republican hands after 2008. I didn’t realize we’re supposed to tie ourselves to damaged incumbents and drown with them.
Yeah well you missed the point. You forgot to mention that Rush is heavier and balder too, and he lives in Florida - but none if it is necessary for my comparison. They are both being smeared unfairly. You could just as easily argue that Rush is hurting our cause by being such a visible spokesman having done a) b) and c).
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