Sunday, April 2, 2006

Doolittle Old Chap, You Have Some Mail (vol.7)

In the Sac Bee:

Doolittle's practices
After reading the March 25 editorial "Questionable practices," it should be glaringly obvious to Rep. John Doolittle's constituents that it is now time to retire him from Congress. His words and deeds have shown him to be one of the more corrupt members of Congress. He has lost sight of why he was sent there.

By calling his shady dealings with Jack Abramoff "just friends helping out friends," Doolittle revealed his moral and ethical bankruptcy. Now with talk of an Auburn dam revived, he is no doubt licking his chops at the prospect of steering billions in federal funds into his district, with possible "fees and commissions" to garner for his own coffers.

Every American should be appalled by the corruption gripping Washington, and one tool we all have to correct it is to vote out Doolittle and his ilk.

- Stephen Farr, Sacramento

Doolittle's history of scandal
The March 25 editorial "Questionable practices" brings up an old problem. Rep. John Doolittle is no stranger to corruption.

In 1983, after legislative districts were redrawn, Republican leaders backed a Senate reapportionment plan designed to sacrifice Ray Johnson to save a then-Sen. John Doolittle. Johnson left the GOP and re-registered as an independent. Doolittle and friends, in an effort to defeat Johnson, sent out a mass mailing to 60,000 Democratic households as a tactic to draw votes to Jack Hornsby, a Democrat, thus pulling votes away from Johnson and electing Doolittle. The Fair Political Practices Commission fined Doolittle and his aide for failing to disclose that the Doolittle campaign aides prepared and obtained money for the mailer in violation of the Fair Political Practices Act.

The total fine of $6,000 was a very small price to pay.

- Theo Samuels, Sacramento

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