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The FBI has raided John DooLittle's house. Josh Marshall says that Kevin Ring might be singing like a canary.
There is a very good diary over at Daily Kos recounting the chronology around Carol Lam's dismissal. Coincidence that DoLittle got very concerned about her "immigration enforcement" and signed a letter to Abu Gonzales trying to have her removed from her job five weeks before Duke Cunningham pled guilty?
Probably.
Paging Charlie Brown ...
Update: Per The Hill, the FBI searched the home last Friday, which was the same day that Ring resigned.
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Jane!
and it all comes tumbling down (we hope)
One guy who certainly didn’t live up to his last name.
A finger in every pie.
I find myself wondering if the FBI is compromised or not by Bush Soviet-style politics. Thanks, Abu Gonzales, for undermining confidence in law enforcement in this country.
Ah, the pre in the purge.
Dang, I wish I was a part of that search warrant team.
Phule @
3
Depends on how you define it. Doolitttle for constitutients or Doolittle for his bribers/enablers. Probably the former.
puppethead @ 4
I’ve been wondering that myself in the past couple of months. After all the DOJ revelations, it isn’t hard to believe that the whole govt is infiltrated.
Where’s Nate? As I recall, Nate said the scuttlebutt was that Charlie Brown should be ready to run again within 8-10 months for the “suddenly” open seat…might not be too far off!
Finally! Do gets a little of what he deserves..
Thanks Jane…was time for some good news.
D’oh!
:)
WooHoo!
DooLittle doin the FROGWALK!
You go Charlie Brown!
Does anyone know anything about the USA in Virginia? Would Carol Lam (and now her successor) be working with him/her?
Reposted from earlier thread: ((((schadenfreude))))
And it isn’t just Cong. Doolittle who is under investigation on this, either. His wife, Julie, allegedly took a number of very curious payments from lobbyists, including Abramoff and a number of folks who worked for him. She was one of “the wives club” gals that have been under investigation in this nasty web of corruption. If they have something on both of them that is concrete (from his canary of a former aide), I’d look for the Doolittle’s to roll on someone up the chain. Can you say hello to Tom DeLay? (Trying not to let schadenfreude get the best of me…)
Raw Story headlines (no other details available yet):
Letter: Justice Department had Democratic litmus test…
Breaking: Shooter sent NBC videotape before spree…
Send that fucker to JAIL!!!
Nate!!!
Just checked the Sacramento Bee website. They must have read Josh’s post and added a news flash of their own *g*…no additional news from the hometown rag.
OT
but the Cho box was mailed to NBC between the first and second shootings, NBC got it today.
rwcole @ 17
You express that sooo well! *g*
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Virginia Tech gunman mailed a package of photographs, video and writings to NBC News in New York before he killed himself in the massacre that left 33 people dead, authorities said Wednesday. NBC said that a time stamp on the package indicated the material was mailed in the two-hour window between the first burst of gunfire in a high-rise dormitory and the second fusillade, at a classroom building.
more…
yahoo.com link
martha @ 18
Here’s the last from SacBee… Doolittle’s Broke
Anyone wanna help me put together a website for my URL - DoolittleMustGo.com?
After this morning’s events, we were all wondering where the “good news” was. Thank you, Mr. Ring! See, all you gotta do is tell the truth, it’s so easy. (Well, especially when it’s to save your own skin).
I wake up now each morning thinking what else could possibly go wrong for the Bushies?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
If Doolittle happens to resign, who gets to appoint the person to fill out his term? Arnie? If so might Cali then perhaps get stuck with another Mrs. Sunny Bono situation?
Nate @ 11
Nate!
Let’s get cookin’. What to do first?
Nate - back in the saddle?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 24
It won’t be Mrs. Doolittle, apparently she’s done too much
Doolittle is broke my ass! He and the Mrs. surely stashed the money offshore.
EPU’d:
Doolittle: till you hear from me,
Pay no attention to what’s said.
Why people tear the seams of anyone’s schemes
Is over my head.
Doolittle: till you hear from me,
At least consider our bank accounts.
If you should take the words of others you’ve heard,
I haven’t a chance.
Bil @
12
Is Calaveras County in Doolittle’s District? Then it could be the “Incarcerated Frogwalking Con of Calaveras County”!
I wonder if Doolittle has received a bunch of emails that were supposed to be “Off The Grid” as well! Hope the FBI subpoena allows them to search his hard-drives!
Jane - ThinkProgress has more details about the raid, which occurred this past Friday, the same day that Kevin Ring resigned from his law firm:
thinkprogress link
Nate, why I think I might just cry. He’s broke? That’s just so heartbreaking. I’ve been away from Sacto almost 20 years and I still viscerally dislike that man (can you tell?) ;)
Oklahoma kiddo @
24
Not if Mrs. Doolittle goes down as well. Or at least not the spouse of the of the resignee. Or at least, well, hell you know what I mean… :})
punaise @ 26
Never left… Just on some hard financial times so I had to take a McJob in order to pay rent. Having trouble doing that though so I might just go back to full time blogging. If I’m going to go down, I may as well do it doing what I love.
punaise @ 29
Left comment below. Great song!
Abramoff…
The gift that keeps on giving : )
NATE MAKES THE CALL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy2O9HhJdqA
Oklahoma kiddo @ 24
CA law requires a special election as I understand it Oklahoma. Not absolutely certain but I’m pretty sure no one gets to appoint anyone.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 24
Wouldn’t a special election be held? Could one or more FDLers from California provide more information about the protocol to be followed?
Don’t forget though that abu G’s goon squad of Stepford prosecutors is still in charge of DoJ. One raid doesn’t end Doolittle…just ask Jefferson. I’m keeping the popcorn and champaign on ice until he steps down or is indicted. If ever.
eCAHNomics @ 14
Schadenfreude over the Bushies and their ilk is just the thing I need right now! Still feeling so bad about the Va Tech incident.
What’s really amazing is that they’re getting these crooks despite having the full power of the DOJ to keep them free.
Nice! Also paging John in Sacramento!
egregious @ 25
I need to work on this tonight. I’m sneaking away to be typing here now. I still need to work on a site for Howie for the BlueAmerica08 site. Maybe I can do them together.
FDL BlueAmerica
Link to the Charlie Brown for Congress Campaign
Let’s see some fundraising love here!
Doolittle going down. Oh man oh man.
mayan @ 40
but it looks good right before the DoJ hearings
Oklahoma kiddo @ 24
I don’t think that Arnold is stupid enough to appoint Doolittle’s WIFE to the position! Though it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that he’d appoint someone that would be a Republican challenger to Charlie. There are still a lot of Doolittle cronies in County Gov’t.
I think with this Doolittle is “damaged goods” and will have to resign quickly.
egregious @ 45
Hiya egregious…!
Actually the point is not whether Mrs. Doolittle will succeed her husband, rather it’s that the GOP Cali Guv will do the replacing. And if I’m not mistaken, California is still stuck with Sonny’s Republican replacement. Of course I would very much like to see Doolittle and his wife in jail. It might help to bury the Auburn Dam fiasco no matter who the replacement is.
Anothe eco-raper bites the dust?
Sweet.
If we’re lucky, there’s a twofer.
Julie Doolittle’s also up a creek (polluted, of course)
Nobody punks the FBI.
The problems at DoJ appear to be at the interface between the political apparatus and the career service law enforcers.
The USAs are caught in a no-man’s land between the politics and the bad guys - which shouldn’t normally be a problem, except that with BushCo it means having to serve two masters with seemingly conflicting priorities - Bush and the Law.
I think we can trust that the law enforcement process, and the good people in those jobs, is still ‘by the book,’ but in light of the revelation of the ‘back-channel’ RNC e-mail/text system, we might be well advised to suspect unlawful political influence above the Field Offices and Labs.
It doesn’t look like the ’system’ has gone bad, so much as those wielding power over the system have gone bad.
Nate—what happens if/when Doolittle resigns, is someone appointed until a special election or the general election?
Edit—
Ooops I see you already answered that.
cinnamonape @ 47
Doolittle’s wife is in this up to her eyeballs, no way.
Lou Costello @ 37
Lou… Good to see you!
Special election? That would be nice! ;0)
this is unrelated, but i need to share my thoughts on a live thread. i listened to sen. jon cornyn speak on the senate floor this afternoon. he gratuitously employed the noun democrat as an adjective during his speech five times, one of which was preceeded by a pause during which he premeditated his use of the adjective. because i find this so unnecessary and so offensive, i telephoned his office in order to ask that he refrain from engaging in such immature antics in the sanctified space of a legislative chamber. the staffers reaction? “are you a member of an activist organization?” no, i explained; i am a concerned, independent citizen, and i do not enjoy listening to insults when i am seeking information from our leigislative bodies. can you believe he asked if i received instructions to call? and even if i did, would my opinion be automatically discounted?
puppethead @ 4
I’m wondering the same thing. We’ve been waiting for action on so many corruption cases that I’ve begun to fear that BushCo has destroyed the rule of law in this country. Hopefully I’m wrong.
egregious @ 51
I’m looking into it right now egregious. I’m not sure if it’s based on how much of the term has been served or what. As I understood it during the campaign, if Doolittle won and then was convicted or resigned, a special election for the district would be held. That might not be so if it’s been a certain amount of the term served. I’ll let you know what I find.
EPU’ed:
OT:
For the record, I am not poster “djinn” and poster “djinn” is not me.
Furthermore, I did not (to my conscious knowledge, at least) attempt to clone another poster’s ID. Nor am I attempting to masquerade as another poster.
If, on the other hand, we are building an army of sorts, I say “Welcome friend!”
:)
Gunga one
Djinn many
The first thing I thought when reading about the raid of the DoLittle’s home was “Do the FDLer’s know about this? Where’s Charlie Brown?”
And by the time I got here you were all over it. God I love the blogosphere!
punaise @ 29
Thanks for downstairs, Punaise. Wife’s kicking me off the tubes. In my defense — Phil’s song is only one of many on a Quincy Jones CD. Later, pups.
We just went through this in California with MY congresscritter- the honorable Randy Duke Cunningham. We got a special election- and a gooper replacement. The district registration is gooper by ten percent or so- so we got Brian “Dildo” Bilbray…
What’s the registration advantage in Do Little’s district? Anyone know?
Nate @ 38
Yes, in California we have special elections in this circumstance. Considering the wife is most likely under investigation she would not be a likely candidate either way.
pointecoupeedemocrat @ 55
Cornyn’s an assbag…but that goes without saying, doesn’t it?
Ha ha!
puppethead @
4
Yes.
Thanks for another round of short answers for simple questions!
Cozumel @ 21
How would they know when he mailed it? He didn’t just put it in a mailbox? The only way a timestamp would be valid is if he drove off campus and stood in line at the Post office to mail it. Or am I missing something?
Gunga Djinn @ 58
OT, are you a Kipling fan? LUV your movie btw! :})
TheOtherWA @ 59
Me too!
And now I’ll be heading home with a BIG smile on my face. Curious to see how NPR will handle this news.
One interesting point from the end of The Hill article - they mention trying to get a copy of the search warrant and hitting a brick wall and say:
IINALitigator, or crim pros/def type - but is it normal to have almost 2/3 of all search warrants filed over a two 1/2 month period be under seal? WHat all is going on?
Special Elections in California
Special elections are held to take care of special situations such as the recall of an elected official, a disaster has occurred requiring an immediate vote, a vacancy is to be filled or a special ballot measure must be decided before the next regular election. In many ways, the procedures for special elections are identical to those in regularly scheduled elections. In the case of proposition-based special elections, such as the one set for November 2005, individuals and organizations can create initiatives and put their measures on the ballot as long as they receive the necessary signatures and meet the qualifications and deadlines outlined by California law. The Legislature can also put measures on the ballot by a majority vote. California governors can call special elections in issues to determine a statewide issue by issuing a proclamation 148 days or more, prior to the election day (Election code 12000). The governor does not need legislative approval to call a special election. One the proclamation is declared, a series of deadlines arise for the special election, including filing dates, ballot preparation and summary, voter registration and legislature ballot submissions. All registered California voters can take part in special elections.
http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/li.....tml#Topic1
Why do so many of these GOoPers look like they spend all their spare time at the hairdresser?
(Is that rouge he’s wearing??)
Indeed a special election is called to fill the vacancy
“All qualified candidates for House special elections in California compete in a special primary, regardless of party affiliation. Nomination is by petition. Any candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote in the primary is elected, and the general election is
canceled. If no candidate receives the required majority, the single candidate of each party receiving the most votes competes in a SPECIAL general election, wherein a plurality of votes is sufficient to elect. In the event that candidates of only one party compete in
the primary, a plurality is sufficient to elect, and there is no general election.”
Here’s an example of how one such election occurred in 2005.
CA 48th special election
Cozumel @
21
From Charlie Brown’s website, dated yesterday:
(Click through for embedded links.)
And after this news, I think Doolittle may have just claimed the top spot on that list.
Cozumel @ 70
Thanks Coz… I was just reading that link. Now I have to start wondering who the Repubs are going to try and field for the election if (or more like when) Doolittle resigns in disgrace.
Solai at 66 - probably there is a post office on campus
Mae @ 75
would be interesting to hear a description of his demeanor at the P.O.
Perhaps there is a campus P.O. that he used? If the package were bulky, it would have to be weighed to determine proper postage.
P J Evans @ 71
Because so many sadly repressed men who secretly cross-dress (and/or desire gender reassingment surgery) are drawn to the GOP’s homophobia as a projective mechanism for their own self-hatred?
(just a wild-ass guess…)
solai @ 66
I was trying to figure that out, too. My guess is that the dropbox it was mailed in had a pickup in the early morning (before any shooting) and another shortly after the first shooting. Perhaps the shooter also included information about what he had just done, and what he was about to do.
Cho wanted to be a star. Sickening.
solai @ 66
Packages over 1 pound in weight may not be ‘just dropped in a mailbox.’ They must be mailed at a Post Office, or arrangements must be made to have them picked up by a mailman.
Many colleges and universities have a post office on the grounds. If you know the weight of the package, you can make arrangements for a pick-up on-line, and those can be paid for by credit/debit cards.
Elliott @ 76
postal?Wasn’t Rove out West when news of his “missing” emails surfaced? Was he in California?
kirk murphy @ 81
There should be a camera at the P.O.
Nate @ 75
Just remember, the guy in LA. with $90K in his freezer hasn’t been indicted, yet. Just sayin’, this could be awhile
kirk murphy @ 81
postal?you’re right,
this is a new twist on going postal
MSNBC headline:
BREAKING: KSDK TV: At least two people shot at University of Missouri
So then as eg. asked above, the Gov doesn’t get to appoint until the special election is held? If so that would be very good. I don’t know the political makeup of Placer County, since moving from there a few year ago. But when I lived and worked in Auburn, and Tahoe City, the county was pretty GOP. And it’s a big county. Stretching from Tahoe to Roseville.
I wonder if the media had a hold on this story unti after the Gonzo hearing…funny how a story of a congressman’s house being raided isn’t news anymore. I remember when they found all that money in the freezer—oh, that’s right, that was a Dem.
By the way, Hardball is pretty interesting. Tweety is being pretty precise and critical of some “experts” who are trying to continue to speculate about Cho. Tweety also has an interview with one of Cho’s suitemates.
Regarding the topic at hand… I’m so glad to see that yet another slimeball connected to the Abramoff scandal is being investigated fully. I’m starting to get all of the different Republican slimeballs and scandals confused, as there are so many of each.
BobbyG @ 86
I’m watching MSNBC and I haven’t heard them mention that…yet
Cho continues to dominate the news- he’s probably gonna get a couple of more days at least- they’ve granted his final wish.
OT — but for those in the NYC listening area, tomorrow WNYC will be airing live coverage of the Gonzales hearings!!!!!
It is can also be heard live at wnyc.org on the net.
So, it turns out that Cho had been legally declared by a VA court “Mentally ill” and a danger 2 years ago, but got released.
Let the lawsuit frenzy commence.
pointecoupeedemocrat @ 56
Heard it too and had to nute it before getting sick. Also typical case of projection: accusing Ds of the partisanship of which Rs are past masters. Reaction of his office was pretty funny. If you’d been instructed to call, you surely would also have been instructed to say you hadn’t been. So what did they hope to accomplish by asking the Q, except to piss you off.
LS @ 91
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_.....yid=117275
LS @ 91
Saw it online.
Who’s gonna head up the legal defense fund? Not Mel Sembler - way too east coast…
LS @ 90
and I don’t see it on MSNBC’s website.
BobbyG @ 87
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Reports out of Columiba say that one person was shot near the campus of the the University of Missouri.
kctv.com link
Mae @ 13
That would be Chuck Rosenberg in the Eastern District of Virginia. The same guy who took over for Kyle Sampson as Gonzales’ COS. I guess he’s doing double duty….
the U of M’s website says a shooting occurred, but not on campus — maybe from one car to another? Terrible, still.
Looks like Dolittle is gonna need a fundraiser. I love this place, man!
Geez, if MSNBC puts up a breaking news story like that and then realizes they were incorrect, you’d think they’d publish a correction PRONTO instead of just scrubbing it from their site.
solai @ 67
Not necessarily. Unless you speak from knowledge of the VT campus. My university Student Union (a very large place) had a post office in it, right at the center of campus. No need to go off-campus.
Any of the Do-little stuff trickling out into the MSM? Or are they do-littling, too?
Cornyn and the rest of the Repubes live in glass houses….
Cozumel @ 100
Just for the record, the University immediately sent out an email, and they said the incident was under control. No lockdown.
Any truth to the rumor that his Campaign Slogan was “Doolittle for California?”
Nate @
75