rats.jpg

(Photo of rats via Matt, blog giik.net/blog.)

Good heavens.  The ship that is the Bush Administration and their smarmy crony pals is sinking quickly, and the rats are turning on each other on the way to their life rafts.  To wit (via The Hill):

Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) called the FBI raid on his home unnecessary, unjust and possibly politically motivated in an op-ed published Saturday in a California newspaper.

“The search occurred after my attorney had a meeting with the government, and I now believe that the search of our home was in large measure an attempt to strong arm my wife in order to get me to admit to a crime — a crime that I did not commit,” Doolittle wrote in the Auburn Journal.

Doolittle was not home during the April 13 search, but said his wife, Julie, was confined to the kitchen as federal agents searched the couple’s Northern Virginia residence. The lawmaker said she was able to leave the room or use the restroom only if accompanied by an escort.

“The agents systematically searched our home, removing every book, turning over every couch cushion and every pot and pan, and rummaging through every drawer, file cabinet, cupboard and closet,” Doolittle wrote….

“I do not believe it was a coincidence that the leak came the day before Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified before Congress on charges that his office was overly partisan in its firing of eight U.S. Attorneys,” Doolittle wrote. “Especially considering Gonzales specifically cited his recent prosecution of Republican members of Congress as evidence to the contrary.”…

Julie Doolittle’s fundraising for her husband’s congressional campaign became so controversial that he announced at the beginning of this year she would not continue to contribute in the same capacity. She may continue to work for his political action committee.

It is common for lawmakers’ spouses to work for their campaigns, but the way in which Julie Doolittle was paid attracted criticism. Rather than earning a flat fee, as some other fundraisers do, she received a 15 percent commission on every donation raised. For some, that created an impression that campaign donations given to John Doolittle directly benefited his household. An Abramoff charity; the lobbyist’s former firm, Greenberg Traurig; his former restaurant, Signatures; and the Korea-U.S. Exchange Council, which Ed Buckham, a former chief of staff to ex-Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), created, were Julie Doolittle’s firm’s only other clients.

Doolittle’s former chief of staff, Kevin Ring, resigned Friday from his position at lobbying firm Barnes and Thornburg. Ring is suspected of playing a role in the Abramoff scandal, hiring Doolittle’s wife while with Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig.  (emphasis mine)

Gee, shocking that there would be any question of impropriety or pay-off at all with clients like that in Julie Doolittle's stable, isn't it?  No idea how anyone could possibly even begin to think there might be anything improper with such a diverse clientele as her husband and all of Jack Abramoff's client's money.

It is called a criminal investigation for a reason, Congressman, and you and your family should not be treated any differently than any other suspected potential felon in terms of the investigation and protection of the chain of costody of evidence while your home and office space is searched. Welcome to the reality of thousands of other Americans suspected of violating the law.  Of course it was an attempt to get you or your wife to plead to a crime — but it was also an attempt to find corroborating evidence based on information that the government has received from your former pals who happen to kno where you hide your skeletons in those expensive walk-in closets of yours.  Perhaps former aides or business associates or other people who would know — in detail — what sorts of alleged activities and other information you or your wife might have.  And, in finding that back-up information, they only strengthen the hand of the folks feeding that information to investigators in terms of their potential plea deal versus adding conduct years onto your charges.

Plead now, Rep. Doolittle.  You do not want to be the last man standing in a conspiracy case, and I hear that your buddy Jack has been doing a lot of ass-saving, gut-spillage.  One wonders how many of his pudgy fingers are pointing in your direction, eh?  Neither the sentencing guidelines nor the sentencing judge will look favorably upon you standing on false bravado and hollow sanctimony if and when a litany of your alleged criminality is laid before the court.  And that goes for your wife as well — I hear the gals in "The Republican Wives Club" are getting a little anxious and potentially chatty with the FBI as well, and it can get vicious out there when you are the only person standing who hasn't ratted out the next person up the rung.

If you think for a moment that President Bush is going to protect your smarmy ass after you publicly tried to knife his boy Fredo?  Oh my.  Think again.

Don't know what you guys are thinking, but this is quite the interesting spectacle, isn't it?  Especially given that the AG will be testifying again, this time before the House Judiciary Committee, on May 10th.  Thought we could spend a little time talking about what questions ought to be asked of AG Gonzales in his testimony on Thursday.  I'm going to think about that a bit myself, and will pull some of the ideas on that out into a thread of its own in a bit. 

PS — Eugene Robinson cracks me up this morning. 

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