Fighting Dem Charlie Brown lost a tough one to corrupt John Doolittle in the CA-04 in 2006. It is clear Charlie is planning for a rematch, that is, if Doolittle is still around (the odds of which increased when Carol Lam was dismissed as a US Attorney, since the case related to Duke Cunningham has tentacles that reach up to Doolittle).
I just received an email (as a contributor, albeit well out of district) which gives the time and place of some forthcoming Doolittle town meetings. That's not what is really interesting. For the hardball stuff, continue below the fold.
The rest of this diary is merely a cut an paste - I don't know if it is on Charlie's website, but it is too good not to pass on. It is a series of questions that those attending the Doolittle events just might want to ask. It shows that Charlie has every intention of keeping the pressure on. Read and enjoy.
THE DOOLITTLE DOZEN:
- You recently said that you are skeptical of the administrations handling of the War in Iraq--a change from your previous "stay the course" position. Are you also accepting responsibility, as a member of the Republican leadership in Congress, for failing to provide adequate oversight on this policy for the past 5 years?
- What military objectives have not yet been achieved in Iraq? How exactly will escalating the war resolve longstanding religious and political differences that are fueling the violence? Why isnt a diplomatic surge focused on Iraqi reconciliation and regional engagement, as has been proposed by many Democrats, a better solution?
- Jack Abramoff called you a "hero" for his client, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI). You said during the 2006 campaign that you didn't believe the well documented assertions of sweatshops, forced abortions, and sex slavery on the CNMI. Since then, further supporting testimony has been given to Congress. Do you still deny the existence of these conditions, and will you support legislation to prevent further abuses by holding this U.S. territory to American labor and immigration standards?
- Why did Jack Abramoff continue to pay your wifes consulting firm $5,000 a month for almost one full year after the event she was hired to produce was cancelled? If work was done, will you release the documents to prove this?
- Yes or no: Do you think it is right for elected officials, or their leadership PACs, to keep campaign contributions from felons convicted of bribing members of Congress? How do you reconcile the apparent hypocrisy of taking money from lawbreakers in order to be able to make law in Congress?
- Do you think it is wrong for an elected official to divert a percentage of campaign contributions into a family bank account? If you do not, please explain why.
- Why did you earmark $37 million in defense contracts the military never requested for a man who was recently indicted for bribing Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham?
- How can you justify voting yourself a raise every year (7 times in the last 10 years), while voting against raising the minimum wage for the lowest paid American workers?
- Throughout your career, you have talked about family values and moral leadership. Why then have you not returned campaign contributions from confessed child predator Mark Foley and why did you testify on behalf of convicted sexual predator David Roy Phipps?
- You recently wrote that Sacramento is at risk for the same level of catastrophic flooding as New Orleans. When was the last time a Category 4 Hurricane struck Californias Central Valley? How many more taxpayer sponsored Auburn Dam feasibility studies will it take before you commit to a sensible, cost effective, bi-partisan flood control solution for the Sacramento Valleystarting with improvements to our levees and the dry raise to Folsom Dam?
- You recently cited fiction author Michael Crichton in explaining your view that human-caused global warming is a myth. Can you cite any non-fiction sources that you consult before voting on climate change issues in Congress?
- You have recently re-introduced legislation to allow people to opt out of receiving political robo-dial calls. If you believe these calls are intrusive, why didnt you take action to stop the National Republican Campaign Committee from flooding your constituents with misleading robo calls on your behalf at all hours of the night during the 2006 campaign?