AND IF MEAN JEAN HAD BAD NEWS-- THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO JOHN DOOLITTLE (R-CA)

One of the most crooked congressmen still unindicted and still holding onto his seat-- though just barely in this case-- is northern California Culture of Corruption kingpin John Doolittle. Doolittle, who will again be facing a relentless Charlie Brown when he's next in front of voters, has had some bad fundraising news lately-- Brown with around $125,000 cash-on-hand while Doolittle with a negative balance of $80,000 in his campaign account (much of that having been skimmed off the top by Doolittle himself via his "consultant" wife). But that bad news was just how he started today. It got worse.

Abramoff had a bagman whose primary job was to handle criminal activities between Abramoff's GOP operations and Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle. That man is Kevin Ring, a former Doolittle staffer who went to work for Abramoff's crime syndicate and refused to answer questions put to him by John McCain's Senate Indian Affairs Committee in 2005 on the grounds that his answers might incriminate him. The feds who are investigating Doolittle are more interested in Ring incriminating him And that looks exactly what is happening.

Like a top aide for former Republican Congressman Bob Ney (currently serving time in the federal pen in Morgantown, WV), Neil Volz, Ring abruptly resigned from a very shady Republican law firm, Barnes & Thornburg. The next step is likely to be Ring turning state's evidence on Doolittle who accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from Abramoff in return for assistance to Abramoff's clients. Like Doolittle, part of DC's powerful and ultra corrupt "Mormon Mafia," Ring is a far right extremist with an extraordinarily shallow understanding of morality.

Before going to work for Barnes & Thornburg, Ring was fired by Greenberg Traurig, Abramoff's former front company. Previously-- at the height of the Tom DeLay Republican Culture of Corruption Regime-- Ring had been named "Top Rainmaker" by The Hill. He also wrote an embarrassingly ass-kissing book on Antonin Scalia published, of course, by the far right vanity press, Regnery.

Unless Doolittle winds up in prison before the election-- which is not far-fetched-- Charlie Brown is going to have a tough and expensive campaign. Blue America is channeling donations directly into his campaign. Even a $5.00 donation is helpful. And here's the place.