RePORK Card Making a Splash
This is from the Sacramento Bee newspaper:
Former Placer County Republican Party chairman Ken Campbell, a longtime financial backer of Rep. John Doolittle, said Friday that he is withdrawing his support of the nine-term Roseville Republican because he has betrayed his conservative roots.
Campbell based his conclusion on a recent Club for Growth report on votes this year on 2008 spending bills to eliminate "wasteful pork projects." Doolittle scored just 2 percent, the average score for Democrats and well under the Republican average of 43 percent.
Campbell has been a longtime supporter of Doolittle, with about $10,000 in political contributions to his reelection in the last decade. The most recent contribution was $400 in May.
But in what could be a huge blow for Doolittle, Campbell said the Club for Growth report shatters his chance for reelection next year, even if he can overcome all of the questions surrounding the federal investigation into his relationship with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
"I think when this conservative district sees how John spends their money, I think John doesn't have a chance," Campbell said.
UPDATE: Eric Schulzke, a former press secretary to Doolittle, shares his thoughts on this new development. Apparently, Doolittle is getting very defensive.
UPDATE II: Here's a longer version of the above article. More details, including Doolittle's flimsy response.
