Ken Calvert: Grass-roots GOP revolts

RedState’s Erick Erickson is leading a conservative campaign to oust shady GOP Rep. Ken Calvert from the Appropriations Committee slot vacated by disgraced GOP Rep. John Doolittle. The Hill reports:

A popular conservative blog will step up its efforts this week to force Republican leaders to pull Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) from the powerful Appropriations Committee. In addition, the website will begin a coordinated effort to target members of the GOP Steering Committee in order to save the party from electoral disaster in 2008, the editor in chief of the site said Sunday.

“This party of ours must be pruned and it must be pruned by those of us who care about it before meeting the butchers sheers in the hands of the voters again in 2008,” Erick Erickson, editor in chief of www.redstate.com wrote to The Hill. “If they refuse to hear that change is needed, we will wipe them out and replace them with new blood that recognizes that a corrupt party rejected by the voters will not be embraced again by the voters until the corruption is purged.”

On the blog, Erickson on Friday had declared “war” on the GOP leadership because it backed Calvert to join the committee. Erickson objects to the choice, saying Calvert was involved in “several questionable land deals…”

Erickson described a several pronged “battle plan” that includes encouraging users of the blog to flood lawmakers with calls in their district and Washington offices and eventually contacting lawmakers’ key campaign contributors and the media in order to emphasize their commitment to change.

“We will call each member, one a day, flooding lines in district and in D.C.,” Erickson wrote. “We will compile a list of every member who either admits to voting for Calvert or refuses to answer.”

Once the list is complied, it will be published and sent to lawmakers’ top contributors with a list of the allegations against Calvert enclosed.

Here’s Erick’s declaration of war. An excerpt:

When John Doolittle had to step down from the House Appropriations Committee because of a corruption investigation, the House GOP gave the nod to Calvert.

In 2005, Calvert and a partner paid $550,000 for 4.3 acres of land. Calvert then used his earmarking powers to secure $8 million in funds for an interstate exchange on the property. He then sold the property for about $1 million.

Also in 2005, a business partner of Calvert’s bought additional land that Calvert’s earmarks benefited. When the property was sold, a firm financially connected to Calvert received a commission for the sale.

In 2006, Calvert engaged in other shady land deals. The list goes.

I won’t even go in to his arrest for soliciting a prostitute. (Ed.: Just google it)

This is the man House Republicans chose to replace John Doolittle. They just don’t get it. So now I declare war. Who is with me?

There is only one thing you need to do. Call John Boehner at (202) 225-4000 and tell him the House GOP will get no support until Ken Calvert is off Appropriations.

Here, fyi, is Calvert’s response. Read the comments. RedStaters are not impressed with Calvert’s defense. Neither am I.

Erick is asking readers to make targeted phone calls every day. Go for it if you have a spare moment:

You can’t criticize the Dems’ culture of corruption if you aren’t willing to do something about the GOP’s. Help show Nancy Pelosi how it’s done.

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Related: Conservative blogger Rob Bluey takes aim at GOP failures to stop the pork binge in Congress.

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