Brown asks McClintock to clarify relationship with Doolittle

The campaign for 4th Congressional District candidate Charlie Brown called Friday on Republican opponent and State Sen. Tom McClintock to definitively say whether his campaign is working with U.S. Rep. John Doolittle, who both men are trying to replace.

Congressional Candidate Charlie Brown: Campaign photoIn a press release, Todd Stenhouse, a campaign spokesman for Brown, a Roseville Democrat, called on McClintock to clarify the situation after several contradictory statements on the issue over the last two weeks.

The release noted that Doolittle (R-Roseville) is retiring amid an FBI investigation into his connections to convicted former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Brown narrowly lost to Doolittle in 2006.

On June 16, both Doolittle and McClintock's camps confirmed the two men would meet to discuss Doolittle's support for McClintock.

A day later, a campaign consultant for McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) questioned why the McClintock would seek any endorsement from Doolittle if he was running as an outsider to traditional politics.

That was followed by more confirmation from McClintock's campaign that he would meet and work with Doolittle, and ended with McClintock saying earlier this week that he had cancelled a planned meeting with Doolittle.

"Will Southern California Politician Tom McClintock accept the endorsement of disgraced Congressman John Doolittle, who is under investigation by the FBI in connection with (a) Congressional bribery scandal, or not?" Stenhouse wrote in the press release. "This is a simple question and the voters deserve a simple yes or no answer."

ELSEWHERE on PolitickerCA.com:

• Brown, McClintock aiming at each other in California's 4th district