UPDATE: 930 P.M. – FR friend Aaron Park, over on the Placer County CRA blog, refutes this rumor, saying that he has been on the horn with Team Doolittle planning events well into the Christmas season.
Hank Shaw, the Sacramento Bureau Chief for the Stockton Record, is the latest to blog the rumor that 
Congressman John Doolittle is about to announce that he is not running for re-election, and the that he will ultimately endorse conservative former state legislator Rico Oller (pictured) to be the GOP nominee in the 4th Congressional District. True or untrue? We don’t really know — but assuming that Doolittle is looking at the same polling data we are, he knows that his odds of winning a general election match-up against Democrat Charlie Brown are long. One thing we do know is that Oller has made it clear that he has no interest in seeking the House seat as long as the incumbent is, in fact, seeking reelection.
On Rico Oller — my friendship with Rico goes back to the early 1990’s, and our mutual involvement in the California Republican Assembly. Rico is a solid conservative, and most importantly, has moxie. No where is an infusion of principle and energy needed for our party than in that House Republican Conference.
Well, as Matt Drudge likes to say… "developing…"
November 20th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Jon – Thanks for posting my humorous rant about this topic.
Folks – please email or call the congressman, because he will tell you himself if he is retiring.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Jon,
I don’t think there is a real story here. We all know that Rico Oller would be an ideal Congressman — exactly what Republicans need if we are too take back the majority — but Rico is solidly supporting Congressman Doolittle’s re-election (like almost every Republican leader in the entire District).
John Doolittle has been a conservative leader in Congress, he has been great for the district, and Rico Oller would never run against him or try to pressure him to resign. In fact, Rico has been working hard with me and many others to ensure that Congressman Doolittle will be re-elected. Victory is already in sight, which is why the liberals are trying this political drill. They want to convince donors that Congressman Doolittle is about to retire, so there is no reason to help him. That is nonsense and we will make sure their tactic does not work!
Tom Hudson, Chairman
Placer County Republican Party
November 21st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Doolittle is serving his last term.
When an unknown challenger can out raise the incumbent congressman last quarter, $80,000 to $50,000- there is big trouble.