Indicted Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) may find himself short on congressional allies these days but maybe he can call up Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) for some tea and sympathy -- yesterday scandal-plagued Doolittle voted against holding House hearings on indicted Members in a move I'd never be so cynical as to suggest was calculated to keep his own goose from being cooked.

Doolittle was in the extreme minority on this one, and the House voted overwhelmingly to launch ethics investigations of House members who are indicted. Don't worry John, Jefferson will keep the hot seat warm for you until you can make it!

Doolittle, the subject of intense scrutiny for his and his wife's involvement with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, has seen his stock plummet in recent months with investigators digging deeper into his ties to Abramoff and raiding his home and with his re-election chances looking grimmer by the second.