Doolittle compares himself to Duke lacrosse players.

Today in a conference call with reporters, Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) — who is currently under fire for his role in the Abramoff scandal — compared himself to the Duke students who were falsely accused of rape:

I have been an effective representative for the region and shall continue to be one despite this situation. Finally I will just say that if there is anything we should have learned from the Duke lacrosse case, it is that the destruction of the reputations of innocent people can occur when the government, the press and the public jump to unfounded conclusions. I ask everyone to withhold judgment until the all facts are known and the truth can prevail.

Looks like Doolittle is taking his talking points from Tom DeLay.

UPDATE: Doolittle also pledges that he won’t resign his seat.