The conservative Family Research Council joined the outside effort to knock Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) off the Appropriations Committee — to which he was recently appointed — echoing complaints raised on the conservative blog RedState. [IMGCAP(1)]

“Rep. Calvert seems to be more likely to appear on Jerry Springer than serve on the important Appropriations Committee,” said an FRC “action alert” sent Friday afternoon to its 200,000-plus subscribers.

“From an arrest for soliciting a prostitute his first year in Congress to currently having his financial records seized by the FBI, Rep. Calvert would seem to fit in more with the party that allows Rep. William ‘Cold Cash’ Jefferson (D-La.) and Rep. Alan ‘Shady Deals’ Mollohan (D-W.Va.) to still serve on powerful committees than with a party that has made great strides in trying to clean up its image,” the FRC wrote.

The alert asks its supporters to call House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) to voice their opposition.

Joe Carter of FRC and Erick Erickson of RedState said they are working to get more outside groups to join the effort. Calvert has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and has staunchly defended his appointment to the panel, which was approved by the Republican Steering Committee, the Republican Conference, and the full House.

— Susan Davis