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DEL.ICIO.USOf Ralph Reed, inside and outside Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When it comes to Ralph Reed, Georgia is somewhat different from the rest of the nation.
Outside the state, Reed is a caricature of the Christian Right and all the phases of its relationship with the national Republican party, from the 1994 revolution to the 2006 conviction of Jack Abramoff.
But in Georgia, despite his fall from grace in Washington, Reed retains a significant following — 44 percent of all state GOP voters, as of two summers ago — that still can make a difference in local politics.
Remember that Reed served as chairman of the state Republican party. That counts for much. It adds a reality-based, third dimension to any cartoonish portraits.
Which is why Jamie Reynolds III, chairman of John McCain’s Georgia finance committee, probably did ask Reed to raise cash for the Republican nominee’s fund-raiser in Atlanta on Monday.
This is, in fact, evidence that McCain and his campaign organizers have seen — or should have seen — this coming, this convergence of McCain’s ambition and Reed’s need to reassert his place in the GOP. One does not ask for the help of Reynolds, a long-time supporter and friend to George W. Bush, without knowing that Reed will be involved as well.
Republicans in Georgia have few qualms about having Reed in their midst. In today’s Savannah Morning News, Larry Peterson reports that Reed will be a featured speaker at the upcoming GOP fund-raiser in Savannah on Sept. 27. Organizers are looking for 1,000 attendees at $80 a pop.
According to Peterson, local GOP chairman Frank Murray says this about Reed:
“He was never convicted of anything,” Murray said. “He was never even charged. We try to invite people who will draw a crowd, who are good speakers and are good Republicans.”
Murray said he briefly reviewed the [Senate Indian Affairs] committee report and was not convinced that Reed did anything wrong.
When paired with political necessity, memories are darned perishable things. The expiration date is always two weeks ago.
The same Morning News article includes Steve Croy, a heavyweight Republican fund-raiser down Savannah way. Croy, a part of the Georgia team for McCain, told Peterson he was “only vaguely aware of the Reed-Abramoff link.”
Croy was the chief fund-raiser for Casey Cagle in the state senator’s successful Republican campaign for lieutenant governor in 2006.
That means Croy raised the money that Cagle used to successfully bury Reed in an avalanche of mailers and TV spots built around the former Christian Coalition leader’s association with a corrupt Washington lobbyist.
Photo credit: The Associated Press
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Comments
By Copyleft
August 14, 2008 11:47 AM | Link to this
Georgia will always house the last dying remnant of idiots who would support Ralph Reed.
That’s nothing to be proud of, however. It’s more an indictment of our school system.
By RJ
August 14, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
Ralph Reed is a hypocrit just like Mike Bowers. They both built and nurtured a career based upon a a false persona. While Reed’s conduct may not have crossed into criminality, the facts indicate that he had very little respect for integrity in his business dealings.
They also reveal that he demonstrated very little respect for the people who placed their trust in him.
Reed used the Christian coalition, State Republican Party, and now the McCain candidacy to advance his personal agenda. Based upon the known facts, there should be no doubt about his “values.”
In all fairness, however, Reed embodies the entire Republican Party, which took the trust of the Evangilicals and put it in the trash after they got elected in 2002 and 2006.
“When paired with political necessity, memories are darned perishable things. The expiration date is always two weeks ago.”
The above quote from this Post says it all.
By GodHatesTrash
August 14, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this
Outside the state, Reed is a caricature of the Christian Right and all the phases of its relationship with the national Republican party, from the 1994 revolution to the 2006 conviction of Jack Abramoff.
But in Georgia, despite his fall from grace in Washington, Reed retains a significant following — 44 percent of all state GOP voters, as of two summers ago — that still can make a difference in local politics.
Only in the land of superstitious morons and the stumpbroke inbred is trash like Reed considered anything other than the kkknuckkkledragging scum he is.
By Ga Values
August 14, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this
GodHatesTrash——Reed lost the Lt Governor election to a complete unknown. I don’t know anyone including my neighbors who go to church that doesn’t think he is slime. About the only way a democrat will win the Governors election is if Ralph Reed is the GOP candidate.
By Betty Boop
August 14, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this
OJ was never convicted either, was he? Ole Chicken lips is so greasy it is a wonder he doesn’t slip off the podium. I sure don’t trust him with my money. But then, he just reflects McCains complete lack of judgement again to the nth degree. I mean, the greasiest piece of slime in Ga is raising money for a man who warned the Russians that countries don’t invade other countries in the 21st century. Where has he been???
Dumb and Dumber together at last.
BB
By Ga Values
August 14, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this
Bill Clinton was never convicted either..Reed is slime.
By Mick
August 15, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this
Isn’t this a cozy little bunch? Jamie Reynolds and his cousin Mercer Reynolds are picked to develop Jekyll Island State Park and fill their pockets along the way. Steve Croy sits on the Jekyll Island Authority board where he makes every effort to glorify himself by passing on tidbits about his weekend visits with Gov. Perdue and Casey Cagle….oh by the way, do we all remember how Gov. Perdue chastised Senator Jeff Chapman for saving Jekyll’s south end which is home to a 4-H Center, soccer fields and all sorts of wonderful habitats for endangered species instead of using it for estate homes and boutique hotels. And how about this year when Cagle put together the coalition headed by Chip Pearson’s Economic Development committee that effectively killed Chapman’s bills to reduce the amount of development on Jekyll as thousands of Georgians called for! Go to www.savejekyllisland.org and read “Who killed the Jekyll Bills in the Senate.”
This cozy little crew and their minions are trying to take Jekyll Island State Park away from the people of Georgia and turn it into Reynold’s Planation on the coast. What is next? Sapelo? Not so far fetched…friends in MacIntosh County have seen a lot of JIA board member Ben Porter, former chair, and a big player in this group taking a lot of people over to Sapelo lately. Sightseeing or plotting out the next development. Do we really need those pristine barrier island’s anyway????