McCain cozies up to … Ralph Reed?
As part of his new-found interest in appearing independent again, John McCain and his aides like to remind folks about his role in taking on Jack Abramoff, the disgraced Republican lobbyist. It’s not an entirely unreasonable pitch; McCain did some decent work on the scandal in the Senate. McCain is bragging about his role now, and that’s probably appropriate.
At least, it was. In an inexplicable move, even by Republican standards, McCain has decided to cozy up to Ralph Reed, the disgraced right-wing activist and Abramoff business partner.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jim Galloway has this jaw-dropper:
If you read this space, you knew this was coming. But even now that the odd-couple alliance between Ralph Reed and John McCain is complete, you still can’t believe that it’s true.
On Thursday afternoon, Republicans around Georgia received an invitation from Reed, who will serve as a host of a “special event” for McCain at the downtown Marriot Marquis on Aug. 18.
“John McCain believes in a strong national defense, a smaller, more accountable government, steady economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values,” wrote Reed, whose 2006 campaign for lieutenant governor sank under the weight of evidence detailing his relationship with Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff — much of it uncovered by McCain’s Indian Affairs Committee.
By the time John McCain cozied up to Jerry Falwell, after Falwell blamed Americans for the 9/11 attacks, it was pretty obvious that McCain would embrace literally anyone if he thought he could get away with it.
But therein lies the point: McCain shouldn’t get away with befriending Ralph Reed.
Since when did Reed become some kind of respectable figure? Did I miss the memo?
I know it’s been a couple of years — and McCain can be a little forgetful — but the Abramoff scandal left Reed a humiliated disgrace. It wasn’t just some embarrassing misunderstanding; the scandal ruined him. Permanently.
Remember this one, from June 2006?
Yet another delightful characterization of Ralph Reed, courtesy of today’s McCain report on the Abramoff scandal. This one comes courtesy of Jack Abramoff himself, via his discussion with Marc Schwartz, a public relations representative for the Tigua tribe in Texas.
Let’s pick up the report on page 148. Schwartz was evaluating whether the tribe should hire Abramoff as its lobbyist: To Schwartz, Abramoff appeared to have the right credentials. Abramoff claimed to be a close friend of Congressman Tom DeLay. He also discussed his friendship with Reed, recounting some of their history together at College Republicans. When Schwartz observed that Reed was an ideologue, Schwartz recalled that Abramoff laughingly replied “as far as the cash goes.”
Or, how about this one?
Ralph Reed, email to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, 1998: “Hey, now that I’m done with the electoral politics, I need to start humping in corporate accounts! I’m counting on you to help me with some contacts.”
E-mails and testimony before McCain’s panel showed that Reed, who once branded gambling a “cancer” on society, reaped millions of dollars in tribal casino proceeds that Abramoff secretly routed to him through various non-profit front groups. Abramoff, a lobbyist for the tribes, paid Reed to whip up “grassroots” Christian opposition to prevent rival tribes from opening casinos.
Abramoff sometimes routed his money to Reed through a group called Americans for Tax Reform
, run by conservative anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist.
McCain knows all of this. McCain helped document all of this.
And yet, now we have Reed hosting a fundraiser for McCain in Atlanta.
I didn’t think McCain could stoop this low. I underestimated his cravenness.
Bruno
says:It will be interesting to find out whether the so called ‘Christian Conservatives’ will approve of this new relationship. If they do, then it’s obvious, they’re not really Christian conservatives and only interested in promoting their cause at any cost. Even if that means stooping to this level.
Then again what’s new in the conservative politics realm.
Racer X
says:McCain can pull this because he knows that the media won’t call out the rightwing religious nutcases, because those nutcases have tons of mindless morons who will flood any offending media outlets with nasty letters and cost them real money.
Ralph Reed is a scumball, but you have to read and believe the facts in order to know that. What Reed and his ilk figured out a long time ago is that a lot of people will never read up on them and a lot more will believe them when they deny the allegations (even when they’re proven).
What we’re up against is a mindless mob who are under the spell of some seriously greasy charlatans, and a media which will not cross them for fear of losing the billions in profits they get to keep if they stay relatively silent about the charlatans.
Former Dan
says:McCain didn’t use the information he collected on Abramhoff for evidence to be used against them. He pretty much sat on it and used it to call in favors from various Repub “leaders” to help grease his presidential campaign. Lots of favors like Ralph Reed being nice to John McCain. It was either run a fundraiser or get run to jail for Ralphie.
William
says:“John McCain believes in a strong national defense, a smaller, more accountable government, steady economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values,”
Yeah, right. That statement brought to you by Ralph Reed! Again, barf! Make it stop, make it stop!
Renell
says:I will take issue that McCain did a decent job on the Abramoff hearings. Huffington Post’s Sam Stein did an article entitled “McCain withheld Abramoff e-mail.”This was published in Feb.of this year,. This delineates how a crucial email of Abramoff’s detailed a plan to circumvent the governor’s race in Alabama(-involving Don Segilman,who was railroaded into prison), but the email was left out of the final hearings report.(,incidentally, the email is produced in the Stein article.). It was about keeping gambling OUT of Alabama ,and IN Mississippi-whose governor ,Haley Barbour ,had been a lobby partner to Abramoff years earlier on K street. CHECK IT OUT! Also, Bill Moyers did a superb job on Reed and Abramoff two weeks ago on his PBS show. You can view it at PBS.org website.
Republican 4 Family Values
says:How awesome is The CR? This line is right next to the picture of McCain embracing Bush.
Don’t try to tell us you didn’t plan it this way.
Nashville_fan
says:This is kind of random but . . .
One of the commenters on the the First Read blog at MSNBC indicated that much of the background information that John McCain read in his statement about Georgia today came from that reliable source of international info, Wikipedia.
Things that make you go hmmmmm.
So much for John McCain not being good with the internet . . . maybe Cindy found it for him.
sparrow
says:Republican logic applies here as it does with the war, telecoms, torture, the sub prime meltdown, etc.: this is all ancient history and what we need to concentrate on now is how we go forward, so forgetaboutit.
tiredofgreed
says:A huge tell about Reed in the Bill Moyers report is when scumbags Mike Scanlon and Abramoff are emailing each other and Abramoff tells Scanlon that Reed “is a bad version of us! No more money for him.” Reed was too corrupt and untrustworthy for Abramoff!!
I look forward to Phil Gramms and Ralph Reed becoming McCains most trusted advisors if he wins the election.
Rich
says:Shall we assume McSame remembers any of what he discovered about arch-criminal Abramoff and sleazy Reed? How is this super flip-flop any different, in character if not substance, from all the others he has committed? The underlying principle being that the American public has no memory, and the MSM media won’t remind them.
Shalimar
says:McCain did some decent work on the scandal in the Senate
Did he? I remember McCain venting his outrage at Abramoff and a few House colleagues he didn’t like, while covering up the rest of the info and trying to keep it from coming out. Hardly decent work.
serena1313
says:Actually McCain did not do so well on the Abramoff scandal. He promised to follow the money, but shut down the investigation before it went any further. And I believe Ralph Reed was involved in that, too…
Furthermore he had about 600 pages or more of information he never turned over to the committee. Of course he was the head of that committee.
Sorry Iam bit fuzzy on some of the details.
libra
says:McCain knows all of this. McCain helped document all of this. — CB
“Well, look, if you want to talk about history, then you can make all of the cases you want to make,” Davis responded. (from another thread)
Prup (aka Jim Benton)
says:Reed still claims to be a ‘Christian Conservative.’
STURGIS, STURGIS, STURGIS, MISS BUFFALO CHIP, TOPLESS, OPENING ACT FOR KID ROCK, SIMULATED SEX, STURGIS.
Sorry for the brief all caps, but WE have to be using this constantly — not the campaign, but us, when we talk to our friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
WE are Obama’s surrogates.
That is what the Republicans know, and we keep ignoring, that people listen to people they know — even if they go to that crazy Church — more than to the media or to political ads. That WAS why the RR was such a valuable force for them.
Did I mention Sturgis?
joey (bjobotts)
says:McCain also obtained all records on the Abramoff scandal involving many other republicans and buried them in his committee where even subpoena for their release were ignored. He bragged about “making sure” that republicans were being protected by his actions. Dig deeper and you’ll find McCain did more to protect those involved with Abarmoff than he ever did to expose those involved in his corruption
Mr. Anderson
says:Beautiful!
McCain is only compounding his chances of losing by doing this. He knows he’s going to lose, but when he loses, he is still going to need some kind of group to belong to. And Ralph Reed is going to be his ambassador to the only group of people that will help him out–Christians.
That’s one thing that Christians excel at ; they will always help out another Christian no matter how horribly they’ve acted. It’s amazing. Look how they have dusted off Ralph Reed and thrown him right back into the mix just like nothing ever happened. McCain is going to need the same kind of support when he eventually loses.
Amazing to watch. McCain and Ralph Reed. You really have to pinch yourself over and over again to make sure that you aren’t imagining things. So much brilliant insanity being passed around as if it was the most normal thing in the world. There is a God, and God’s sense of humor and sense of the absurd is peerless.
Lance
says:Abramoff used Ralph Reed to complain about one Indian Tribe getting a casino (gambling, oh my!) to protect the gambling profits of another Indian Tribe (excuse, me, Native Americans) and no one in the world knows this better than John Sidney and still he’s budding up with this guy?
You see why we won’t vote for him Chad?
Chad?
Any trolls?
[tumbleweed rolls by]
Chad
says:OH NO!!! NOT RALPH F’en REED!!! Oh the humaity, this is the end of McCain, he might as well hang it up right now.
At least McCain isn’t linked to: Willie “I bombed the Pentagon, and I’d do it again” Ayers & Bernadine Dohrn, Rev. “God Damn America” Wright, Louis Farrakhan, Father Pflieger, Ludacris, Tony “Land Deal” Rezko, Frank “The Commie” Davis, A nation of mindless Obama Kool-Ade drinkers, the list goes on and on…
Nor is McCain endorsed by known terrorists, Terrorist Countries, the ‘Family Friendly” hip-hop community, the Hollywood lefty loonies, etc…
Yeah, McCain should really watch who he’s associated with.
Funny, you’ll bend over backwards to ignore all of Obama’s questionable affiliations, but once McCain has one, you’re all over that like stink on you.
The answer is “ORANGE”
Another Chris
says:Ralph Reed is a has-been who couldn’t even win a GOP primary for Lt. Governor of Georgia.
I seriously doubt many people remember him, and if they do, that they’d care about him.
Lance
says:“Funny, you’ll bend over backwards to ignore all of Obama’s questionable affiliations, but once McCain has one, you’re all over that like stink on you.”
Obama picked up Wright and Ayers through 20 plus years of life. McCain picked up Reed out of the gutter from where John Sidney had pushed him.
And you know, liberals usually don’t get bothered by other liberals, even moonbats like my California (Hollywood indeed) brother. That’s hardly a terrible charge.
Bruno
says:chad remembers him fondly. Chad likes it when his idols are corrupt. Keating Five anybody? As soon as Tom Delay starts stumping for McCain, chad will get an erection. He won’t know what to do with himself.
He’ll have to start screaming that Obama gets erections too, and that he fathered black children, and that he looks kind’a black…
We are scared chad….
The desperation in your posts is palpable. Lots of rhetoric, no substance. We can do that too, while having fun with trolls like you.
toowearyforoutrage
says:It’s not just puzzling taht McCain would risk associating himself with tainted goods again.
It’s also puzzling Reed would respond amiably.
That is, unless you are pondering teh possibility that advisors are deliberately trying to ruin McCain.
Do the arch conservatives plan to throw in teh towel this year so they can get a proper Bush clone groomed for 2012?
It explains McCain’s wretched campaigning and Reed’s apparent willingness to “help”.
Sing out if the glare from my hat is bothering you.
tiredofgreed
says:Chad
Looks like your list has not one person associated with Obamas campaign or of anyone Obama is associating with in any way unlike McCain who has embraced the worst of the Republican goons who have ruined this country, Rove, Reed, Gramms, Davis et al, and who seem to be your heroes. Why do you hate this country so much and why do you want to see the United States be the laughing stock of the world if these people are elected to represent us for another 4 years. The nightmare has lasted too long already.
Chad
says:Tired of Greed, are you really that jaded with this country? Is this the worst country you’ve ever lived in? You seriously don’t think Obama has questionable affiliations? Wow, you are really waiting for the Obamessiah to save you from your own misery aren’t you?
I don’t know about you, but I love this country despite it’s faults. Nothing in this world is perfect, and to think that one politician will change your life only accentuates your naievity (sic).
I never said those people were associated with his campaign, these are the people that Obambi keeps company with, these are the people that molded him to the slick politician he is today.
Chad
says:Oh, One more thing, America’s a laughing stock? Why’s that? Do you think I give a flying fart what the French think of us? Or anyone else for that matter? We’re electing a president here, not the freaking homecoming king. I want a President who demands respect, not someone who’ll cower down and say sorry. McCain has earned his respect through 5 years as a POW, followed by years of public service. Obama brings nothing to the table but fist bumps and empty rhetoric.
tiredofgreed
says:Chad
“are really waiting for the Obamessiah to save you from your own misery aren’t you?”
No, I am waiting, along with millions of other people, who unlike you, can see the disaster the last eight years have been and care about this country enough to initiate the change needed to make the United States a great country once again. Thanks to people like you we have lost credibility with the rest of thye world and are in serious financial danger. I find it amusing and tragic how people like you can still show your face on these blogs as you are responsible for electing to power the most corrupt, inept embarrassing administration this country has ever had. And you want nothing more than to elect someone even more incapable of running this country. Good work.
tiredofgreed
says:Chad said:
“Oh, One more thing, America’s a laughing stock? Why’s that? Do you think I give a flying fart what the French think of us? Or anyone else for that matter?”
The same moronic thinking that has placed this country in the toilet over the last eight years. I lives in Arizona for 4 years and I know what McCain is like and he deserves no respect whatsoever for the person he is. An awful person is an awful person no matter how many years they spent in a pow camp.
Chad
says:Disaster is a pretty strong word there. To hear you describe it, it’s as if we’re all living in a post-apocalyptic world, wandering aimlessly through the ether. Children are starving in the streets with flys buzzing around their eyes, Martial law has been declared across the land, vigilantes and renegades torment peaceful travelers, yadda, yadda, yadda…
What a bleak worldview you have. I’m glad I’m not as negative as the lot of you here. Oh, sure, I’m aware there’s injustices in the world, there always has been, there always will be. It’s a huge world with way too many people. Do you actually believe Utopia is right over the horizon? Do you think the U.S. can solve all the world’s problems? Do you think countries that hate us now will all of the sudden love us just because we elect an underqualified candidate? Oh Yeah, they’ll love us alright, love that we’ve become a weaker nation.
Bruno
says:It’s too funny, when you hear trolls like good ol’ chad He really knows what is going on, he really does. He’s just confused on where it is coming from. Example:
That is exactly what would happen if ‘unfit-for-command’ McCain gets elected. That scenario is exactly why there are millions of people registering to vote, because they want Obama to be President. The hope is that Obama will be able to avoid your doomsday scenario.
You are absolutely right good ol’chad. The scenario you painted is rather bleak, and needs to be avoided at all costs. Let’s make sure that McCain goes back to Arizona for retirement, and let the ‘real’ governing to the grown ups. The Obama administration.
Bruno
says:Let’s answer good ol’ troll chad‘s questions:
No Chad Utopia is not right around the horizon, but Obama is trying to steer us away from that cliff Bush has been running towards. Since McCain wants to take over the wheel from Bush and given that John is in agreement 95% of the time, that 5% is just not enought to avoid the collission.
No Chad we don’t think the U.S can solve all the problems of the world, but we do thinkg that with Obama as president we can avoid causing more problems in the world. Bomb bomb McCain is too trigger happy. His PTSD is bound to explode at any moment.
No Chad they won’t all of a sudden love us, but we know for sure that if McCain was to be president they would certainly keep on hating us. On the other hand, remember those 200,000+ people in Germancy? That is how president Obama will be greeted pretty much in any country he visits. I know republicans can only dream of such adulation from people. The world is ready for Obama’s presidency. Given that he’s black (something you apparently don’t like) and given that he has a Muslim sounding name another thing you apprently don’t like) will do wonders on the world stage. It will show to the world (especially Africa and the entire Muslim world) that America can move past its transgressions and offer real solutions.
No chad, they love us not because of being a weaker nation, but because the world hopes we can move beyond the Bush ideology and the narrow minded view of the world. The world is ready for grown ups to be in charge in America once again.
Here’s and idea for grown ups in charge: the Obama presidency
Bruno
says:To all the McCain trolls
Remember the weeks after 9/11/01? remember how the entire world was ready to help President of the United States battling the terrorist? Remember how even Iran, and Russia, and China, were at the ready to help out in any way they could?
All Bush had to do was ask in a reasonable way and they would have agreed and dealt with the issue of terrorism (Osama Bin Laden) once and for all.
There were crowds all over the world – 100’s of thousands of them – chanting in support of America and Bush as its president. That is the type of ‘celebrity’ Bush was. Remember those 200,000+ in Berlin for Obama? President Bush garnered much larger crowds. Do you remember that?
What do you think happened to all that goodwill? Well…. Bush and his neo-con friends showed their true colors. The rest is history, and we’re living with it now.
The rest of the world knows that Obama will turn the page and bring America back to it’s rightful place of being the ‘shining light on the hill’
chad… don’t be afraid. It’s OK to express your anger. Punch your pillow. Listen to some soft music. Come January, and Obama shares his vision, you’ll see that it isn’t as bad as the republicans told you it would be.
Chad
says:Really Bruno? You have that little faith in one politician, and so much faith in another. Both mere mortals. Both politicians. But one offers salvation and the other damnation? One offers hope, the other despair? One offers change, the other the McSame? Do you really think that if McCain is elected that we’ll go nuclear on someone? Do you really think that if Obama is elected, we’ll live in peace and prosperity, all war will end? You put too much faith in one man, you’re going to be disappointed. Have faith in yourself first, after all, you’re the one that you’ve been waiting for.
Obama talks a good game, but he has absolutely no experience of backing that game up, and now all of the sudden, he, a mere man, is going to save the world? Wow, I wish I could have some of what you’re having.
Chad
says:Oh Bruno, thanks. I was wondering when the race card would be played on me.
“Given that he’s black (something you apparently don’t like) and given that he has a Muslim sounding name another thing you apprently don’t like)”
You don’t even know me bro. Never have I ever uttered anything of the ilk on these boards or anywhere else. I guess that’s your best defense when you can’t think of anything else, and that’s to paint McCain supporters as racists. It’s those accusations that further divides people., and it wil be because of that that Obama will lose come November.
tiredofgreed
says:Chad I find it amusing that you predict a future filled with awful things if Obama is elected. There is no way of knowing for sure but you feel pretty certain things will get worse. But if those who disagree with you describe the awful things that are happening right now due to this abysmal administration and see more of the same in the future from McSame you turn into a holier than thou contrary. A contrary is someone who has no valid, meaningful points to make but argues just for the sake of arguing.
Curious Orange
says:Donkey or elephant it`s all McSame
It costs a lot less to ride your donkey to church though
v racer
says:The Communist Party of the US joins all of the other questionable “friends of Obama.” Why do you think that’s happened? Conservatives, OK to quit writing “lib” comments just to make us believe that they are stupid. It worked.
v racer
says:The Obama “emergency” plan to improve the economy appeals to his base of economic losers. For example, a victory for Obama will net a $1000 energy handout, and, hey, it can be spent anywhere on anything. Good enough for many. They are oblivious to the fact that his victory will bring about vicious class warfare, the spiraling down of race relations, destruction of our corporations, dismantling of our efficient healthcare system and demoralizing the military. It will open the flood gates to illegals, increase the long list of those eligible for government handouts, it will be the beginning of racial reparations and embolden our enemies.