Mike Luckovich's toons just get better and better. Today - Ralph Reed

[RubyDuby in GA]

Georgia's own "esteemed" candidate for Lt. Governor and resident asshat.

[brainshrub]

1. Wow, that is good!

[edbermac]

2. Hypocrite? That should be HypoChristian...

[SalmonChantedEvening]

3. Dances with Slots

OMG a 10 on my belly laugh-o-meter! :rofl:

Huzzah Mike Lukovich! :applause:

[Dr.Phool]

4. Whenever I see one that good

I set it as my computer wallpaper for a few weeks!

edit: You should make it your avatar so it stays around for a while!

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CatWoman]

7. I read somewhere that Reed's intent is to become president someday

http://www.charlotte.creativeloafing.com/2005-03-16/news_feature.html

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2005-06-15/news_humbug.html

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[stanwyck]

6. This administration is a dream

for editorial cartoonists and guys like Jon Stewart.
It's just a nightmare for the rest of us.

[Justpat]

8. That is one of the all time best.

[gratuitous]

9. Big Chief Rolling Dice

What I don't understand is why he's given a pass by the good folk of Georgia -- and by that, I mean the Southern Baptist voters who say they rate morality above practically everything else (the values voters) -- for these glaring ethical and personal shortcomings.

[CatWoman]

10. not really

I posted a story (looking for it now) written by the GOP head honcho here that was very critical of Reed.

and from today:

Reed lacks a conscience and the truth

Published on: 06/27/05
Ralph Reed has said repeatedly that he had no direct knowledge of who financed his consulting work against gambling in Alabama, Texas and elsewhere, and that he would never knowingly take money from gambling interests.

But the truth is not in him.

E-mails released last week by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee make it clear that Reed knew the millions of dollars coming his way were being paid by Indian tribes who wanted to shut down potential competition to their casinos. In one series of e-mails between Reed and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was running the operation from Washington, the men discuss how Reed will be compensated for his expenses.

The subject heading for that discussion? "Disbursement on behalf of Choctaw Indians."

If that doesn't convince you, try this: In another series of e-mails, Reed tells Abramoff he's going to need another $867,511 for TV and radio ads, phone banks and direct mailings to conservative evangelicals.

OK, Abramoff says to Reed, which nonprofit groups should we use to launder the money to you?


http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/bookman/2005/062705.html

[CatWoman]

11. found the other article (from GOP)

even REAL Republicans don't want Reed
Reed an albatross for GOP
Party stands to suffer in 2006 if candidate doesn't withdraw

By BOB IRVIN
Published on: 06/15/05

This is an open request to Ralph Reed:

Please withdraw your candidacy for Georgia lieutenant governor, in order to avoid a grievous, majority-wrecking split in the Republican Party. If you should win the nomination, many thousands of Republican voters will desert us for the Democrats in 2006, defeating not only you but also many other good Republican candidates, maybe even Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Consider 1998, when Mitch Skandalakis — who was your client — lost the lieutenant governor's race so badly that he pulled under Guy Millner and David Ralston, as well as a dozen legislative candidates who otherwise would have won.

If you are defeated in the primary, that too will create bitter divisions in our base, badly weakening us for years. You are simply too divisive for our new majority. The ongoing scandal over casino money in Alabama is only the latest, but not likely the last, scandal to surface. You run the risk of destroying our majority coalition before it has had time to mature.

I make this request because Reed is four things that Georgians do not elect:

• A professional contract lobbyist, someone who is available for hire to influence political outcomes. This has been Reed's very lucrative business since he left the Christian Coalition, and even Pat Robertson has recently been quoted as saying that it raises doubts in his mind about Reed. Reed took millions of dollars from gambling interests in Louisiana and Mississippi to stop competitive casinos in Texas and Alabama. He took money from Enron to lobby the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission to deregulate electricity.

These three instances happen to have been in the newspaper, but they are three among who knows how many causes he has been glad to hire himself out to promote. His M.O. is to tell evangelical Christians that his cause of the moment, for which he has been hired, is their religious duty, and therefore they need to write regulators, turn up at meetings, or whatever. As an evangelical myself, I resent Christianity being used simply to help Reed's business.

• Bob Irvin, a former Republican state representative and House minority leader, is an Atlanta management consultant.

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/0605/15edree...

[gratuitous]

12. The first article seems to call him to task

That is, the first article actually takes some "moral" tone (the truth is not in Ralph Reed), objecting to Reed's financial shenanigans. The second one seems to be a purely political piece, asking Reed to get out of the race, not so much because he's a lying, shifty, son-of-a-snake, but because it would be bad for Georgia Republicans.

I remember all the hype about "morality" and "values" being bruited about in the wake of the 2004 election. Well, here's a candidate who clearly has a morality of convenience garbed in a Christian cloak, and the moral Republicans appear to be having some difficulty articulating a message that Ralph Reed is an amoral, opportunistic graft merchant. Perhaps Georgia's Democrats could assist them in making that argument? I'd suggest they get ready and have their message all ready to go right about the time of the Republican primary next year after Reed has the party's nomination.

[CatWoman]

14. see also my links in response #7.

[RubyDuby in GA]

13. I am so hoping that the sheeple in this state wake up!

I really don't think I can take much more of the GOP here in GA. It's getting harder and harder to fight the good fight.

[RubyDuby in GA]

15. Jay Bookman, Cynthia Tucker and Mike Luckovich

are the only reasons I read that rag. I loved Sunday's "Bush Doctrine, Reality Collide" headline.

:hi: Catwoman!

[CatWoman]

16. Hi, Ruby

:hi:

I'm reading Sunday's Bookman and Tucker now.