Tough times for the former boy wonder of the Christian Coalition who is embroiled in the Abramoff scandal. That mess and Reed's entanglement with gambling issues have gotten him in to big trouble with his base. He is trying to blame the Democrats for his problems, but his biggest problem now is with the right wing. He created this mess himself.
Ralphie is running for Lieutenant Governor in Georgia, which is clearly the first step in his path to become President...but his former allies are not happy with him:
One of the toughest is Marvin Olasky, a close associate of President Bush who helped developed the administration's faith-based initiative and the concept of "compassionate conservatism."Ralph is probably shocked that his pals in the evangelical world actually expected him to practice what he preached.
Olasky, a journalism professor at the University of Texas, is editor in chief of World magazine, the mission of which "is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Since Nov. 19, World has run 10 articles and essays describing the $4 million in gambling money Abramoff paid to Reed to lobby against casinos competing with Abramoff's clients. The articles have highlighted incriminating e-mails and other disclosures that have raised doubts about Reed's explanations of his activities.
Reed, Olasky wrote March 4, "has damaged Christian political work by confirming for some the stereotype that evangelicals are easily manipulated and that evangelical leaders use moral issues to line their own pockets."
