Birds of a feather . . . McCain cozies up to Abramoff pal his Senate committee once exposed

McCain, Former Abramoff Associate Team Up

Ralph Reed's Ties To Jack Abramoff Came To Light In Hearing Chaired By McCain

August 11, 2008 -- Ralph Reed, a prominent voice in conservative Christian circles who was caught in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal, will appear with John McCain at an Atlanta fundraiser.

In 2006, a Senate committee chaired by McCain tied Reed to the disgraced lobbyist.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, which obtained a copy of the event invitation, Reed and McCain will appear together at the Marriot Marquis on Aug. 18.

Reed met Abramoff when both were active in the College Republicans, and he rose to prominence as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition in the 1990s.

In a 1998 e-mail message, Reed told Abramoff, "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."

Also in 2006, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, chaired by McCain, found that Reed admitted receiving $4 million from Abramoff and one of the lobbyist's partners, to run anti-gambling campaigns in the South.

The Washington Post reported that Reed said he did not know where the funds were coming from, but e-mails suggested that he knew some of the money came from the coffers of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and their casino profits . . .


report: http://www.wdsu.com/politics/17158048/detail.html

Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 3:21 PM

Subject: Special Invitation from Ralph Reed: Senator McCain Coming to Atlanta

A Message from Ralph Reed:

Senator John McCain will be coming to Atlanta on August 18 for a very special event at the Marriot Marquis downtown and I have agreed to serve as a member of the McCain Victory 2008 Team.

I hope you will join me and Jo Anne at the August 18 event in support of Senator McCain in Atlanta. The outcome of this presidential election is going to determine the future direction of this country. Please join us as we work together to elect John McCain. Your participation is critical to success.

Thank you for all you have done for our country and our shared conservative values.

Look forward to hearing from you, best, Ralph


http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/08/08/ralph_reed_come_meet_my_friend.html