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Ralph Reed vs. Joe Lieberman Email Print

By Frederick Clarkson
07/19/2006 05:41:24 AM EST

Ralph Reed lost a hard-fought primary for the GOP nomination for Lt. Governor of Georgia, yesterday. He had, before the Abramoff scandal crept up on him, been a rising star in the state and national party. After leaving the Christian Coalition, he moved to Georgia, and opened a consulting firm. He played prominent roles in both Bush campaigns for president and served as the elected chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. His race for Lt. Governor was thought to be a springboard for running for higher office. Maybe governor, maybe senator. Maybe a spot on the national GOP ticket someday.  

But he lost decisively 55-45, in the wake of exposure of his ties to his pal, convicted crook Jack Abramoff.  Indeed, Reed was attacked hard by his opponent, State Senator Casey Cagle, who highlighted how Reed took $5.3 million from Abramoff's gambling industry clients -- claiming not to know where the money was coming from. Cagle even went so far as to publicly suggest that Reed might be indicted in connection with the scandal.

Tough politics. Nevertheless, Reed offered a gracious concession statment, and promised to work for the GOP ticket in the fall.  "Stay in the fight," Reed told his supporters. "Don't retreat. And our values will win in November."

This stands in dramatic contrast to three term Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut -- once a star of the Democratic party.

The avuncular Lieberman was the party's vice-presidential nominee in 2000, and made a short lived run for the party presidential nomination himself last time. But Lieberman has become a notorious critic of his own party; a supporter of the signature initiatives of the Bush administration, and a favorite of far-right radio talk show host Sean Hannity, and much more.

Faced with a strong primary challenger in Ned Lamont, who is supported by Democrats tired of, among other things,  Lieberman's rightist drift and anti-Democratic Party activism, Leiberman has taken out papers to run as a third party, independent candidate for the Senate in the (increasingly likely) event he loses the primary. So Ralph Reed, whose promising career in electoral politics was derailed, perhaps forever, by this bitter primary loss, promised to support the GOP ticket in the fall.  But Joe Lieberman, who has been supported by the Democratic Party at all levels -- bolts at the first sign of a possible loss in the party primary.

What a guy.


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Ralph Reed vs. Joe Lieberman | 2 comments (2 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
oh yeah (none / 1)
ex-Democratic Senator from GA, Zell Miller, who gave the keynote speech at the last GOP national convention, supported Reed in the primary.

by Frederick Clarkson on 07/19/2006 06:00:32 AM EST

Lieberman tied to IFCJ 's money laundering op (none / 0)
Tell Joe to go!

Ralph Reed's Century Strategies was paid $800k between 2002 and 2003, ostensibly to manage  "Stand Up For Israel", a grassroots campaign to generate Christian support for Israel, sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Rabbi Yechiel runs the IFCJ and is a long time friend of Joe Lieberman. Lieberman is quoted in the Forward as saying that the IFCJ is the "best-kept" secret in the United States". LOL - Not anymore, it's not!

I looked into the IFCJ and it looks like Rabbi Eckstein may have laundered upwards of $20 million to the Republican Party.

The IFCJ has taken in more than $260 million from Evangelical Christians to supposedly help Israelis. Rabbi Eckstein has a real racket with this operation.

Rabbi Eckstein is also an associate of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.  

Get Joe to Go Now!

I posted all of the info at the TPM Cafe where I am also Mrs Panstreppon.

by Mrs Panstreppon on 07/20/2006 01:42:27 AM EST

Ralph Reed vs. Joe Lieberman | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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