Ralph Reed Makes Me Want To umm ...Ralph He's a people person.

Former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed, whose campaign for Georgia lieutenant governor has been clouded by questions over his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, is promoting himself as the candidate with "stronger values." And he's friendly.

His opponent, state Sen. Casey Cagle, has responded by calling Reed's campaign ads the "height of hypocrisy" and questioning publicly whether Reed could be charged with wrongdoing during the run-up to the November general election.

Reed seemed unstoppable last year when he first announced his intention to run for the seat. In his first campaign for elected office, he broke early fundraising records and scared other would-be Republican contenders out of running in the July 18 primary

And he makes me ill, because, campers, you can't have it both ways.

Reed has not been charged with a crime and has said repeatedly that he regrets the work he did with Abramoff. His campaign said the committee's two-year probe vindicated Reed and confirms he has not been accused of wrongdoing. At a recent debate, Reed reprimanded Cagle for implying he should be charged.

"It's a low blow to suggest that somebody's committed a crime. As far as I'm concerned, you should be ashamed of yourself," he said, adding that voters will reject a "guilt by association" strategy.

Both have used the funds to fill the airwaves with ads. Reed's campaign has spent roughly $400,000 on media buys, while the report shows Cagle has spent more than $600,000 on advertising.

Reed, who took the helm of the Christian Coalition in 1989 and led the conservative organization to national prominence before he stepped down in 1997, has been endorsed by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller (news, bio, voting record) — a conservative Democrat who has made a recent practice of endorsing Republicans.

But if someone gets caught with a crack/meth addict who is their friend, would it be guilt by association then??? I am not a fan of Ralph Reed, because, quite honestly, I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth.

Feh.

  ¶ 7/11/2006 09:21:00 PM