Ralph Reed Is Toast

[kpete]

Committee: Reed, Norquist Used as Pass-Throughs
By Paul Kiel - June 22, 2006, 11:25 AM

Here are some damning details about Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist, courtesy of the newly-released McCain Report. It goes into great detail describing Ralph Reed's scheme to launder casino fees through non-profits.

Everybody who's been paying attention to the Abramoff scandal knows that when Ralph Reed, the boy-king of the Christian right, went to work for Jack Abramoff's Indian casino clients (his job was to roust grassroots Christians against competiting gambling platforms), he got skittish about accepting money from the tribes directly, since he's, you know, supposed to be anti-gambling. So he used non-profits, like Grover Norquist's American for Tax Reform, as pass-throughs to disguise the origin of the funds.

.........

The section on Reed and Norquist begins on page 23 of the 373-page report, but I've reproduced the juiciest excerpt below (with my emphasis). In the beginning, Abramoff paid Reed through his lobbying firm Preston Gates (Abramoff even once suggested that the Choctaw pay Reed directly). But at some point, Reed became uncomfortable with that arrangement.

The report goes on (what follows is all excerpted):
more at:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000967.php

[skiddlybop]

1. Whoa...intense...

Reed and Norquist better be ready to trade cigarettes for acting out "Bear Daddy and Boy" where they are going...

[leeroysphitz]

2. May all your guesses be right!

[TomInTib]

3. I just love this stuff.

There is not enough bad s**t in the world that could happen to Ralphie.

Recommended

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. I have always seen Ralph Reed as a dangerous man

David Duke is an amateur compared to Ralph.

[stanwyck]

9. Reed recently crowed in an interview

of how he liked to strike under cover of darkness, bragging that his victims never saw him coming. It was all macho/special forces rhetoric from the Christian Coalition's little choir boy.
Reed, Rove, Bush, Cheney... they all like to pretend they're warriors, fighting the good fight. What a dishonor to the troops.
They're obscene.

[Hugin]

11. He was working for Microsoft!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*whew*

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Freedom_from_Chains]

13. Actually I think it would be more like Bendix.

[Hugin]

14. Nope, it was/is Microsoft...

See:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/221811_msftreed27.html

[Freedom_from_Chains]

15. I thought you were citing my misspelling of amateur for armature. n/t

[Hugin]

19. Heck, NO!

Anyone who thinks Reed is a dangerous man is :thumbsup: with me. :)

[Roland99]

5. And we can rest assured the media will pounce on this like Bill on a cigar

:eyes:

[WiseButAngrySara]

25. Oh no. Not this liberal press. They only cover in depth the errors of

Democrats. Completely biased coverage.

[Fovea]

6. mc cain's sweet revenge

on the Theocons for being made to give Pat Robertson the kiss of shame.

I can see him astride the sweaty form of Jerry Falwell now, harpoon in hand, screaming--
'From the heart of hell, I stab at thee!'

[stanwyck]

7. Yet he has ardent supporters here in Georgia

with deep pockets. Home Depot's Bernie Marcus, who should know better, (and who has been so generous in Atlanta - organizing the financing for the new aquarium)just came out this week with his support of Reed.
Scary.

[leveymg]

8. Juicy, but not the really dirty stuff like Russian &Islamic payolla to GOP

Sure, Abramoff pled to several felonies, and it looks like Norquist, Scanlon, and Reed are also going down, but this story and the South Seas sweatshop stuff is run-of-the-mill political corruption. Lots of money involved, and there are Miami gangsters and in the SunCruise scandal, but all in all, the McCain Committee is focusing on distractions.

Hard to believe, but corrupt $$$$$$ politics as usual, bribery, and the rest of the Republican culture of corruption that fouls Congress is just a distraction for much more serious crimes.

I'm afraid that the really significant crimes -- Abramoff and Norquist's role as conduits for foreign-influence peddling to DeLay and other top GOP leaders and the leadership's role in distributing that payolla to a much wider ring of GOP Congressmen is being virtually ignored. So is Abramoff's role as a fixer for NSA contractors involved in illegal domestic spying and political dirty tricks.

See, Daily Kos: Abramoff Linked to NSA Contracting ScandalAs we pull back a layer of his incredibly convoluted influence-peddling career, ... Yet another major GOP scandal concerns a different Abramoff client, ...
www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/24/121156/129 - 32k - Cached - Similar pages


Daily Kos: Abramoff Scandal Links GOP to Islamic Banks and Tyco ...Abramoff's influence-peddling operation out of the Greenberg & Traurig law ... I would want hard facts before I broadcast a potential scandal on DailyKos. ...
www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/17/122311/72 - 158k - Cached - Similar pages
< More results from www.dailykos.com >

[Hugin]

10. Why isn't this on the scroller over at CNN?

:shrug:

[Reckon]

24. That is the big question!

"Why isn't this on the scroller over at CNN?". or any MSM.

I guess it's time to write Lou Dobbs and Keith Olbermann and ask what the heck is GOING ON????

[suffragette]

12. And Norquist is the burnt pieces clinging to the toast

The Report clearly shows the hypocrisy of both in taking the money.
There's quite a bit of "singing" going on. I imagine given the strength of this against Reed and Norquist that there are probably many other people out there who are nervous about whether Reed and Norquist will join in carrying the tune if they are pressed.

[n2doc]

16. heck, in this state he won't be toast untill he is convicted

Anybody have any polls on how Rectal Reed is doing in the Lt. Gov. race? I still see signs for him around Savannah:puke: :puke: :puke:

[Stinky The Clown]

17. The 'McCain' Report

You just *know* ol' Ralphie was involved in that push-poll bullshit in South Carolina in '99.

[blue cat]

18. I won't believe it until I see it.

Republicans don't care about corruption.

[Skidmore]

20. So when is Norquist to be indicted?

Little criminal worm that he is. That report would indicate that he knowingly was committing a crime.

[Mad_Dem_X]

21. I can't stand that smarmy little sh*t

I've always hated Ralph Reed.

[Raster]

22. reed is satan with a choirboy face. he was the mastermind behind the

oh-so-questionable election in Georgia the ousted Max Clelland (2002, all electronic voting, don't ya know). I would give ralphie's left nut to see him end up in a nice cold prison cell with Bubba for a roomie. I'd be sending Bubba cigarette money.

[Divine Discontent]

23. I'd be sending bubba $20 to

NOT use any lube....

despise that man as much as I can allow myself and still feel wholesome... he's the FRAUD... preachy clean my ass!




www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <--- Top Anti-Bush, Pro-Dem 06 08 stickers & shirts!

[Reckon]

26. I'm watching Yahoo news for the

Ralph Reed / Grover Norquist story. If it is reported we all need to go and make it "most popular" by emailing it to friends or even yourself.

We should do that to other news reports that doesn't make it to the front page.

It might take a lot of people, but we can do it!

[Awsi Dooger]

27. Maybe in another state, but Reed won't be toast in Georgia

I've seen polls from January and March and Reed led Cagle by 6 and 7 points. High number of undecideds but Reed has led every poll I've seen. Georgia is trending red, moreso every year.

The stories I've seen make note of the Abrahoff scandal but say Georgians aren't overly concerned. Maybe this new report will have some impact but I wouldn't count on it in Georgia.

The little putz plans to run for governor in '10 as a stepping stone to a presidential bid.

[progressivebydesign]

28. Reed.. wasn't he that fine, fine, Christian fellow with good morals?

Or am I confusing him with a greedy, money-grubbing, bastard with his hand in Norquist's cookie jar?

[Reckon]

29. He's the little liar

that's BIG on preaching anti-gambling to the people while taking BIG money from the casinos.

[Gabi Hayes]

30. nyt article

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2352136

[leftofthedial]

31. RWers have been grotesquely abusing nonprofits for decades now

I don't know how they get away with it. Another double standard, I suppose.

I have launched a couple of nonprofits. The IRS requirements are pretty strict.

[The Wizard]

32. Pardon me

As long as the nihilist Bushigula has the power of the Pardon they have nothing to fear. The game is rigged, elections are rigged and the treasury looters have won. The 30% conditioned into believing the Republicans are the "party of God" (Hezbollah)give them enough sway to control a complacent citizenry. Half the people don't vote and when the people do come out to vote they are turned away under false pretenses.
Our pResident is a nut.
Thank Zeus I'm a Democrat

[Sydnie]

33. I found this interesting too. Finally, her name shows up somewhere

"Abramoff’s executive assistant Susan Ralston asked him, 'Once ATR gets their check, should the entire $300k be sent to the Alabama Christian Coalition again?'"

[KittyWampus]

34. My life will be semi-complete when DOBSON is roped officially into the

scum with the rest of the criminals.

[sendero]

35. Well..

... that depends on what you mean by "toast". If you think this will mean anything substantial, I have to disagree. The faithful will forgive, the justice system will overlook.

Nothing is going to happen.

[rman]

36. Norquist -one of those names

that keep popping up in virtually every RW scandal in the past decades.