Known By The Company He Keeps

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

On Thursday afternoon, Republicans around Georgia received an invitation from Reed, who will serve as a host of a “special event” for McCain at the downtown Marriot Marquis on Aug. 18.

“John McCain believes in a strong national defense, a smaller, more accountable government, steady economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values,” wrote Reed, whose 2006 campaign for lieutenant governor sank under the weight of evidence detailing his relationship with Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff — much of it uncovered by McCain’s Indian Affairs Committee.

See the part about "traditional values"? I still have to wonder whether that includes abandoning your first wife in order to marry your second.

But I digress.

It's Ralph Reed who's hosting this fundraiser. Remember him? He's the guy who was paid by Jack Abramoff to set up some anti-gambling grass roots efforts. Jack Abramoff was working as a lobbyist for the Choctaw gambling interests. The grass-roots efforts were to scare the Choctaw into paying Abramoff more.

Reed knew about it and took the money and it derailed his efforts to become Lt Governor.

Are these the traditional values the Republicans espouse? Why would Maverick McCain want to even be in the same room as Ralph Reed?

Oh yea, it's a fundraiser.

Republican values.