Ralph Reed: Christian Coercian

With the whole Abramoff thing gripping Washington D.C. in angst, it emerges that conservative Ralph Reed is not the goodie-goodie he would have everyone believe.

Meanwhile, the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling's Mr. Grey is one of many angered by Mr. Reed's conduct: "The money was given to Ralph to protect gambling interests, and Ralph Reed became an agent for gambling. . . . The real story here is that Ralph Reed used social conservatives for his own corporate ends. You don't get much more of a public betrayal than that." (emphasis added)

Not surprised. Mr. Dr. and I worked with a very publicly mouthy Christian for a while. Anybody who has to tell you what they are rather than show you by actions what they are...well the old saying "actions speak louder than words" comes to mind.

I never much liked Ralph Reed anyway. He seemed to choir-boyish smarmy to me--like some cliched embodiment of what Christians are supposed to look and act like. Yuck.

Real Christianity looks "fouler and feels fairer" than that to quote Tolkien.