Miller Endorses Reed

Apparantly Zell Miller has recently endorsed Ralph Reed for Lt. Governor, and Georgia Democrats are loving it.

Former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed used a raucous rally Friday to define his campaign to become the first Republican lieutenant governor in Georgia history.

And he basked in the endorsement — 13 months before next year's GOP primary election — of a former Democratic lieutenant governor, governor and U.S. senator: Zell Miller.

"I am for Ralph Reed as strongly as I have ever been for anyone," Miller declared.

Why are state Democrats loving this fact? Well, Ralph Reed seems to have a lot of baggage:

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee is scheduled to resume hearings Wednesday into allegations that Abramoff and public relations consultant Michael Scanlon swindled the Tigua Indians. They are accused of secretly working through Reed to close the tribe's casino in El Paso, and then collecting millions from the Tiguas to lobby Congress in a failed attempt to reopen the gambling hall.

How much Reed knew about Abramoff's activities remains an open question as he embarks on his first run for office: lieutenant governor of Georgia. The Republican candidate, who has acknowledged collecting more than $4 million from Abramoff and Scanlon, declined to speak for publication about the matter last week. Spokeswoman Lisa Baron said Reed paid his own way to Scotland, returned on a separate plane and did nothing wrong.
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Reed, a longtime gambling opponent, apparently mounted a radio campaign in 2001 that prompted Texans to inundate their legislators with anti-casino telephone calls. He organized pastors in 2002 to provide what he called "cover" for the Texas attorney general, who had filed a lawsuit to close the Tiguas' casino. Reed once wrote an e-mail to Abramoff suggesting they "budget for an ataboy" for the attorney general.

As the Tigua campaign unfolded, Abramoff and Reed exchanged e-mails that paint an unvarnished picture of their work together.

"I wish those moronic Tiguas were smarter in their political contributions," Abramoff wrote to Reed in a 2002 message that since has been widely circulated. "I'd love us to get our mitts on that moolah!! Oh well, stupid folks get wiped out."

"Got it," Reed replied.

Essentially, the greater the chance of him winning the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor, the greater the chance of the Democratic Party winning that election. So far, the frontrunner for the Democrats in this race is Sen. Greg Hecht.