Need more persuasion? You can look through the whole Ralph Reed saga, which Alex did a good job summarizing, on Wikipedia here.

You can read a great piece by a former Reed supporter about an issue we haven’t hit yet, Reed’s rather unChristian work to give China Most Favored Nation status, here on Peach Pundit.

You can read GQ’s forthcoming article, “The Sins of Ralph Reed” in advance of the magazine’s next release in August. Thank goodness they released this article early. It’s long, but even more detailed than Wikipedia and Alex’s post combined, and it also shows Reed’s smug, arrogant, elitist attitude that has rubbed many of his former supporters and others the wrong way.

And, in a more positive light than negative, 23 Georgia State Senators on why Casey Cagle should lead their chamber (the obvious reason being he’s actually served there - what a concept).

Sorry to those of you not in GA for all of the coverage of this lately, but it is imperative for the Republican Party, and the integrity of our political system as a whole (not that it’s a shining beacon of integrity, but still…), that politicking hypocrites such as Reed not be given elected office.

The Georgia Lt. Governors race may turn on an issue that might seem strange to everyone outside Georgia. Heck this is strange or silly at best.

So here is the back story. Back in 1956 southern states, including Georgia, were segregated societies between black and white. I don’t need to rehash the history here. In Washington moves were being made to enforce the integration of schools throughout the South.

In protest the Georgia Legislature changed its flag to the one to the left. Noted with its Confederate Battle emblem, this flag flew above the state capital until 2001, when Democratic Governor Roy Barnes signed into law a bill changing the 1956 a compromised proposal for a new Georgia flag featuring all flags to fly over Georgia.

The new flag (right) sparked controversy, partly because it was passed quietly with no media attention. Enter the Flaggers. The Flaggers lead primarily by the Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans, vowed to get the flag changed back to the 1956 flag and punish Governor Barnes in the process.

The Flaggers galvanised rural voters sympathetic to their cause and helped elect Republican Sonny Purdue. In the 2002 election Purdue promised to bring the issue before the Georgia voters in a referendum. With The Flaggers help Purdue became the first Republican Governor elected in Georgia since Reconstruction.

Keeping his word Purdue put the issue before voters, except the 1956 flag was not an option. The Flaggers see this as being double-crossed. The Flaggers have vowed to take down Purdue in 2006 as they did Barnes. Wrapped up in the controversy is Ralph Reed, Republican candidate for Lt. Governor who served as head of the Georgia GOP and who is often credited with getting Purdue elected. It was Reed that brokered the unholy alliance between the Flaggers and Purdue. To the Flaggers Reed is as culpable as Purdue and is expected to receive their wrath.

In all honestly The Flaggers do not have nearly the power they had in 2002, because voters feel the issue was resolved with the referendum. The Flaggers still are a sizable group and could be the tipping point if they throw their support as they have indicated behind Casey Cagle, whom this blog has endorsedand who has not taken a stand on the issue.

Interesting note Georgia’s current flag (to the left) is similar to those prior to the 1956 flag. All are reminiscent of The First National Flag of the Confederacy.
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Some interesting notes are on the RealClearPolitics blog about two races that this blog has made endorsements in.

The first is about David McSweeney, running in Illinois’s 8th district against incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean:

IL-8: The good news for Republican challenger Dave McSweeney? He slightly outraised incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean last quarter, $604,000 to $548,000. The bad news? Bean is sitting on close to $3 million in the bank while McSweeney has less than a half million. Senator John McCain is in town for an event today that will raise another $125K for McSweeney.

The other interesting tidbit, of course, is on the GA Republican primary for Lt. Governor:

GA Lt. Gov: More good stuff from Baxter and Galloway at the AJC on the final hours of this dead heat race:

“Let’s ponder on [Matt] Towery’s contention that this race will be a 1,000-vote contest. If that’s so, then it won’t be over until Cobb, Cherokee and north Fulton counties weigh in.

Remember that it was Jared Thomas, as campaign manager for Tom Price, who pulled the upset of 2004 with a primary victory in the GOP race for the 6th Congressional District. Which covers exactly that territory. Thomas, of course, is now directing Reed’s campaign.

Tom Price is my Representative in Congress, and a pretty darn good one, at that (has voted with Flake against earmarks, has the right stance on immigration, etc). Too bad his former manager is now running Reed’s campaign.

To all Georgians: Read (or Reed… sorry bad pun) our posts on Ralph Reed’s lack of ethical integrity. I don’t care if you are a Socialist, if you’re a Democrat, or if you are voting Green or Libertarian in November… it is absolutely necessary that Ralph Reed not be allowed to have any elected position, in this state or anywhere else. You can also read here about Reed’s refusal to talk to media and answer questions. Electing someone to a statewide position whose claim to faim is exploiting devout Christians and engineering elections, all the while in cahoots with people like Jack Abramoff, is not right for Georgia.

Vote Casey Cagle for Lt. Governor in the Republican Primary tomorrow.