Focus on the Fundies: 'He's Christian Coalition'

Former right-wing activist and lobbyist Ralph Reed, who founded the Christian Coalition, went on to become a high-powered Washington lobbyist ("I need to start humping on some corporate accounts!") and, now, candidate for Lieutenant Governor in Georgia, had extensive ties to Jack Abramoff, a bipartisan Senate report said.

In many cases, the report found, payments to Mr. Reed were handled through third parties in what appeared to be an effort to disguise the fact that the money was from tribes with large casino operations.

The report quoted a tribe leader from Louisiana as saying he was told to keep quiet about Mr. Reed because "he's Christian Coalition -- it wouldn't look good if they're receiving money from a casino-operating tribe to oppose gambling."

The report says that Mr. Abramoff turned to Mr. Reed in his efforts to defend Indian tribes that were threatened by competition; Mr. Reed organized lobbying to block the opening of new gambling operations in those states.