Reed To Announce ... Something
Ex-Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed could be headed to DC -- not as a lobbyist or an advocate, but as a member of Congress.
Reed will announce tomorrow whether he will seek the seat held by retiring Rep. John Linder (R-GA), The Brody File reports this morning. His announcement will come via Twitter, Facebook and his website, which has some speculating that Reed will make the race.
GOP sources take the prospect seriously. Reed has been making calls to influential GA politicos to discuss the race, though he still remembers the bruising LG race he lost in '06, and he has ambitions to make his Faith and Freedom Coalition a national organization with serious sway over the GOP.
The eventual GOP nominee in Linder's Gwinnett Co. seat will be heavily favored in Nov. The district gave Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) 60% of the vote in '08, and Linder himself never had a problem winning re-election. And many believe Reed would be the instant front-runner if he joined the race.
But should the GOP be nervous about the prospects of Reed heading to Congress? He has close ties to jailed ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, something that played a big role in his failed LG bid. Reed's return to politics would give Dems the opportunity to attack the GOP for a scandal that has already taken its toll.
Then again, Reed is one of the party's leading political strategists. If he wins the seat, he would quickly become an influential voice within the GOP conference.