Ralph Reed, paying cash for supporters

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/6409.html
At some point in the not-too-distant future, we'll be able to look back at the Jack Abramoff scandal and see whose career was ruined most by their Abramoff ties. Tom DeLay and Bob Ney are clearly the early favorites, but let's not forget our friend down in Georgia, former Christian Coalition director and current Lt. Gov. candidate Ralph Reed.
Reed, who harbors presidential ambitions, has fallen so far, he's actually been reduced to using cash handouts to bolster his support. (thanks to reader J.C. for the tip)
Ralph Reed wants a good crowd at today's annual gathering of the Christian Coalition of Georgia. And he's willing to shell out cash for it.
His Republican campaign for lieutenant governor sent an e-mail to supporters this week offering to pay the $20 entrance fee and — for out-of-towners — an overnight stay in a hotel.
Reed campaign manager Jared Thomas characterized the offer as routine. "Certainly, we want our grass-roots people to be well-represented," he said.
Well, sure, every political candidate wants to see their activist supporters at a campaign event. But consider the context here: we're talking about a Christian Coalition of Georgia meeting. In a church. Reed, the religious-right golden boy, should be in a position in which he's turning away supporters at the door because there's just too many of them. Instead, he's sending out last-minute emails offering to pay people to show up.
What's more, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the crowd at the rally ended up drawing about 350 activists — who were "evenly divided" between Reed supporters and backers of Reed's primary opponent, state Sen. Casey Cagle.
And there's no indication that Cagle had to pay anyone.