Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed, Jack Abramboff, Ariel Sharon

I saw that as the anti-Republican vultures were gathering, the names
Ralph Reed and
Grover Norquist were getting mentioned in connection with Abramoff. Of course, Reed and Norquist were not indicted but they are not home free yet. The scam was to collect money from both sides of the Indian gambling question and coordinate the campaigns.

Rod Dreher notes the silence of Pat Robertson on Reed's involvement in his
blog.

I wonder if Brother Pat had anything to say about the role his former protege, Ralph Reed, plays in this scandal. Reed got $4 million from Abramoff to play the Big Christian and lobby against gambling initiatives that would have harmed the interests of Abramoff's Indian casino clients. Seems that Abramoff's partners, like former Tom DeLay aide Michael Scanlon (who has also pled guilty to fraud and worked out a deal with government prosecutors), figured that Christians were useful idiots all along.

Rod goes on to quote the memo that describes how the "useful idiots" can be used.

Pat Robertson has nothing to say about Ralph Reed. By the way, I admired Ralph Reed's book Active Faith: How Christians are Changing the Face of American Politics

Pat Robertson has something to say about Ariel Sharon. That he was being punished by God for redrawing the borders as Prime Minister that he draw as General.
Blogger Jonathan David Morris writes it up as I would:

Last week, when Israeli PM Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke and underwent hours upon hours of brain surgery, Pat Robertson used the occasion on his show, The 700 Club, to note that Sharon was probably being punished by God for giving land to Palestinians. Now, forget about where you stand on Middle East issues for a minute. That stuff is secondary here. Right off the bat, regardless of where you stand, what makes Robertson so sure Sharon's stroke is punishment for anything? I mean, how old is this Sharon guy? Isn't he pushing 80 already? People his age have strokes all the time. Dick Clark, for example. You mean to tell me Dick Clark's stroke was punishment for something? Like what? Did he rock a little too hard at all those New Year's Rockin' Eves? I have several problems with Robertson's analysis, but first and foremost among them is that he'd attempt to tie Sharon's failing health to his personal views on foreign policy. Why does Sharon's stroke have to be punishment? Why can't it just be a stroke?