Giuliani has the wrong 'Reed' on 2008

Rudy Giuliani's appearance in Atlanta yesterday with Ralph Reed hasn't generated nearly as much attention as John McCain's speech at Falwell U last weekend, but it's equally as shameless. And harder to understand. If Giuliani thinks Reed is a safe bet for 2008 purposes, he's picked the wrong horse. After all, Reed is up to his ears in the Abramoff scandal and most Republicans have the good sense to avoid Reed like the plague. And yet, there's Rudy -- who supports abortion rights, gay rights, and gun control -- cozying up to Reed in an attempt to prove how conservative he is. Oddly enough, there's one thing Giuliani and Reed clearly agree on -- neither wants to be tied to Bush right now. When these two don't want to mention the president's name -- at a Republican fundraiser, in Georgia -- you know Bush has fallen on hard times.

-- Guest Post by Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report