John McCain & Ralph Reed: Ties That Bind

Before Ralph Reed became the #2 man to lobbyist Jack Abramoff he was the #2 man to Pat Robertson, founder of the conservative Christian Coalition.  As I wrote in 2006,

Robertson and Reed created an image of Jesus that was pro-war and unconcerned with the poor and marginalized. Their work has been so influential that many Americans – and certainly many in the media – have come to believe that to be a real Christian you must be a conservative Republican.

Thankfully, that image is changing this year.

But why is John McCain still hanging out with Ralph Reed?  Reed was very involved in the lobbying scandal that sent Abramoff off to jail.  Why is John McCain using Ralph Reed to raise money?  Shouldn't a presidential candidate have higher ethical standards?