Now that Ralph Reed has hung out his shingle as a political consultant, who will step into his shoes as executive director of Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition — a position that Reed managed to make one of the most influential in Washington? Three candidates’ names come up most often, all with Capitol Hill backgrounds: Randy Tate, a 31-year-old former congressman from Washington state who was defeated in November; Woody Jenkins, a longtime conservative activist who is presently contesting his loss to Mary Landrieu in last year’s Louisiana Senate race; and Art Rhodes, chief of staff to Rep. Mike Parker of Mississippi.
One might think that Capitol Hill experience would impress the Republican leadership, which is playing a significant role in the choice of Reed’s replacement. But that’s not the case. The leadership fears Jenkins will have an ax to grind over the lukewarm support that’s been given to his complaints of election fraud. And the leadership isn’t thrilled about either Tate or Rhodes, as both lack national profiles. The most promising candidate is said to be Bob Rusbuldt, vice president for federal affairs at the Independent Insurance Agents of America, an organization with 300,000 members nationwide that has tended to support conservative Republican candidates. Rusbuldt, the son of a preacher, is not campaigning for the job, which may explain his strong position in the race. Will it hurt or help that he attends the same church as the Family Research Council’s Gary Bauer?
