Outgoing Christian Coalition president Ralph Reed, left, talks with television evangelist Pat Robertson during a dinner in Reed's honor in Atlanta, in this Friday, Sept. 12, 1997 file photo.Three disgruntled state affiliates have severed ties with the Christian Coalition of America, one of the nation's most powerful conservative groups during the 1990s but now buffeted by complaints over finances, leadership and its plans to veer into nontraditional policy areas. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)