It seems eager loading is causing some odd SQL to be used, or I'm doing it wrong. :-)

Here are my models associations:

User: var $has_many = array(
    'ideas' => array('class_name' => 'Idea', 'foreign_key' => 'author_id'),
    'solutions' => array('class_name' => 'Idea', 'foreign_key' => 'implementor_id'),
    'votes' => array('foreign_key' => 'voter_id', 'include' => 'ideas')   // this INCLUDE causes the issue.
    );

Vote: var $belongs_to = array(
    'level',
    'idea',
    'user' => array('class_name' => 'User', 'primary_key_name' => 'voter_id')
    );

 Idea: var $belongs_to = array(
    'author' => array('class_name' => 'User', 'primary_key_name' => 'author_id'),
    'implementor' => array('class_name' => 'User', 'primary_key_name' => 'implementor_id')
    );
    var $has_many = 'votes';

My goal: Whenever 'votes' are loaded, I want the 'idea' that the vote belongs to loaded too.

Thanks so much!

Yup, works great now! Thanks again Kaste. Now I'm gunna go study what you changed. :-0