A Look at Online Gambling and Legislation: How did this happen and what to do now?

Editor’s Note: This article appeared on Gambling911 and it would do it a major injustice to hack it up so it’s being posted here ‘intact’ to keep the integrity of the article and sources.

GAMBLING911

Stem Cell Research, Terri Schiavo, Gay Marriage, Online Gambling“ What do they have in common?

Excerpts from former US Senator, John Danforth (Republican)

Written by Good Government Project – Restoring Good Government to the People of America an Australian Perspective

goodgovernment@aussiemail.com.au

Indeed, the online gambling companies are in turmoil. Publicly traded companies have generally withdrawn from the US market on the advice of counsel. Shareholder values of British AIM-listed Internet companies have been sent into a tailspin. All of this is yesterday’s news!

US President George W. Bush is expected to sign the Port Security Act this month. Once signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006 will become law. Make no doubt about it! However, those that say the once signed, Internet gambling will change forever, should start understanding how American politics work.

This law will not survive for at least two reasons. The first is the hijacking by the Christian Conservatives will surely be rejected by the American voters in less than one-month time. The second reason will be that once the wound-licking stops and the attorneys representing Internet gambling organize — the discriminatory provisions that carved out horseracing and other activities; trivialised the WTO and generally created a law that serves only obvious right-wing Christian political purposes, as it was drafted with more holes than good Swiss cheese —will ultimately be reversed and stricken from the books.


Former US Senator John Danforth (1977-1995), a minister, a lawyer and a Republican speaks bluntly in his book “Religion and Politics” about how the US Republican Party that controls the presidency and the entire US Congress has become a party of the Christian Right. A Power Group of Republican politicians have pandered to gain the support of the constituency of this group. A constituency that was mobilized by the Christian Right to gain control of the US Congress.

When Republican, John Danforth asked what the main message of his book is he remarked “Religion has the capacity to be a divisive factor in the world and our country or to be a reconciling factor”. Have we not all seen this in the current worldwide political situation? The Christian Conservative Right turned out in droves to elect candidates that were willing to support their agenda that the Kingdom of God should be reduced to a political platform. Is it a coincidence that Terri Schiavo, the stem-cell issue, the gay marriage issue, the Ten Commandments in courthouses, Internet gambling were all occurring about the same time? No it is not. The Republican Party tossed its principals aside at the bidding of Christian Conservatives.

Now is the time for moderates to speak up. November 7th is the date that US voters elect many of their Senators and Congressman. This is the opportunity for American voters to return their government to the people and correct the damage done by the polarizing sectarian Christian Conservatives who hijacked the US Congress. Those politicians that care only about getting elected should be sent home. Only through realignment in the US Congress can the hijackers who captured the American flag be returned to those that may disagree, but are capable of finding common ground through respectful debate and compromise. Involving the federal government in issues that have always been decided by the states has never worked. Prohibition lasted for 13-years. Things move much faster today.

The Republican politicians who are more concerned about being elected than the traditions that have made America great added the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006 to the Port Security Act. Presidential hopeful (2008) Bill Frist did the biddings of his masters so that his brothers can crow to the Christian Conservatives who elected them. Unfortunately for this gang of hijackers, the “true believers” of the Christian Right have now turned on them as they have learned that many of this same gang are just political prostitutes whose only value is power; but lack the moral values of the Christian Right that wants to control the US government.

All of these issues, gay marriage, stem cell research, gambling on the Internet from the privacy of your home, etc. should not pit Republicans against Democrats. It is up to the American voters, Democrats, Republicans and those unaffiliated to return the US Congress to the people and to the States whose elected representatives have somehow managed to get along with each other and debate difficult issues with respect for the regional beliefs of their constituencies before this gang came along. Vote for candidates that believe that dealing with one another respectfully and with a degree of humility, rather than captives of the Christian Right preach hypocritical moral values while engaging in their own deceitful conduct.

Americans shouldn’t have been surprised at what happened if they analyze the participants who have hijacked the US Congress. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA.) and Rep. James Leach (R-Iowa), sponsors of the HR 4411, The Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act originally intended to amend an earlier statute, the Interstate Wire Act, both march to the drumbeat of James Dobson who orchestrated the hijacking by resurrecting several key bills just in time for the upcoming midterm elections. Dubbed the “American Values Agenda,” the legislation included bills to outlaw same-sex marriage, protect “unborn children,” ban cloning and even discourage legal challenges to violations of the First Amendment’s establishment clause. There is no doubt that this same group of Christian Right puppets will cave-in when the land-based casinos and their elected representatives want to bring Internet gambling back into the home, but through their American ownership.

US House of Representatives Speaker Hastert, a Christian Conservative puppet is currently under siege by his own colleagues who fear his failure to protect young high school student interns (referred to as Pages) working in the US House of Representatives from alleged sexual predator former Congressman (R-FL) Foley, will impact their own return to power. Most of the “American Values” agenda were languishing in committee, and stood little chance of action until late last month when House Speaker Dennis Hastert unveiled the new program. Hastert told reporters that an upcoming series of votes would determine where legislators stood on “America’s founding.”

Polls now show Democrats on the verge of winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 1994 and possibly the US Senate. Republicans who are scrambling for re-election have proven to be total hypocrites, as their prostitution to the Christian Conservative Movement has backfired. Evangelical religious leaders including the influential James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family, now says that Republicans have abandoned their social and cultural agenda. The Religious Right cuts no slack, even to Republican prostitutes who have now turned on each other. Dobson is way ahead of the curve and is already announcing a Republican defeat by blaming his political puppets.

The Boston Globe carried an article by Harvard University divinity professor Harvey Cox who described how religious conservatives like Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed and Jerry Falwell spent decades patiently forging links with the Republican party. Cox wrote, “Republicans in office have not achieved the results on abortion, school prayer, marriage, and other culture-war issues that the religious right expected. In May of this year, speaking about support for Republican congressional leaders in the midterm elections, and possibly in 2008, James Dobson grumbled, ‘I think there’s going to be trouble down the road if they don’t get on the ball.’ “

Who are Dobson’s allies on Capitol Hill? Republican leaders formed a “Values Action Team” (VAT) which once operated from the offices of disgraced Tom DeLay, Hastert’s predecessor. Today, Pennsylvania GOP Representative Joseph Pitts runs the VAT with the assistance of Rep. John Boehner and Majority Whip Roy Blunt.

Attorneys take notice and consider pro bono work for Internet gambling interests. You should be concerned about this Power Group of right-wing religious politician and their puppet masters as they are targeting you as well. HR 2679 targeted the legal profession. The “American Values Agenda”proposed amending the U.S. Code and eliminate attorney fees in cases connected with legal cases challenging practices under the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

Forty-five senators and 186 representatives in 2003 earned 80- to 100-percent approval ratings from the nation’s three most influential Christian right advocacy groups — the Christian Coalition, Eagle Forum, and Family Resource Council. This Power Group of politicians include some of the most powerful figures in the U.S. government, as well as key environmental decision makers: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Republican Conference Chair Rick Santorum (R-Penn.), Senate Republican Policy Chair Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and perhaps President George W. Bush himself, and those politicians are just the powerful tip of the iceberg. The Christian Coalition was founded in 1989 by Pat Robertson. Internet gambling prohibitionist, Senate Republican Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) received a 100% rating from this group.

It is estimated that the Christian Right cast at least 15 million votes, or about 30 percent of those that propelled Bush into the presidency. They now threaten to stay home next month as they claim their prostitutes have watered down their positions so they can gain re-election when recent polls showed that there is a backlash to the Christian Conservative puppet masters has occurred. If you know a Christian Conservative Voter make sure you call them to tell them that Election Day has been moved to November 10th! Make no doubt about it…the Christian Conservative puppet masters are much smarter than their Republican messengers who haven’t yet figured out that they have been left to hang as the defeat of a totally complete American Values Agenda will be blaimed on them.

Advice to those who have concluded too quickly that Internet gambling has changed forever. Start listening to your lawyers and don’t be disheartened by these hijackers. For those who vote in US elections or have friends in the US, consider that your immediate efforts might be better spent getting people elected who are not controlled by the religious hijackers of individual rights. If you do that, individual rights will return to the people. What this election is really about is the radical right Christian Coalitions determination of ending the separation of church and state. Get smart Americans! Understand that this Power Group was placed in control by people who patiently orchestrated the hijacking of the American people. The division of Church and State cannot be allowed to be hijacked. Americans, if you concentrate on the election of those that oppose the hijacking by the Christian Right, everything else will fall into line.

Just remember this…America in response to Antigua’s favourable WTO decision says “so what”. Perhaps it is time for other governments to treat America the same way. As for my British cousins seeking to regulate remote gambling … We would expect them to take economic advantage of the situation, so we await those developments.
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Originally published October 9, 2006 12:26 am ET

THE ARTICLE APPEARS IN ITS ENTIRETY AT GAMBLING911

Author: GamesAndCasino