Relevance No Issue With U.S. Politics

Published: Thursday, September 14, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

RELEVANCE NOT AN ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO U.S. POLITICS

A pretty tenuous connection, but that doesn't stop this U.S. legislator

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will stop at nothing to get online gambling banned, it appears from his latest maneuvers in Congress; and that includes tacking anti-online gaming legislation on to totally unrelated proposals to get it on to the Senate floor.

Associated Press reported this week that the wiley politician is trying use a bill authorising U.S. military operations, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prohibit people from using credit cards to settle Internet gambling debts!

Frist, a Tennessee Republican, and his aides have apparently been meeting with other lawmakers and officials in both the House and Senate to get the anti-online gaming measure attached to a compromise Defence Department authorisation bill, according to a Senate GOP leadership aide.

The House passed a version of the Internet gambling measure in July, but a busy Senate has taken no action on similar legislation to which there is opposition regarding carve-outs and the burdens it could place on the banking industry. Neither of the defence bills passed by the House and Senate mention it.

The full detail on the Frist proposal is still unfolding, but he is reportedly pushing for an approach that isn't quite as sweeping as the House measure, according to a leadership aide and lobbyists following the issue. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of ongoing negotiations.

Frist, reportedly eyeing a 2008 presidential bid, recently discussed the online gambling measure in the politically important state of Iowa, pledging his support for a ban. He also called it a legislative priority in a recent speech on the Senate floor.

The measure's supporters include the National Football League and other sports bodies as well as conservative and antigambling groups. Some banking groups are lobbying against it, and there are reportedly reservations in some quarters about possible horse racing and lottery exceptions.

The bills authorising the defense programs are: S.2507 and H.R.5122.