There were statements made by politicos recently that had
\nserious direct ramifications to the gambling rights community. One avowal was
\nmade by the current President of the
\nUnited States<\/a>, George W. Bush. The other assertion was by one of the final
\nthree contenders for the White House, Hillary Rodham Clinton. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

In his State of the Union<\/st1:place>,
\nPresident Bush claimed, \u201cThe people\u2019s
\ntrust in their government is undermined by congressional earmarks\u2014special
\ninterest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without
\ndiscussion or debate. Last year, I asked you to voluntarily cut the number and
\ncost of earmarks in half. I also asked you to stop slipping earmarks into
\ncommittee reports that never even come to a vote. Unfortunately, neither goal
\nwas met. So this time, if you send me an appropriations bill that does not cut
\nthe number and cost of earmarks in half, I\u2019ll send it back to you with my
\nveto,\u201d said Bush to applause from both sides of the aisle. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cTo Bet a
\nMan Square Massacre\u201d was a result of the so-called <\/span>Unlawful Internet
\nGambling Enforcement Act, a pork barrel favor to conservative
\ntraitor<\/a> Bill \u201cJesus\u201d Frist attached to the completely unrelated Security and
\nAccountability For Every Port Act of 2006. <\/span> <\/span><\/o:p><\/p>\n

Knowing that respecting the democratic process would mean
\ndefeat, Frist was able to circumvent debate and discussion by waiting until midnight<\/st1:time> on the final night before Congress
\nadjourned for the 2006 elections. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Could there possibly be a better (if not bettor) example
\nof as Bush said \u201cspecial interest
\nprojects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or
\ndebate\u201d? <\/span>What the President failed to
\nmention is he signed the bill. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

More recently, Democratic President hopeful Hillary
\nClinton sat down with Bill O\u2019Reilly of Fox News in what appeared to be more of
\na courtship between forbidden lovers than a no-spin interview. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

In response to how she would control spiraling oil prices,
\nClinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:City> answered, \u201cNine of the 13
\nbiggest oil-producing countries that are in OPEC are also members of the WTO<\/span>. I would file complaints.\u201d<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The direct implication that statement has on online gambling <\/a>is that the United
\nStates<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> deemed the World Trade Organization
\nirrelevant when the international body rightfully ruled that the US<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>
\nunfairly targeted offshore websites by passing the anti-gambling rights act
\nwhile making an exemption for US firms that offer off-track betting on horse
\nracing. <\/span><\/o:p><\/p>\n

In his two-part love fest with Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:City>,
\nO\u2019Reilly opted to follow up with scripted softballs instead of challenging Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:City>\u2019s
\ncourting of the WTO<\/span>. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Would it not make imperative that Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:City>
\ninsist we honor the WTO<\/span> rulings against America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>
\nbefore appealing to them for assistance against OPEC? Why should OPEC respect a
\nruling against them anymore than the US<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>
\nhas? <\/o:p><\/p>\n

O\u2019Quixote<\/span> opted not to derail
\nhis dalliance with Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:City>. He sidestepped
\nasking her what say she about the obvious conundrum. Get a room you two. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Frankly the chances of a potential President Clinton
\nmaking good to the WTO<\/span> is about the same as Bush
\nrefusing to sign Frist\u2019s<\/span> earmarks. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

If politicians on either side of the aisle actually
\npracticed what come out of their big mouths, the right to gamble would never
\nhave been infringed on to begin with. <\/p>\n

The author Joe Duffy is CEO of OffshoreInsiders.com and
\nwidely accepted as one of the all-time great sports handicappers<\/a> of all-time. <\/o:p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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