One of the better responses I've seen: Coleman, MN

[ubercuber]

Dear Pipedream,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your opposition to recently passed Internet gambling legislation.



On September 30, 2006, both the House and Senate passed port security legislation to prohibit the use of various forms of payment such as credit cards and checks for unlawful Internet gambling. It is important to note that this legislation does not make Internet gambling illegal but rather seeks to reinforce the prohibition on unlawful Internet gambling.



I had serious reservations about including this legislation in port security legislation. However, once the internet gambling legislation was included, I supported the overall bill because the port security legislation was too important to jeopardize. The President signed this measure into law on October 13, 2006.



Thank you once again for contacting me. If I can be of further assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me again.



Sincerely,
Norm Coleman
United States Senate

[KP84]

That is a good response...donest help anything...but still

[ubercuber]

[ QUOTE ]
It is important to note that this legislation does not make Internet gambling illegal but rather seeks to reinforce the prohibition on unlawful Internet gambling.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I first read this it sounded like what many are saying, they still haven't defined illegal internet gambling.

But after re reading, It could also be a nicer way of saying " The Wire Act of ... already illegal...blah blah"

[PokerBob]

coleman is a douche. i used to be related to him by marriage. thank god i got divorced.

[Synergistic Explosions]

[ QUOTE ]
I had serious reservations about including this legislation in port security legislation.

[/ QUOTE ]

If they were very serious reservations he would have stood up and said something, even voting against the legislation.

Obviously, very serious to him means very little. Another example of a politician we don't need occupying space in DC.

[coolio4433]

I got the same response.

I don't put much stock in it. Clearly a form letter, probably written by a staffer.

As far as the idea that,
"Obviously, very serious to him means very little. Another example of a politician we don't need occupying space in DC"

I can't imagine that anyone voted against the Port Security bill, and if they did, you know that their future opponent just added that to the list of "bad" things they did while in office.

I can hear it now...
"So and so, doesn't want our borders and ports to be secure! He cares more about internet gambling than the safety of our country!"

[thetruest]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I had serious reservations about including this legislation in port security legislation.

[/ QUOTE ]

If they were very serious reservations he would have stood up and said something, even voting against the legislation.

Obviously, very serious to him means very little. Another example of a politician we don't need occupying space in DC.

[/ QUOTE ]

shut up you self-righteous idiot.

[ouzacprice]

talked to a friend yesterday who worked as an assistant up at the hill this past summer and he said that this whole thing was all politics. This board already knows that Frist was doing this to rally a conservative base- but I think what we might not understand is that democrats could not vote against this bill no matter how much they hated the internet gambling part because then it would have givin republicans ammo in the election to say "dems dont care about port security" etc.

[ubercuber]

IS this strategy really effective? Why not just respond by telling the real story?

[tehDiceman]

[ QUOTE ]
talked to a friend yesterday who worked as an assistant up at the hill this past summer and he said that this whole thing was all politics. This board already knows that Frist was doing this to rally a conservative base- but I think what we might not understand is that democrats could not vote against this bill no matter how much they hated the internet gambling part because then it would have givin republicans ammo in the election to say "dems dont care about port security" etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

i thought that seemed obvious.

[slavic]

[ QUOTE ]
IS this strategy really effective? Why not just respond by telling the real story?

[/ QUOTE ]

What's the real story?

Come up with your favorite member of congress. We can sit down, look at their voting record, assemble some facts and make them look like scoundrels. Ron Paul (R)Texas is a libertarian. If you look at his voting from that point of view it makes since, otherwise at times he looks like a nut, something in the line of Jim McDermott (D)Washington who is just a political embarassment.

[ubercuber]

The real story being, "This is supposed to bad? A half baked idea about banking regulations that doesn't have enough support to get passed on it's own, is thrown in last minute to appeal to Fritz' 2008 election bid, and I am supposed to ignore all that inapproprite activity for the sake of the bill. No bill is worth selling out your ethics. You want to elect a weasel? I am not you man. You want to elect someone who is willing to set the record straight when these weasels play their political games, and stand ground for what is right and oppose abuse of power? I AM your MAN. MAN or weasel? See you at the polls! Thanks for your support.

[ronster71]

This letter is nothing more than a political fence straddle, nothing more.

[_And1_]

Conclusion: voting for laws in bundles is a f*cked up system.

[slavic]

[ QUOTE ]
The real story being, "This is supposed to bad? A half baked idea about banking regulations that doesn't have enough support to get passed on it's own, is thrown in last minute to appeal to Fritz' 2008 election bid, and I am supposed to ignore all that inapproprite activity for the sake of the bill. No bill is worth selling out your ethics. You want to elect a weasel? I am not you man. You want to elect someone who is willing to set the record straight when these weasels play their political games, and stand ground for what is right and oppose abuse of power? I AM your MAN. MAN or weasel? See you at the polls! Thanks for your support.

[/ QUOTE ]


that doesn't have enough support to get passed on it's own

Sorry but this is wrong. If it had made the schedule it would have passed easily.

[ubercuber]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The real story being, "This is supposed to bad? A half baked idea about banking regulations that doesn't have enough support to get passed on it's own, is thrown in last minute to appeal to Fritz' 2008 election bid, and I am supposed to ignore all that inapproprite activity for the sake of the bill. No bill is worth selling out your ethics. You want to elect a weasel? I am not you man. You want to elect someone who is willing to set the record straight when these weasels play their political games, and stand ground for what is right and oppose abuse of power? I AM your MAN. MAN or weasel? See you at the polls! Thanks for your support.

[/ QUOTE ]


that doesn't have enough support to get passed on it's own

Sorry but this is wrong. If it had made the schedule it would have passed easily.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, how about:

Didn't have the support to even make the schedule.