URGENT Update From NROG (Posted Friday at 3pm)

[nrog]

As NROG reported earlier this week Sen Bill Frist is actively seeking to attach his online gambling ban to a new piece of legislation. NROG has been entrenched in D.C for the last several days and after a very late night last night and a rough morning we learned that his sights are back on the DoD bill. This after a clear outright refusal last week by Sen. Warner and Sen. Levin. In the last several hours, Frist has gained momentum on this fight after compromising on a carve out for the Horse Racing Industry. He is now vigorously trying to get this bill passed, by any means, before Congress breaks next week. His worst case scenario is to get passage during the Lame Duck session after elections but it seems now that this could happen sooner rather than later.

The DoD bill will officially be released from conference Monday and be brought up for vote Wed/Thus of next week. Staffers are working through the weekend to get the support they need in for the attachment and passage.

You need to mobilize now. It's a light day on the hill but offices are open CALL, EMAIL, YELL. Guys you need to let your voices be heard in grand scale today.

I will continue to report back on this unfolding situation.

www.saveonlinegaming.com We Need Your Support.

Jay Bailey
NROG

[New001]

Can you give me the right phone numbers to call and what to say? I'm a Washington state resident if that matters.

Thanks.

[nrog]

Go to our website, www.saveonlinegaming.com and click on the map in the right hand corner. You can select your state and receive info there. Make sure to call Harry Reid (NV) and John Warner (VA). They are the two who can squash this easy as they are ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Comittee.

Thanks guys. Let's Call!

[Jay Cohen]

People, call your Senators, call your Congressmen and women and call Frist's office.

The general number is (202) 224-3121. They can put you through to any Senator or Representative through that number.

[Beastmaster]

If this is a genuine threat should the Mod's sticky this in other forums?

[nrog]

Guys...all I can tell you is we (NROG) have a team in D.C as I write this and it's a real threat. This is not one threat either. We must first stop the attempt to piggyback on the DoD bill again. This could happen as early as today. The bill will be out of conference by Monday. If this attempt fails FRIST already has another bill he's eyeing so we'll have to rally the troops again next week.

By the way...correction to my earlier posting. Levin (D-MI) and Warner (R-VA) are the ranking members of the SASC. I have Reid on the brain today...sad isn't it.

[Mr.K]

[ QUOTE ]
As NROG reported earlier this week Sen Bill Frist is actively seeking to attach his online gambling ban to a new piece of legislation. NROG has been entrenched in D.C for the last several days and after a very late night last night and a rough morning we learned that his sights are back on the DoD bill. This after a clear outright refusal last week by Sen. Warner and Sen. Levin. In the last several hours, Frist has gained momentum on this fight after compromising on a carve out for the Horse Racing Industry. He is now vigorously trying to get this bill passed, by any means, before Congress breaks next week. His worst case scenario is to get passage during the Lame Duck session after elections but it seems now that this could happen sooner rather than later.

The DoD bill will officially be released from conference Monday and be brought up for vote Wed/Thus of next week. Staffers are working through the weekend to get the support they need in for the attachment and passage.

You need to mobilize now. It's a light day on the hill but offices are open CALL, EMAIL, YELL. Guys you need to let your voices be heard in grand scale today.

I will continue to report back on this unfolding situation.

www.saveonlinegaming.com We Need Your Support.

Jay Bailey
NROG

[/ QUOTE ]

Now you see why I threw a fit earlier this week when you "confirmed" that this issue was over and Frist's efforts on the DoD bill were dead. Guys - this is a lesson. Be careful when jumping to conclusions, and be careful listening to new posters who haven't necessarily established themselves. Thanks to NROG for participating and keeping us updated -- we need that, esp. from folks who are close to the front line like they are. That said, I really want to caution you Jay that saying things like you did about "confirming" really harms the grassroots action coming out of this forum. I wonder how many people stopped calling, stopped paying attention due to your remark.

[Pinchot]

Can someone post good messages to send along to the Senate?

[Nate tha\\\' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
Can someone post good messages to send along to the Senate?

[/ QUOTE ]

A couple of people have asked me what message to deliver to a Senator or represenative that you might be calling. After thinking about it some, this is what I have come up with.

- I am a {Republican/Democratic} voter in your {state/district}. (I would only mention your party affiliation if it corresponds with that of the congressperson. If you are a veteran or reservist, or have a son/daughter/father/brother who serves in the military, I might also mention that.)

- I oppose Senator Frist's effort to attach provisions on internet gambling to the Department of Defense Authorization bill.

- Internet gambling is a complex issue that deserves to be debated before the full light of day in the Senate.

- It is particularly inappropriate to attach extraneous language to a defense bill, where it jeopardizes pay raises for our troops in a time of war.

- Congress should instead work to tax and regulate gambling over the Internet, as it does other forms of gambling like lotteries and horse racing.

[nrog]

Mr. K

Thank you for your words. I'm not sure where you are on this issue but we have more than a dozen people physically working for us at this moment inside Washington and in Congress. We along with every other major news organization received the same information and we felt compelled to share it with all of you. If you read any earlier postings you'll notice we have been warning everybody that this issue was far from over. Our reports were that something was going to happen but that the DoD bill was out of the question. It may still be but, now's the time for calling...not who's right and who's wrong. I know you care deeply about this and really do appreciate your support. This is Washington...anything can happen.

JayB