September 23, 2007
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
United States Senate
361-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator McConnell:
I am writing to ask you to sponsor either HR 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, or HR 2610, the Skill Game Protection Act in the Senate. I realize the idea of a federal Internet gaming prohibition pushed by some big government “conservative” CINOs may have sounded appealing to you last year, but it surely cannot seem so in the current political environment. I strongly urge you to abandon the CINOs before the voters finish abandoning our party. Please rejoin the limited government crowd (i.e., the real conservatives) by supporting ending this foolish prohibition on what people choose to do in their own homes.
The voters here in Kentucky will speak on Nov. 6 with regards to gaming in the commonwealth. Governor Fletcher’s campaign of gaming demonization has gotten him nowhere in the polls – he’s down a solid twenty points. His position on gaming has clearly worsened his standing. It is clear from this polling that the good folks of Kentucky do not feel some overpowering need to “protect” their neighbors from having the right to choose to play some cards or a little poker after work. I know I don’t. Where are the anti-gaming marches? Where is the concern? I don’t see it. Given all of Fletcher’s scare tactics, one would expect to see something if anyone here thought gaming was somehow evil or wrong. As there have been none, we obviously see all gaming, whether online, at a bricks-and-mortar casino, or at a racetrack, as simply another valid choice of entertainment. And, it looks like we’ll vote that way.
The truth is that anti-gaming nanny-state groups have sold the Republican Party a bill of goods, and this new big government position is hurting our party. Surely you don’t deny that this prohibition has cost the party many votes. Senator Bunning saw this. He recently let it be known publicly that he counseled Fletcher to advocate a referendum for gaming. I hope you will choose to distance yourself from Fletcher and his anti-gaming position as well. We don’t need big government, either from Frankfort or from Washington, to protect us from ourselves.
Speaking of the nanny-staters, have you seen the new Focus on the Family Action policy statement on Internet gaming, at
www.citizenlink.org/pdfs/fosi/gambling/USTR_Comments_US_Gambling-Policy-8-31-2007.pdf ? It seems they see the recent WTO ruling against the U.S. as an opportunity to advocate banning all Internet gaming, including even horse racing! As you know, a ban on Internet interstate horse race wagering will significantly harm our state’s equine industry. I urge you to take a stand for limited government as well as our equine industry. Let’s settle the WTO case. Protect our state’s heritage and our citizens’ right to play Internet poker.
If the CINOs in Congress wish to ban gaming simply to protect people from themselves, what’s next? Legislation controlling the menus at fast food restaurants to keep people from becoming obese? Why not? What’s the difference? Philosophically, it’s the same, isn’t it? Protecting our “feeble” citizens from themselves with the power of the big federal government? Big government is big government.
Again, I urge you to publicly support the right of Americans to choose to play Internet poker. It’s foolish not to. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
TheEngineer