Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank has long been a voice of reason among the gasbags who make our laws … and never more so than last week with his introduction of legislation that would end the hypocritical, nonsensical, anti-American prohibition against online gambling.
“The existing legislation is an inappropriate interference on the personal freedom of Americans and this interference should be undone,” Frank said in a press release announcing the bill. Little more need be said.
As I’ve written countless times, Internet gambling should be legal, regulated and taxed … exactly like the ever-expanding multitude of physical-world gambling venues offered in just about every state in the nation.
However, I cannot say I am hopeful.
While there is no question that a majority of Americans would personally favor a repeal of this prohibition, there is little if any chance of Frank’s legislation passing and no chance whatsoever of it being signed by President Bush. Principles aside, there is simply not enough upside and plenty of potential downside for a politician to buck the anti-online-gambling cartel of moralistic conservatives, paternalistic liberals and established gambling operators afraid of online competition.
A Democrat in the White House might help, but I’m not sure even that would be enough.
Good thing my monthly poker game convenes Friday evening.
Oh, and an aside about Barney Frank: I’ve interviewed something on the order of a couple thousand people over 30 years of doing this sort of thing and can report without reservation that Rep. Frank speaks faster than an of them. A tape recorder is the only defense, and even then the transcription is a challenge.
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