Thursday, October 12, 2006

If a story appearing today in the Financial Times is accurate, the
presidential signing into law of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement
Act is likely to be a slam-dunk. The respected publication carried a story
quoting unidentified lobbyists who summarised the events leading up to the
presentation of the Goodlatte Bill, including the exploitation of the Jack
Abramoff lobbying scandal as a spur to get politicians to sign up for the
anti-online gambling measure. It covers the House approval of the combined
Goodlatte and Leach bills and how this stalled in the Senate before being
picked up and pushed by Senators Kyl and Frist, ultimately leading to the
attachment of the compromise measure to the must-pass port security bill and
the early morning approval of both. The article also carries the startling
news that the attachment to the port security bill was encouraged by the
White House, according to two lobbyists who told the Financial Times that
this was an important element in the whole process. The FT reports: "One day
before Saturday's vote on the legislation, two lobbyists who followed the
bill alleged the last-minute intervention of the White House, which
encouraged Republican senators to support the legislation, gave the bill the
momentum it needed to be attached to the port security bill and passed by
the Senate. "Both lobbyists contend the White House sought passage of the
bill following the release of a bipartisan congressional report that
documented contacts between the White House and Mr Abramoff and his
partners, including contacts between the lobbyist and Karl Rove, chief
political strategist for George W. Bush, president."