The Brotherhood of Steel, The Great Kahns, The N.C.R.
All represent a threat to his plans....
Mr. Robert Edwin House everybody
Posted on 01/28/2015 10:20:53 AM PST by 54fighting
After spending millions of dollars to help elect a Republican House and Senate, Capitol Hill sources report Las Vegas gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson received a private briefing with Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee in the second week of January.
The meeting sends a strong signal that the billionaire, who is one of the most generous contributors to Republican candidates and campaigns—ever, will not retreat away from his desire to outlaw legal and regulated Internet gaming by the states.
Sources familiar with Adelson's lobbying describe the meeting as both a strategy session and an update for the gambling mogul.
It is unclear as to whether the briefing was set up by Adelson's lobbyists or whether it occurred at the insistence of the House leadership, although an aide with direct knowledge of the House Judiciary Committee denied the briefing was officially organized or coordinated through the committee.
It was reported that Adelson spent and donated more than $90 million toward GOP candidates and causes in 2014.
Adelson's private meeting with GOP members of the House Judiciary Committee further complicates an already disjointed Republican conference as the congressmen attending in effect have formed a rump committee outside the regular order and hidden from public scrutiny.
Members and staff were guarded when asked on multiple occasions about the briefing.
Adelson, the chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, a $14 billion-a-year gaming conglomerate, has pledged to "spend whatever it takes" to get Congress to pass a federal ban on online gambling, but he failed to make the tape as the last session closed.
The effort was two-pronged. One prong was an advocacy group called the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling. The second was legislation that would legislatively reverse the Department of Justice's 2011 interpretation that the 1961 Wire Act does not forbid internet gambling—framed as the restoration of the Wire Act.
The effort has also created the awkward situation, where conservatives and libertarians—often the beneficiaries of the $100 million Adelson has contributed to GOP candidates and campaigns—have to tell the man that they cannot outlaw his online competition, even if it is the only thing he ever asked them to do for him.
This awkward caucus is in three camps.
Some members are put-off by the big ask. Other members have no issue with online gambling as a business, a lifestyle or as a individual's choice. The others are part of the growing neo-federalism movement that seeks to devolve authority and control out of Washington back to the states and the people.
In the new session, two of Adelson's key allies, Rep. Jason E. Chaffetz (R.-Utah) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R.-S.C.), and the lead sponsors of the restoration bill have returned to Washington stronger than before.
Both men sit on their chamber’s judiciary committees, while Graham is now a member of the Republican majority and Chaffetz is now chairman of the Government Oversight and Reform Committee.
Conservatives were disappointed Chaffetz defeated Rep. James D. Jordan (R.-Ohio) in the contest to succeed Rep. Darrel Issa (R.-Calif.). Issa was not as cooperative with leadership as Chaffetz and Jordan is disliked by some in leadership for his principled stand on issues important to conservatives.
Now conservatives are waiting and watching to see in Chaffetz continues Issa's watchdog magisterium, or whether uses the committee's mandate and subpoena power to advance his own agenda—including the federal ban on internet gambling.
The speculation in the hallways is that Chaffetz will allow Issa's projects to fallow for another day, while he investigates the people and process involved in the 2011 reversal by the Justice Department.
In the lame duck session, Adelson allies tried to force an official hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on the restoration bill, but the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard W. Goodlatte (R.-Va.) did not play along—despite being an adamant opponent of web-based gambling.
Like many Republicans on Capitol Hill, Goodlatte is a devotee of the 10th Amendment, which he views as a vital and neglected bulwark against the federal government.
Michelle Minton of the Competitive Enterprise Institute has detailed the legal background of the issue in detail making a strong and persuasive effort that the issue is best handled by the states, rather than through federal intervention.
Minton’s intellectual ammunition has been vital to Capitol Hill conservatives looking at the online gambling and other issues through the 10th Amendment filter.
As for Goodlatte, the Virginia congressman is a member of the 10th Amendment Task Force and in 2011 during a formal reading of the Constitution by members on the House floor, it was the 10th Amendment Goodlatte chose to read.
The Adelson bill has repeatedly been condemned, as an assault on the 10th Amendment for it would outlaw state legalization of gambling within their borders, which strikes at the federal system of state sovereignty in all matters not specifically assigned to the national government.
If leadership attempts to force passage of the bill, it will put Goodlatte's principled stand in support of the Constitution in direct conflict with one of the GOP's biggest donors.
The battle over internet gambling, if it was being played out in a city hall or state house, would be a simple matter of power politics. Big donor and his big ask.
But now, Adelson’s effort to outlaw his online competitor tamper with the constitutionally relationship between the states and the national government on a higher plane and come just as President Barack Obama is reworking the Constitution as a living document in some many other ways.
Amnesty Adelson wants government help to keep his pot overflowing.
Who knew.
I saw it but nobody wanted to hear it when he was backing Newt.
He also enjoys long walks on the beach, gay marriage, and abortion.
I’ll help out the Walker haters here - didn’t he block the Kenosha casino after meeting with Adelson?
And this is evil compared to Libtards seeking to outlaw anything THEY don’t want.
The guy runs local gambling in Vegas. Of course he does not want internet competition.
I don’t WANT him to be able to buy laws he likes, but their complaint is not that someone can buy laws, but WHO and WHICH laws...
They would have no complaint if this was a Lefty buying laws they like.
Or, government buying solar energy companies that go bankrupt within a year losing $billions of $tax dollars.
But this is an evil “billionaire”.
Money talks and BS walks. Its not new.
The Brotherhood of Steel, The Great Kahns, The N.C.R.
All represent a threat to his plans....
Mr. Robert Edwin House everybody
I hate this guy. Social liberal, pro-amnesty, but pretends to be a Republican.
Websites that are addictive are very dangerous. Take, for example, free republic.com. We’re all sitting here right now, glued to the screen, and we should be out engaged in more productive tasks. Addictive websites are dangerous.
Pulling the plug on him was a great pleasure.
Walkier has already kissed Adelson’s ring. Probably has Jeb and Romney in his pocket too. And probably has bouoght off Democrats too.
Democracy? Republic?
I think we are now officially a plutocratic oligarchic beaurautocracy.
“And this is evil compared to Libtards seeking to outlaw anything THEY don’t want.”
You’re the only one I see making the comparison.
“but their complaint is not that someone can buy laws, but WHO and WHICH laws...”
Whose complaint? Townhall.com’s?
Don’t know if it was after meeting or not. But he dangled that in front of the voters of Southeastern Wisconsin for a long time. Long enough to get him thru the recall and general election. It appeared to be a beautiful casino with upscale hotel, restaurants, gaming and entertainment. It would have helped that area tremendously not to mention the revenue brought in from the fine residents of Illinois. Hard Rock promised the state of Wisconsin 40 million for 25 years. Additionally, they promised to pay the compact agreements for any of the other tribes that were against the casino. A definite win-win for the state of Wisconsin. The day before appearing in conservative Iowa he kills the deal. Coincidence?? I think not.
I hate this guy. Social liberal, pro-amnesty, but pretends to be a Republican
Same as the Koch Brothers. Pro-amnesty Pro-gay marriage. I am so tired of hearing them called conservative.
On line gambling is rife with cheaters, anyone who says otherwise is probably cheating. Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson...
I’m guessing all gambling is probably rife with cheaters. Online or in casino.
There is also collusion but players figure that out really quick and the house won't put up with it. Cheaters will always be with ready to take any advantage, on line games allow for unknown and unseen cheaters.
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