The Man of Virtues Has a Vice (Bill Bennett gambles)

Newsweek ^ | 1/2/03 | Jonathan Alter and Joshua Green

[Saundra Duffy]

betting millions of dollars over the last decade

How sad.

[zarf]

Hypocracy. Conservatives fail the hypocracy test when it comes to moral issues. They slam drug use, but drink substances that destroy more lives than drugs ever will (just a sip?....still hypocracy). They rage against government intrusion yet want to jail homsexuals for sex acts committed in the privacy of the bedroom.

Even worse, many cheat on their spouses while preaching family values. It is the conservative Achilles squeal.

[Warhead W-88]

Uhhhh, are you saying that I'm not allowed to have three or four beers a week?

What business is it of yours, buddy?

I never said that drinking beer was "bad." How the hell am I goddamned hypocrite?

[tiki]

Gambling is immoral...in your opinion. It doesn't happen to be my opinion or the opinion of many. It is your opinion and you may hold it but my opinion is different and carries no more weight than yours unless I become a politician.

[zoyd]

the institution doesn't bankrupt people, their addiction does. People can and do get addicted to just about everything, that doesn't mean just about everything is evil.

Uh, this kind of sounds like a liberal, feely-good emotional justification for vice. You're missing a fundamental point -- Bennett is a moralist. He makes his living espousing moral virtue. It's called the Book Of Virtues, not the Book of Vices. Bennett would probably be the first to start tossing around the word "evil" if we were talking about virtueless, godless influences on society. And gambling aint a virtue.

See it's this kind of insisting that every aspect of everybody else's life is your business that irritates so many moderates away from the conservative movement.

But that's exactly what Bennett does. That's the whole source and motivation for his fame.

Busybodies are all vile annoying people regardless of their political bent, leave the guy to his life.

Bill Bennett would certainly qualify, IMHO, as such a busybody.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a libertarian, and if Bennett wants to blow coin in a casino or a pick-up game with some Supremes, that's fine with me. It's the fact that Bennett is the Prime Pontificator on all things Virtuous that makes his gambling a conflict.

He supposedly lives his life on principle and virtuosity, but obviously he doesn't. There's nothing moral about gambling, especially when that money COULD be spent on moral things, which you'd think Bill Bennett would be interested in.

The funniest part is the way all the Bennett defenders, who'd spit on libertarians if they could get away with it, are lining up in droves to espouse the libertarian mantra of 'leave the man alone and let him live his life -- he's not hurting anyone'.

[zoyd]

get a life, judge not that ye be not judged

You sooooooo miss the point.

[Warhead W-88]

Good lord-- is this what our movement actually is?

An infernal union of scolds, shrieking harridans, hairshirters & self-flagellants, and superior prigs who want to tell me I can't play poker and drink a few (domestic or Australian or British) beers if I frigging feel like it?

Have you people, like, LOST it entirely?

Who died and made you Moses?

[mabelkitty]

This is just wrong.

With all those cameras located in the casinos, they should know who pulled this off.

If it is Bellagio, then he is connected to the MGM Grand, Mirage, Treasure Island, and Golden Nugget under one slot club.

The Mandalay Group has Mandaley Bay, Circus Circus, and I forget the others.

It should be easy to find out who did this. Nevada Gaming Commission has very strict laws.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Well...I read the article.

Where's the 'vice'?

All I saw was "Bob Bennett gambles" followed by a bunch of "coulds, woulds, maybes and mights."

[zoyd]

Are you suggesting that gambling causes no harm?

[hchutch]

Craps, roulette, poker and baccarat would seem to give him a much better chance than slots and video poker.

Now, I've never been in a casino at all.

But what is the fuss? Is it hurting his professional life or his family?

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Thank God Bennett doesn't smoke cigarettes!

[The Wizard]

dare I say I know what you mean...being a child of the 60's, in Greenwich Village, experiencing EVERYTHING......Now I watch Fox, Freep and live in semi retirement, and am perfectly happy....

Actually, thinking back to those days makes me appreciate that I AM in semi retirement.....

[CaptainJustice]

Oh no! He's doing something legal for recreation! Let's get him!

[CA Conservative]

am curious. Is there a biblical prohibition on gambling or sex before marriage? I know adultery is prohibited by the commandment but is there a specific reference to gambling or sex outside of marriage?

I don't know of any scriptural prohibition regarding gambling, but there are numerous scriptures speaking against adultery and fornication. Adultery obviously involves at least one married person, while fornication was sexual intercourse outside of marriage.

[mabelkitty]

Coke and Heroin are illegal. Your argument still doesn't wash, but thanks for playing.

[Warhead W-88]

No offense, but you maniacs need to COOL OUT.

I'm becoming a Born-Again Liberal just listening to this shrieking-harpy nonsense.

The minute you Holy Rollers start ordering ME about is the minute I start voting against you.

You can order your wives and kids around all you like. Leave me the hell OUT OF IT.

[MHGinTN]

You assert that Bennett has a problem and needs help. I would appreciate your explaining this 'problem' to me. I've seen problem gamblers, watched dolts put their hard-earned paycheck in a machine and leave with nothing to pay the household bills. I've also seen wealthy people sit down to gamble and their mind drops their worldly cares for a spell, the more rote the activity the better they like it. If Bill were a true 'gambler' with a problem, it would show in his other areas of life, which it doesn't. When you see someone with the actual 'gambling problem', you'll realize how silly it is to accuse this man of having a problem with gambling. [HINT: I've also played golf with multi-millionaires who lose a bundle in 18 holes, and count the thrill of escapism as worth it. I've seen people who put a large cgunk of their income into a hobby like boating, with little to show for it of a constructive nature, but a whole lot of bills weighing against the family budget. A 'problem' is defined within the parameters of the whole picture. One other thing: Mister Bennett's activity is solitary, doesn't take money from another individual directly, and exploits no one while adding to the income of workers at the casinos; if he wants to gamble intelligently ... he would just do something else 'cause gambling is an overall loser no matter what particular way you choose to gamble. The one person who wins the lottery has to have millions who don't.]

[chasio649]

Bennett is a pompous a$$...i have been tired of him flapping his smug pie hole for years...he has started some hokey conservative foundation one after another and whined about the degradation of morals. I am not alone in this...he has done nothing for years but poke his big bulbous head on the tube, acting like he has all the answers, the whole time lining his pockets with gullible people's money (good intentioned people as they were)...flame away...i hope i never see his santimonious gord on a talk show again...ahhh...i feel better now....in addition, i'm sick of Newt...remember Newt was scared to touch Klintoon because of the sleaze in his closet...let's shine the light on these hucksters and we will be the better for it, stay on the moral high ground folks.

[zoyd]

Coke and Heroin are illegal. Your argument still doesn't wash, but thanks for playing.

Are you worried about what's LEGAL, or what's MORAL? Bennett is quite concerned about what's MORAL.