I must confess that I was at one time a fan of Bill Bennett's. That was when he was the education czar, before his true colors had been put on public display. I thought for a little while we would see the demise of federal control of public education as Reagan had promised in his 1980 canpaign. Bill Bennett looked like the person who could see it through.
Then, when he became the nation's first drug czar and we got to see firsthand how he would impose virtue on citizens whose problems were beyond their personal control, the real Bill Bennett emerged. His hypocrisy is less worrisome than the fact that he, along with many other well-respected Republicans, has a near-total disregard for the Constitutional restraints on federal power.
If gambling -- a more serious vice, IMHO, than puffing on a weed that grows wild in many parts of the nation -- is left up to the states to decide if it should be legal, and how it is to be regulated, then why not other things that get people in trouble, like prostitution, drinking and smoking pot? Surely the federal government has its hands full fighting wars, deciding who is or is not eligible to immigrate to this country, and trying to keep the dollar weak enough that our exports will some day balance our imports. Fighting vice seems like something the states could handle better, and certainly should have the exclusive power to do under the Constitution. But then who in office has any respect for that old piece of paper they swore an oath to uphold and defend?
Most people who recognize the name will think first of The Book of Virtues before they think of the sad history of the War on Drugs which Bennett was in effect a general in. They will see the hypocrisy, which is most likely why MSNBC and Newsweek gave this story coverage.
But many will not understand that a legal vice, such as gambling, can be overcome with a supportive family and friends that care. Getting over drug addiction, on the other hand, brings law enforcement into the picture unless the person is able to pay for the Betty Ford Clinic. You get busted, you go to jail. If Bill Bennett and Newt Gingrich had their way, you'd be executed for selling the stuff. Not very compassionate, are they?
So expect Rush Limbaugh to line up in Bill Bennett's defense tomorrow. Blame the messenger, blame Newsweek, blame Jonathan Alder, blame the Democrats that run New Joisey and haven't put a limit on how much a gambler can drop in a slot machine. And, of course, he'll remind his listeners that the liberal media has been out to get Bill Bennett all along because of his stand for morality and family values, blah, blah, blah.
The best defence is a good offense, they say.
Don't expect for Rush Limbaugh to bring up the unpleasant subjects of personal responsibility, freedom to do what you like without harming others, or -- heaven forbid -- why gambling isn't controlled by the federal government.
And don't expect any of his callers to touch on those areas either, lest it lead to a discussion such as we are having here.
The best defence is a good offense, they say.
We didn't have to wait for Rush---the GOP-zombie contingent on FR did just what you described.