William Bennett considering lawsuits against casinos

The Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 | ROD SMITH

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I suppose when one can not defend Mr. Bennett's lack of virtue they will change the subject to that of legal issues. I have no interest in the legal issues. My interests are in virtues.

I thought the common practice on FR was reading an article, then discussing the basic premise of the article, at length. You should start a VIRTUES thread, if you cannot handle comments that respond to the legal issues raised by the disclosure of Mr. Bennett's personal information. That way, you will be able to argue more effectively about virtues, ONLY. When the rest of us are discussing the article at the top of the thread.

[breakem]

Nice to see our moral leader and former chain-smoking drug czar contributing to the litigiousness of our society. Great stuff.

[Search4Truth]

My apologies for straying to far from the topic for your comfort, and not discussing only what you want to, or are able to.

[lonestar]

What a hypocrite.

Have you heard him talking about the evils of gambling? If not, he's no hypocrit.

[Search4Truth]

"Your definition of virtue is your own."

Yes, I would say that you and I have very different views on the meaning of virtue.

No dout virtuous people all around the country are now lining up to hear Mr. Bennett's and your idea of virtue.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Who is critiquing whom, here?

You think the legal issues are irrelevant. They appear to be only relevant to you, when you say that his pursuing legal action against the casinos is reminiscent of Bill Clinton. Which is it? Is it relevant or not?

"How Clintonian of him to now sue the casinos that revealed his deception."Search4Truth

[Conservababe]

Oh, I would assume so, actually.

Many religious and conservative persons do not consider smoking, drinking and gambling a vice.

[Walkingfeather]

8 million he will get 10's of millions in settlement

[Pahuanui]

Have you heard him talking about the evils of gambling? If not, he's no hypocrit.

This wouldn't show that Bennett is not a hypocrite. It would just show that he's not a total moron. He can happily go through the litany of the other people's pleasures, weaknesses, vices, whatever, and then cry and moan about American freedom, he just happened to skip over his own.

My, that's quite the handy little excuse.

In a little book this slimy lizard authored, entitled The Broken Hearth: Reversing the Moral Collapse of the American Family, he discusses how we must relearn to "enter judgments on a whole range of behaviors and attitudes." About how "wealth and luxury ... often make it harder to deny the quest for instant gratification" because "the more we attain, the more we want."

Would anyone expect that a man who said that would also be one who routinely "goes through (or 'cycles') several hundred thousand dollars in an evening" (his own description) in Vegas or Atlantic city?

Scum. Nothing but self-aggrandizing scum.

[Ken H]

Have you heard him talking about the evils of gambling? If not, he's no hypocrit.

I don't think he condemned gambling, but he's had problems with Self Discipline.

"It was a high level, was a lot of money," he said, and "counting up, has made a difference in our lives."

[Pan_Yans Wife]

he discusses how we must relearn to "enter judgments on a whole range of behaviors and attitudes." About how "wealth and luxury ... often make it harder to deny the quest for instant gratification" because "the more we attain, the more we want."

Don't all people have to struggle with these issues? More disposable income, more choices, more temptations.

Wouldn't someone who has struggled with those temptations be a better source of advice than a celibate monk who has taken a vow of poverty and silence? The monk may be more virtuous, but I doubt he would be able to say much on the subject at hand, right?

[Search4Truth]

"Many religious and conservative persons do not consider smoking, drinking and gambling a vice."

As do so many "religious and conservative persons" feel that abortion is not a sin. Does that mean it is not a sin? Do you get your code of moral conduct from "religious and conservative persons" or from God?

You might want to consider doing some soul searching on the subject of wrong and right, and from which authority it originates. It is certainly is not from the will of the masses.

[Pahuanui]

Don't all people have to struggle with these issues? More disposable income, more choices, more temptations.

Of course they do. And Mr. Bennet has the additional burden of rank hypocrisy. It must be a heavy burden for him. I wonder if he's lost any $50K/pop speaking engagements?

Wouldn't someone who has struggled with those temptations be a better source of advice than a celibate monk who has taken a vow of poverty and silence? The monk may be more virtuous, but I doubt he would be able to say much on the subject at hand, right?

And what, pray tell, would that have to do in the least with Bennett? He's in no moral position to discuss any vice because he not only won't admit his own, he goes to great lengths to dismiss them, employing arguments that in the past have utterly destroyed his own anti-drug position.

[Liberal Classic]

I can't really criticize Mr. Bennett for doing something I myself have done. However, it's a fine pickle he's in and largely one of his own doing. Had he been any other wealthy businessman, it's true we probably wouldn't hear about it on the news. But unlike many businessmen, Mr. Bennett made a business of living extolling moral virtues and put himself in the public eye. So in this case it would seem vice is its own punishment, because he may find that he has lost most of his customer base.

That having been said, Mr. Bennett may have grounds for suing the casino if they disclosed credit information, tax records, or something else legally considered confidenial.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

employing arguments that in the past have utterly destroyed his own anti-drug position.

So, in other words, no one ever listens to Bennett, to begin with. He has no influence.

[ml/nj]

Wow....He lost 8 mil? Don't you think he should have stopped at say, 1 mil?

I flew out to Del Mar this past weekend and oooooooh gambled. I lost about $30. Do you think I should stop, or can I go up to Saratoga on Saturday?

ML/NJ

[ml/nj]

So WWJD is just a crock?

To most of the folks who ask it, probably yes.

Would Jesus sit at a pig roast? Would Jesus go out dancing on Friday night? And what would He do on the first day of the seventh month?

ML/NJ

[Fledermaus]

BS.

If you bothered to pay attention, Bennett has never said it wasn't his personal responsibility.

And today (July 29) he was on the Sean Hannity radio show saying he took full responsibility and really started losing when he switched to higher stakes.

This in no way alleviates the responsibility of the Vegas casinos that offer privacy. I don't care if Bennett wins in court, all he needs is the press and he could do Vegas and Atlantic City more damage than he lost. Others that think their privacy in a high roller situation is guarded will have second thoughts and make demands or not bring their money.

So you look foolish calling him a hypocrite because he HAS taken personal responsibility. But again, that doesn't give the casino a free ride when they say it's private and even advertise the privacy.

You are the hypocrite.

[Burkeman1]

I thought it was funny at the time that Casinos released these records. Very stupid and totally against their interests. Why publicaly embarass a losing whale like Bennett who gave them scads of money?

[ml/nj]

Just wondering ...

How did Bennett's gambling losses compare to the taxes he payed over the same time period?

ML/NJ