GOP activist says his gambling days are over

Sac Bee ^ | 5/5/03 | AP - Washington

[The FRugitive]

I'm glad for him. I just hope it was his own decision and not one he was forced into by the morality police within the right.

LOL, that blowhard IS the morality police - quite literally.

[Jhoffa_]

"This is not an example I wish to set," he said in a statement responding to news reports.

This is a good man. His wisdom undoubtedly comes from scripture.

"Don't do stuff that makes your brother stumble, cause that will not be cool of you. & You ain't supposed to even look like someone being uncool like that, so watch it."

("Hoffa-Phrased" from 1st Corinthians, 8:13 & 1st Thessalonians, 5:22)

[HIDEK6]

Poker would be good.

[Alwayswatching]

I have no idea where you are coming from..but you do seem to get it.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Not exactly. Most people just think that because they disagree with his views on drugs - at least, that's the impression I have been left with here on FR.

[Jhoffa_]

A guy with his brains should be counting cards at the blackjack table.

Nearly impossible..

They use multiple decks and wash the sock at even a hint of a "lucky" customer.

And, no.. I am not a "gambler"

(But I am not a sucker either.. )

[dwswager]

I was surprised to here he gambled.

The guy I think that is in trouble is the insider in the casino. This guy just cost his casino millions of dollars since Bennett is giving it up.

BTW, I'm watching Joe Cannason whine about him being discredited and he should go crawl under a rock. This is the biggest Non-Scandal to be reported as a scandal in history. He is blamed for not being hypacritcal and not being secretive! I don't know his net worth, but it seems he can afford gambling as entertainment. The most he is guilty of being politically stupid.

[Jhoffa_]

I have no idea where you are coming from..but you do seem to get it.

LOL!

The two scriptures I butchered can be more accurately related as:

1) Don't do anything to make your brother stumble, even if it's perfectly legal and permissible for you.

2) Avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

Perhaps that will make it more clear.

He's a good man, they questioned him.. he reflected and made the right decision. That's honorable and I (ahem) bet you that these two scriptures played a role in his decision.

[Jhoffa_]

PS: My ex-girlfriend works in a casino..

[Alwayswatching]

I'm sorry., but I don't see the need for a "wink and a nod" on this.
So what if someone works in a casino and saw him......gambling is not illegal in many domains...if it is YOUR money....so what?This is the most NON-issue that has come around lately.I smell Carville here......

[Jhoffa_]

I'm sorry., but I don't see the need for a "wink and a nod" on this.

Who's winking and nodding?

They called him on it and he quit, said he didn't want to set that kind of example and I think that's honorable.

[Jhoffa_]

So what if someone works in a casino and saw him.....

No, no... I meant, that's where my comments on gambling come from.

The blackjack references and such I listed above. #29 has nothing to do with Mr. Bennett at all.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Never seen such a bunch of wishy washy, weak, so called konservatives in my life.

[Migraine]

But slots? Video poker??? A guy with his brains should be counting cards at the blackjack table.

You nailed it before I could. He obviously has gamble-itis. It's got the best of him. When those two are true, it is all about pressing. You press for the big score and just keep losing. Machineheads are losers. What's really weird is that some of them actually get off on the self-loathing that losing begets.

I am not bragging. Please try to understand. I play blackjack, and I've been playing with house money for years. I keep my blackjack account entirely separate from my family budget. I win; then I use the blackjack account to augment the family budget so that we never have to let a credit card go partially paid. If we need more, I go play some more, and win. If I lose, it is only the amount I staked myself to that one time, and I lay off for a period of time -- a week, a month, whatever it takes to get my confidence back and my wits about me. Then I go win again. But if my blackjack account gets nicely stoked, I quit until it is spent back down again, then go win some more.

In short, blackjack is MY servant, not the other way around. The stock market is gambling, too. But I do better at blackjack.

Unfortunately, the mindset I just described would be as alien to a self-flagellating addict like Bill Bennett as speed limits are to racecar drivers.

[holyscroller]

"I just hope it was his own decision and not one he was forced into by the morality police within the right."

I suspect if anybody forced him it was Mrs. B.

[Cathryn Crawford]

LOL...that thought had entered my head as well.

[wideminded]

The point isn't gambling is wrong or that he broke any laws . . . he let it control him.

Very well put. That centainly seems to be the central problem here.

[Mr. Mojo]

Yep, the Mrs probably read him the riot act.

[WoofDog123]

"and video poker and slot machines are his favorite games, the magazines said."

I thought the exact same thing. If this is an accurate characterization of his preferences (in terms of total dollar risk exposure, since you could arguably spend most of your time playing dollar slots but with a few hands of 10k blackjack do the bulk of your risk in a few minutes), the dude is diagnosably ill.