Internet Gambling

I don't feel like talking about Mark Foley today, so I thought I'd talk about internet gambling.  Well, the Republican Congress has not passed anything to help with the rising costs of health care, no meaningful reform on immigration except at 700 mile fence that turns out to be illusory, but darn it, they've cracked down on the real scourge– internet gambling.  Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 which makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make online payments for gambling. 

The life-long extent of my gambling is an annual NCAA basketball pool and about $20 bucks at the Palm Beach, FL dog track when visiting my grandmother many years ago, so I really have no stake in this at all, but given that the Republicans are supposedly the “get the government off our backs” party, this stuff really bothers me.  Basically, Republicans are trying to legislate their personal morality– gambling = bad– onto otherwise law-abiding American adults.  Republicans are for “less government” so long as you go along with their narrowly drawn code of morality.  Yes, many people become addicted to gambling and that is bad, but consenting adults do all sorts of bad things that are not illegal (though more of them would be if the Religious Right had their way).  So, just your Republican Congress at work (and soon to be signed by your Republican president) passing legislation that limits the freedom of consenting adults to engage in activity for their own personal enjoyment.