offtopicrant

The house has passed the bill titled To prevent the use of certain payment instruments, credit cards, and fund transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, and for other purposes.

It passed by a huge margin. 317 to 93.  Why? 

Over the course of the next few weeks I’m going to try to find out why?  What reason could any representative have for voting for such a bill.  I’ll ask them.  I expect most won’t respond to someone outside of their district.  But, I’ll ask anyway.

I’ll start with the representatives to my state, Oklahoma.
Representative John Sullivan

District 2 Representative
Dan Boren

He doesn’t really appear to have any strong feelings about anything other than he cares about veterans and farmers.  He is a drug warrior though, introducing H.R.1083 : To amend the Controlled Substances Act with respect to the regulation of ephedrine alkaloids, including ephedrine and pseudoesphedrine.  He also introduces bills naming post offices and other federal buildings in his district.  Some things are just imortant.

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District 3 Representative Frank Lucas (voted for)
He’s a big fan of such things as God (keeping him in the pledge of allegiance) and the English language (printing all ballots in English only).  Somehow a vote against internet gambling seems right in line with his core beliefs. 

 

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     District 4 Representative Tom Cole (voted yes) His website
He prides himself in not just being a Republican, but a Conservative Republican 
According to his website, he wants to protect stem cells, wants to protect the flag, and protect us all from runaway courts.     

 

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District 5 Representative Ernest Istook  (didn’t vote on it) His website
According to his website, Istook wants to protect stem cells, marriage, the flag, and God in the Public Square.  He doesn’t seem to have an opinion on gambling however.           

Here’s the web-based message I sent them all.  I guess what with the war on terror and all they can’t use regular email.  Somebody might send them some anthrax or something.

I noticed that you voted for HR4411 To prevent the use of certain payment instruments, credit cards, and fund transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, and for other purposes.

Why?

Is there some particular reason you think this is an important bill?

Thank you,

Gary Carson

 

Wrote Lucas and Boren