Holy Joe says we're good to go.

Wow, it sure is a good thing Joe helped the repubs with lobby reform, else I might have to find something suspicious about Rep. Chris Cannon opposing internet gambling.

WASHINGTON - Rep. Chris Cannon said he would once again vigorously oppose a bill to ban Internet gambling, fearing it could be a "back door" to legalize some online wagering in Utah.

It is a long-held position for Cannon, although his motives have been questioned by those who point to political contributions to Cannon and a former chief of staff who lobbied for the Internet gambling industry.

[...]

This year, the debate takes place in a Congress still dealing with fallout from a scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who lobbied for online gambling interests and Indian tribes.

Cannon's former chief of staff, David Safavian, who also lobbied for online gambling interests before joining Cannon's staff, has been charged with misleading investigators probing a trip to Scotland he took with Abramoff after he left Cannon's office and went to work at the General Services Administration.
Despite repeatedly calling gambling a "pernicious vice," and "abhorrent," Cannon has opposed the Internet gambling ban each time it has been offered.

Several times he has tried to amend the bill to take out the horse racing language, although backers of the legislation said Cannon's change would cost the bill the support it needs to pass.
Critics also have, in the past, questioned Cannon's taking more than $30,000 in campaign contributions from groups, lobbyists and Indian tribes with gambling interests or opposing the gambling ban.

And in addition to hiring Safavian, a former gambling lobbyist, as his chief of staff, Cannon has hired three other staffers who were previously registered lobbyists for the gambling industry.










Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D) of Connecticut, above, said the legislation contains "very serious reform."


Since Holy Joe hisself says that the recent lobby reform measures put in place by the senate were "very serious" . . . I'm sure everything is just fine. In fact, I'm so convinced, I'm going to give some more cash to Ned Lamont right now.