This is good news...Congress set for combative, pre-election push..REUTERS..

Dante · Sep 4, 2006

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-09-04T154011Z_01_N045159_RTRUKOC_0_US-CONGRESS.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C2-TopNews-newsOne-11

some excerpes from the article

Amid the rancor, Congress is expected to pass little more than big spending bills for the departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Deadlocks appear certain to remain on such efforts as ones to raise the federal minimum wage, revamp U.S. immigration laws and reduce inheritance taxes.

Much of the political theater on Capitol Hill for the next few weeks will feature Republicans forcing votes on national security, which they see as their strong suit, particularly since the September 11 attacks. Democrats intend to fire back by accusing Republicans of underfunding the war on terror and pursuing a bankrupt policy in Iraq. Democrats also plan to push for a vote of no-confidence in Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

would like to see Sean1 and Kwalder comment on how this helps them to not even bring the net gambling bill up

Fishhead · Sep 4, 2006

The only problem is these goofballs somehow tie HOMELAND security in with offshore wagering.

lander · Sep 4, 2006

Let's just hope the corrupt bastards are being corrupt again, and not idiotically "moral." A few bribe ... I mean legal lobbying and the scum suckers should be on their way to the next issue.

Meanwhile, NK is still lobbying nukes into the ocean.

Dante · Sep 4, 2006

Fishhead said:
The only problem is these goofballs somehow tie HOMELAND security in with offshore wagering.

Fish do you ever look at a cup half full?? or do you always see it as half empty...

god man have some POSITIVE HOPE :realtongu :toast:

lander · Sep 4, 2006

Dante,
Wish all due respect, judging by the Bash photos, Mr. Fish has never left a glass anything but bone dry. And, several of them, at that.

Dante · Sep 4, 2006

lander said:
Dante,
Wish all due respect, judging by the Bash photos, Mr. Fish has never left a glass anything but bone dry. And, several of them, at that.

you are right ...I stand corrected again ... I forgot about the never ending Carafe he had in one hand come to think of it ....it was never half full

VegasPlayer777 · Sep 4, 2006

Also Good News...

Excerpt from an article today condemning the Senate agenda this month:

Most people don’t know it but, for all practical purposes, the United States Senate is almost done with regular business for all of 2006. It's true. The Senate returns tomorrow and will have 32 calendar days until the scheduled October 6 end of the 109th Congress, which means, at most, there will be 24 business days with which to get anything done.

So the political question is, how will each side of the aisle conduct business in the short time left in this legislative session and what issues would each like voters to think about when they vote in the midterm elections? The Senate agenda is scheduled to focus immediately on H.R. 5631, the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations Bill and, depending on the number of amendments considered, that should take at least a week -- and maybe two -- of the remainder of the session.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) made it clear before the August recess that he intends to also pursue confirmation for more of George W. Bush's judicial nominees and a full Senate vote on John Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. (Bolton was slipped in the back door by Bush via a recess appointment last year when it was clear to the White House that Bolton would not be confirmed by the Senate.) Frist has further declared his desire to work on small-business health plans and, if time remains, to go after what truly keeps most Americans awake at night -- the scourge of Internet gambling.

"As it is now, this industry threatens to undermine the quality of life of millions of Americans by bringing an addictive behavior right into our living rooms," said Frist in an August 3 statement. "It's got to stop."

Wow. I'm sure our troops stuck in a civil war in Iraq will be glad Frist and the Republicans are all over that one.

Dante · Sep 4, 2006

Dante · Sep 4, 2006

Vegas Player 777 said:
Excerpt from an article today condemning the Senate agenda this month:

Most people don’t know it but, for all practical purposes, the United States Senate is almost done with regular business for all of 2006. It's true. The Senate returns tomorrow and will have 32 calendar days until the scheduled October 6 end of the 109th Congress, which means, at most, there will be 24 business days with which to get anything done.

So the political question is, how will each side of the aisle conduct business in the short time left in this legislative session and what issues would each like voters to think about when they vote in the midterm elections? The Senate agenda is scheduled to focus immediately on H.R. 5631, the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations Bill and, depending on the number of amendments considered, that should take at least a week -- and maybe two -- of the remainder of the session.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) made it clear before the August recess that he intends to also pursue confirmation for more of George W. Bush's judicial nominees and a full Senate vote on John Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. (Bolton was slipped in the back door by Bush via a recess appointment last year when it was clear to the White House that Bolton would not be confirmed by the Senate.) Frist has further declared his desire to work on small-business health plans and, if time remains, to go after what truly keeps most Americans awake at night -- the scourge of Internet gambling.

"As it is now, this industry threatens to undermine the quality of life of millions of Americans by bringing an addictive behavior right into our living rooms," said Frist in an August 3 statement. "It's got to stop."

Wow. I'm sure our troops stuck in a civil war in Iraq will be glad Frist and the Republicans are all over that one.

:toast::toast::toast::toast:

Muddy · Sep 4, 2006

We will worry about this next year, as long as Kyl is in the office

Wynn · Sep 5, 2006

I completely agree that the short session and full calandar are major factors in whether a revised version of HR4411 ever makes it to a Senate vote this month. However, my lingering concern remains the amount of back-office politics Kyl has conducted leading up to this session. He is well aware that this session is likely to be his best chance of passing an anti-gambling bill while both houses of Congress are still conservative-based.

Unfortunately, it is still possible to enact this legislation if the amended version bypasses Shelby's Banking Committee and is brought before the full Senate early enough (i.e. first 2 weeks) to send back to the House for ratification.