U.S. Senator David Vitter Applauds the Passage of the SAFE Port Act

First, let me assure you that I am not a raging lunatic. I am a typical citizen who entrusts my overall welfare to our elected officials. I know we do not live in a perfect world, and I certainly do not live under the illusion that all the actions of our elected officials will be to my desire.

I just signed my $5000 donation check to the Lousiana Democratic party. I have always voted both with my pocketbook and my personal vote for the Republican candidates in all elections. That has come to an end.

While you applaud the passage of this bill, millions of Americans are furious that the Republican Party can be so despicable as to attach a bill to outlaw online gambling to such an important piece of legislation.

To say the least, it was backroom politics as usual, and I will not stand for it any longer. I am tired of my elected officials trying to legislate morality, while at the same time winking and nodding as they accept campaign contributions from other gambling entities.

It is beyond comprehension that you believe that you have the right to tell me what I can and can't do from the privacy of my home. The ludicrousness of alluding to online poker as funding terrorism and that it was destroying family values! PLEASE!

I have played online poker for several years. I enjoyed playing in tournaments and never ever doubted the integrity of the sites that I played at... I always was treated fairly, and dealt only with the reputable top tier online sites. I want to debate the people who put the graphic example of little johnny stealing his parents credit card and getting ruined by online poker. Does anyone not understand that the issue isn't that little johnny is gambling online, it's that he STOLE his parents credit card? If little johnny stole his parents car would you ban automobiles?

I have made many friends playing online poker. I loved the fact that I didn't have to sit in a smoke filled casino and drive 20 miles away from my home to do it. I loved the variety of poker games and the tournaments that I could play in cheaply. I wasn't out robbing banks, selling drugs to children, or doing anything but making a personal choice.

With personal choice comes personal responsibility. YOU do not have the right to make that decision for me, and that is why I now will vote Democratic.

I am personally fond of the specific exemptions for online horse racing and online lotteries, two entities which certainly have infinitely less skill than the wonderful game of poker.

I also love the fact that two of the key proponents of this bill, Senators' Goodlatte and Frist have accepted major campaign contributions from Harrahs Entertainment. Just a little hypocritical when your pushing a family values platform?

You may not have been the author of this bill, but you let it happen under your watch, and for that I have now donated financially, and soon with my vote against you.

Sincerely,

Chris Savage

We were all guilty of not having done enough to protect our beloved game. It is now absolutely essential that our elected officials continously receive backlash from their underhanded actions.

Nice letter, I hope your Senator reads it and is inclined to look into the way this bill was passed. Is there some sort of governing body over the Senate that you can file a complaint with how this bill was passed? I'm sure this happens regularly but this kind of disrespect for the process in which laws are made is really irritating to me. I'd love to call a judge or some Senate oversight commitee and make some complaints on how this thing went down. I've tried googling it to no avail so if anyone knows of someone to contact please let me know.

David Vitter has always been a douche.

Post of the year. Very well said BR. I thought it was great how you are able to donate money to the Democratic campaign after being a lifelong republican. That should sting him a little more than just a letter. There is some shady stuff going on with the republican party these days, and its sad to see. My vote is seemingly swinging towards the democrats as well.

HB

and me. (nice letter.)

damn vegan unshowered hippie chicks better stay away from me at the polls or i could swing in another way. :)

Very well said, Chris. The only thing that worries me with the party politics issue is this; Do you agree with the Republican Party on most other issues? Do you feel that the Demcratic Party can and will act appropriately with regards to terrorism, N. Korea, Iran, Iraq, disaster preparedness, humanitarian aid, aids research, stem-cell research, abortion and the economy?

These two questions are in my mind today as I decide whether I will continue to be a Republican, or if I will "switch". The poker thing is way down on the list of the issues that I will look at when I make that decision.

For those that are hollering "foul" because you made a living off of the online game, you should know that you are in a class that is a minority on the issue. Ari has said on his blog that he may move out of the country and some of you that make a living playing online probably should. It makes economical sense for you to do so. I would, if I were in that minority. For the majority of us who make money at it, if it goes away we can start playing live.

I am 100% behind any thought process that leads to reforms that will stop our lawmakers from legislating like this. As well as I am behind the resolution of this bill in a more Amercan way, namely regulating the sites and allowing US players to be responsible and report our winnings and losses to the appropriate authority.

What I am not behind is the irrational thought process that may swing votes based on the game of poker versus the actual issues that are critical and completely different in terms of party platform.

But as I said, way to write an excellent letter and exercise your AMERICAN right to choose who to support.

Psycho

Circpsycho, you bring up a interesting point about other more serious issues like the war on terror. I think it should be pointed out that republicans have been and continue to use the war on terror as a way to pass completly unreleated laws. This isnt the first time in the last few yrs theyve used the war on terror as a way to pass completely unrelated laws.

As in 2006:

I must say, I totally agree with you on the part where you said.. "please find out where your local democrats stand on this issue as well. Be carefull not to jumpt to the conclusion that it's only republicans who support this type of thing."

I did my research like you suggested.. and found out that when the bill was introduced (online gambling bill) and not attached to the safe port bill in the House, 115 democrats voted yes, 76 of them voted no and 10 of them didnt vote. Here is where I found this out when it was voted on in July.. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll363.xml

I'm not condoning what Mr. Frist did, as Im just as pissed as everyone else is about this. But, you people need to also remember, Democrats voted yes to ban this bill when it was passed in the House, it wasnt all just Republicans who voted yes.

Once the bill was attached to the safe port bill, it was passed by I think 409 to 2. So, this isnt an all Republican effort to ban online gambling.

Now to comment on Brsavages post. Br, I know your a very well respected member of P5 and the poker community in general. Your a very accomplished player and I'm just a $5 sng player who plays poker just for fun. I respect everyone's views and opinions and feel everyone has the right to voice their views or opinions.

I think Mr. Vitter's applause for the passing of the safe port act is because its a step in protecting America's ports and citizens. In fact, democrats were pleased the bill passed except they felt the bill didnt do enough for public transportation.

Yes BR, I agree that no one should be able to tell me what I can and can't do in the privacy of my own home and Im pissed as hell Frist attached this bill regardless of his party affiliation.

I just think your anger is directed at the wrong person. Especially when you said " You may not have been the author of this bill, but you let it happen under your watch." One person in Congress is not going to make a difference, especially when the bill was by itself and not attached to the safe port till passing the House with democrats wanting to ban online gambling!

Now, I dont profess to know the nuts and bolts about politics, but I do know a bill has to pass both the house and senate before the president can sign it. So I honestly have no clue how Frist was able to attach this bill to the safe ports bill without the senate voting on it first. I thought they delayed doing that?

I guess the point of this post is that people yes, they do need to blame Frist for this, but there are democrats to blame as well and to stop blaming it all on republicans.

In closing, I would like to say, if you disagree with me, thats cool and feel free to post your disagreements. I'm hopeful that you can do it in a more mature way than something like.. "GTFO or GFY".. or the seemingly popular.. "thats what she said" crap.

Nice letter Chris

As for someone else's question, I'd like to take a stab at that.

Do you feel that the Demcratic party can and will act appropriately with regards to terrorism, N. Korea, Iran, Iraq, disaster preparedness, humanitarian aid, aids research, stem-cell research, abortion and the economy?

How has either party truly addressed these matters other than polarizing their nation and world at large?

I'm really not sure anymore that either party is fully capable of responding to the true "needs" and "values" of the average American. Both parties have become so awash and so corrupt with the power they hold in your nation that governing the people has become less important to many of them compared with maintaining their power. How else can you describe Republican senators and congresspeople backing away from Bush and "concentrating more on local issues" yet applauded every move the President made? And lord knows the Democrats are no different.

I finally understand why Americans have become so apathetic on election day and have stayed away in droves. It's an amazing fact that amongst all democracies world-wide, the US now has the lowest voter turnout percentage wise every year. Sad but an indictment in itself at how sick the system has become, and how sick of it average Americans have become.

trivial to the better good of our society

Being able to choose how to spend your money is in the best interest of our society. Being able to direct your life in accordance with your own morals (so long that they don't rob people of their life or property) is in the best interest of society.

Telling one group of people that their actions are immoral based on a low percentage of the American populace's beliefs and thereby banning that activity is not "trivial to the better good of society".

Nice letter Chris, I too am switching parties and voting a str8 ticket for the democrats. The key is to let the republicans know it.

I posted about this topic earlier and did not get much reponse( Well yours is much better then mine) I did not put as much effort into it and tried getting right to the point and most missed it.

Truthfully this is not a Democrates VS the Republicans deal as they are both guilty of voting for it at some point. How ever it was the Republicans caving into the religous right and sneaking it into the port security bill that makes them a target.

The point is PEOPLE ...... To send a message we must stick together and vote together.
5-10 million plus Online Poker Players voting a str8 ticket........AND THE IMPORTANT POINT, LETTING THE REPUBLICANS KNOW HOW YOU VOTED and will continue to vote until online poker is completely legal.

Let them know how you vote........and make it count

Kingcha, Matt

volpac.org is an avenue for those in Tennessee (and elsewhere) to voice your displeasure at Frist.

Excellent letter Savage. I would just like to remind everyone, when you contact your representatives, WRITE HAND WRITTEN LETTERS.

Every politician has a large staff to read the large amount of letters from constiutents and they have systems in place to weigh the merits of each response. In many cases, a handwritten letter is given up to 50x more weight/merit than an email or printed letter.

Nice donation btw... I hope everyone can donate a small amt in the same way. Certainly a +EV play imho.

pzane

LOL you carry a pocketbook?

did you even bother to check and see that the majority of democrats voted for this bill too. This letter is totally ridiculous, at this point the republicans and democrats are both garbage and you've proven how ignorant the american voting public can be