January 11th, 2008
| Democrats Hillary Clinton Barack Obama |
Republicans Mike Huckabee John McCain Ron Paul |
Purely as an informational service, we are providing PPA members with information on the records of the leading presidential primary candidates. Bear in mind that we can not make an educated judgment solely from candidates’ votes on the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA), 1) because there were many other issues involved in its last-minute passage through the Congress, and 2) some of the candidates were not in Congress when it passed.
Frankly, there is very little specific information from most of the candidates on this issue, so we are also encouraging you to contact the campaigns of the candidates who interest you, and ask their position. Please let them know you are an undecided voter and a proud poker player when you contact the campaign, so we can illustrate the grassroots strength behind the great game of poker. It’s time to let the presidential primary candidates know that Poker Is Not a Crime!
Notes:
- Under the Internal Revenue Code, as a non-profit 501c4 organization, we are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. We can provide candidate information.
- PPA Member, TheEngineer, keeps his own Presidential Candidate Scorecard, click here to read the latest.
The Democratic Frontrunners:
Hillary Clinton:
The two-term senator from New York won the New Hampshire Democratic primary. She has recently expressed that she supports the industry’s position: to study Internet gambling to see whether it can be fairly regulated so that individuals can safely participate in it and American businesses can compete in the international market (Las Vegas Sun, 01/18/08). When contacting the campaign, be sure to let them know you are an undecided voter and a proud poker player.
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/help/contact/
Barack Obama:
The senator is from Illinois and winner of the Iowa Democratic caucus. Obama has recently expressed that he worries that the Internet is “a Wild West of illegal activity”, and supports a study of Internet gambling and supports regulation to address the worst abuses (Las Vegas Sun, 01/18/08). He is reputed to be a good player, and doesn’t mind letting it be known that he enjoys playing poker for money. These stories are even on his own website. When contacting the campaign, be sure to let them know you are an undecided voter and a proud poker player.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/contact/
Republican Iowa caucus winner and former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee does have a clear position OPPOSING Internet Poker. Mike Huckabee responded to the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling’s questionnaire (the only candidate to respond, by the way). In it, he promised to veto any legislation repealing UIGEA or otherwise clearly legalizing online gaming.
Here is the question he was asked, complete with its bias and inaccuracies:
1) Last year, Congress voted overwhelming to criminalize most forms of Internet gambling. This year some members of Congress are promoting legislation to legalize Internet gambling. If such legislation passed, would you veto it? Huckabee answered “yes.” That’s about as clear as it gets.
information@explorehuckabee.com
The New Hampshire Republican primary winner does not have a specific position on Internet poker, but does appear to have been influenced by his fellow Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, who is a vigorous opponent of our rights. McCain, however, has always been willing to consider both sides of an issue and may simply need to know how strongly PPA members feel about this issue. We encourage you to contact his campaign and ask whether he has a specific position, and of course, to let them know you are an undecided voter and a proud poker player.
http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/
In keeping with his Libertarian philosophy, Congressman Paul is a proud supporter of our cause. Rep. Paul has supported and sponsored pro-poker legislation, and has also made time to visit with PPA grassroots members, poker celebrities, and citizens lobbyists every time we have asked. His credentials on allowing adults the freedom to play poker are unblemished.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/contact/form
Author Contact Info: Poker Players Alliance
