Republican Bashes Midnight Rulings: 1

Have you ever heard of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere? Well, there is something very similar happening in the United States Senate. There was an article written by an online news outlet CNet News by a guest columnist who is a Republican economist, Dick Armey. Armey is also an elder statesman and works for the FreedomWorks advocacy group. His article tells the brutally honest story of what is going on in Washington regarding the online casino regulations tied to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that was passed in 2006. This issue has been discussed in many different forms since it was written into law, mostly because of the way it was rushed through the legal system and the fact that it is not very clear on the definition of “illegal internet gambling.”

Armey’s article is titled “The Midnight Regulation Rush is on!” In the article he warns the readers of what is really going on with the United States Treasury and how the officials are quietly trying to rush their special interests into law before the Bush administration leaves office. He says that the actions that the current administration is making are irresponsible and could be devastating to e-commerce and privacy. The internet which includes everything that it can encompass not just the online casino industry has changed tremendously over the last ten years. The part that scares Armey is that the things that we have come to love is the freedom that the internet gives to its users and they fear that this may be threatened if all of these hush hush legislations are passed. Online casinos have changed the way that consumers spend their money on the internet as well.

Armey’s article states a lot about the online casino industry sets the scene for what is really going on in UIGEA debacle. His article states, “"Without vigilance, we face the prospect of turning the Internet into something akin to an electronic version of the Post Office rather than the engine of growth it has become," he says. The Republican also says, "This can be seen in Congress' attempt to eliminate unlawful Internet gambling. Not only does the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 raise serious questions about privacy, but its vague definitions and poorly defined goals force banks and payment centers into a tight position.” He also warns that, "[The financial institutions] are now required to serve as an arm of the government, monitoring private Internet transactions, and blocking those that are "illegal."