Opinion: Sen. McCain a pro-gaming candidate

Friday, October 31, 2008  

"Obama supporters may deride John McCain's claims to being a political maverick, but McCain has proved himself willing to buck the Republican Party once again on issues with which they disagree. The latest example is casino gambling.

The Ohio ballot contains a provision for the establishment of a licensed casino in Clinton County. The Reublican Party in the state wanted to circulate a flyer supporting McCain, and also urging voters to vote against the casino proposal. But the McCain campaign overruled Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett, removing the no casino plea from the ad.

The problem is that McCain is generally a supporter of legalized gambling. The issue has not been trumpeted by his campaign, as many of the radical religious fringe of the party are virulently anti-gambling.

Still, McCain did not want to appear to support gambling issues in one state while rejecting them in another. McCain was one of the original supporters of tribal casinos, a program that has lifted thousands of Native Americans out of extreme poverty."

Get the Story:
McCain Bucks Republican Party to Support Gambling and Casinos (Online Casino Advisory 10/31)