It's been a banner week for conservative hypocrisy. It started with the party of small government expressing loyalty to the third-highest ranking GOP Senator, who stated that government has a responsibility to "limit an individual's wants and passions." (Of course, there was some consistency in addition to hypocrisy--the week did include the totalitarian lite Loyalty Day.) Then mid-week, here on Blogcritics, conservatives managed somehow to condemn lying while implicitly endorsing it. And yesterday our draft-dodger President dressed up like a toy soldier for a campaign photo-op, to the cheers of conservatives, who surely would have jeered had Clinton tried this stunt.
It was hard to keep up with all that hypocrisy. And now, to finish off the week, Newsweek and the Washington Monthly reveal something surprising-but-not about William Bennett, the professional scold who condemns drug addicts, gays, liberals and...well, just about anybody who isn't a Judeo-Christian social conservative. The Washington Monthly:
Few vices have escaped Bennett's withering scorn. He has opined on everything from drinking to "homosexual unions" to "The Ricki Lake Show" to wife-swapping. There is one, however, that has largely escaped Bennett's wrath: gambling. This is a notable omission, since on this issue morality and public policy are deeply intertwined. During Bennett's years as a public figure, casinos, once restricted to Nevada and New Jersey, have expanded to 28 states, and the number continues to grow. In Maryland, where Bennett lives, the newly elected Republican governor Robert Ehrlich is trying to introduce slot machines to fill revenue shortfalls. As gambling spreads, so do its associated problems. Heavy gambling, like drug use, can lead to divorce, domestic violence, child abuse, and bankruptcy. According to a 1998 study commissioned by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, residents within 50 miles of a casino are twice as likely to be classified as "problem" or "pathological" gamblers than those who live further away.
Article comments
1 - esmith
Stuff happens?