GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 12 - April 2010

by J. Todd, Executive Director, APCW D id you ever play board games or sports with other kids growing up? Because if you did, you’ll understand ex- actlywhere I’m coming fromon thisone. You see, most kids eventually learn how to play together nicely. If they lose a game of something like Risk, they set up the board again for another game. Or if they’re playing basketball, they choose new teams andplayagain. But some kids never learn that lesson. In- stead of gracefully accepting defeat, these kids pack the game up and leave because they can’t stand losing. Or they take the basketball home, leaving a bunch of help- lesskidsbehind.Thesesore losersruin fun and life for the rest of thekids. They think it’s their god-given right to win, and how dareanyone take that away from them. Unfortunately, some of these kids grow up to be important people – like U.S. Senators. You would think that grown men (or women) would know better than to be- have like spoiled little kids. You would think thatmen (orwomen)whohave ris- en to the levelofSenatorwouldknowhow to accept change or defeat without pitch- ing a hissy fit. But Sen. Jon Kyl proves otherwise. You see,when theObamaadministration delayed the implementation of the Un- lawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act by six months, Kyl decided to voice his displeasurewith a political version of holding his breath and stamping his feet likea five-year-old. In the midst of the worst recession the world has seen in quite some time, the ArizonaRepublicanput aholdon several Treasury Department nominees. That’s right, ata timewhenweneed thebestand brightest minds working on ways to fix the economy, Kyl blocked appointments because he was ticked off that UIGEA implementation had been delayed for six months. Awww. Poorbaby.Does littleJonnywant a cracker? What a self-serving, selfish, arrogant jackass. He put his own selfish concerns aheadof theneeds of the countryand the world because Obama had the nerve to messwithhispet legislation. Thankfully, this storyhas abit of ahappy ending. When the very annoyed Obama administration informed Senate Repub- lican leadership that it would use recess appointments to bypass Kyl’s holds, the chief architect of theUIGEAdroppedhis opposition to the Treasury Department nominees and allowed them to be con- firmed. So welcome to the Wall of Shame, Sen. Kyl. You threw an ugly political temper tantrum and lost. I can’t wait to seewhat youdowhen legal, licensedand regulated online gaming starts spreading through theU.S. likewildfire. WALL OF SHAME 62 APCW’sWall of Shame