REPUBLICANS LOOKING FOR INDIAN CASH

20 April 2007

Some US politicians may consider gambling to be evil, but the GOP still wants the money, it appears

The Washington DC publication "The Hill" reports this week on one of the contradictions in American political values.

In a country where almost every type of gambling (other than Internet gambling) is tolerated, it seems that the National Republican Congressional Committee has launched a fundraising initiative aimed at increasing donations from Indian tribes with gambling revenues to boost their incomes.

Despite last year's scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff, where it is claimed tribal gambling money helped hand Democrats the majority last year, there is still a thirst for political contributions in the GOP, it appears.

"Tribes have historically donated overwhelmingly to Democrats, a trend that NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) wants to change," reports The Hill. "Cole makes no apologies for leading a fundraising drive aimed at tapping into tribal money. As he puts it, Native Americans should be involved in politics, and for him the issue is personal.

"A Chickasaw, Cole is the only registered member of a tribe in Congress, and he maintains close ties to the tribal gambling community, which has donated heavily to his personal campaigns in the past.

"Now that Cole is charged with pulling the House GOP reelection committee out of its deep debt, he is tapping into his background and extensive knowledge of Native American issues to educate fellow GOP lawmakers and reach out to the tribal community in the hope that they will reach back with donations to the NRCC."

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