Bill Bennett

Clay Fink · May-5th-2003, 04:49 PM

So "Mr. Virtue" get's to gamble away enough money to feed a small country. How about that? What I want to hear about is the hookers and boozing that went along with it.

Asshole!

Joe Conason's Journal
Bill Bennett's wife says he'll never go to Las Vegas again. Can she make the hypocrite stop preaching about morality, too?

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May 5, 2003 | The debt of outrage
Thumbing through William Bennett's marvelous Book of Virtues, a young reader in search of wisdom may notice that the very first chapter is titled "Self-Discipline." It is now abundantly clear that the author -- whose unbridled self-indulgence at the gaming tables became the big story of the weekend - sorely lacks that particular quality. He is now discovering again, as he wrote in his high-minded introduction, that "much unhappiness and personal distress in the world" is caused by "failures to control tempers, appetites, passions, and impulses."

The first chapter of Virtues features an excerpt from the Nicomachean Ethics, in which Aristotle advises men such as Bennett to "take notice of the errors into which we naturally tend to fall. They vary in each individual's case, and we will discover ours by the pleasure or pain they give us...But in all cases we should guard against what is pleasant, and pleasure itself, because we are not impartial judges of it..." As the original virtuecrat, Aristotle would no doubt have been quite appalled by a celebrated sage who drops $8 million in Vegas and Atlantic City while accepting lavish favors from the gambling houses.

But Moliere, the scourge of hypocrites who is quoted nowhere by Bennett, would have been unsurprised. If he were still among us, the urbane Parisian could have transformed the dismal tale of Empower America and its pompous impresario into an instructive comedy. Unfortunately, despite all the marvelous material at hand, nobody so talented is likely to write a play based on the life and times of Bill Bennett. Imagine the scenes in which he lambastes gays, pot smokers, libertines, rappers, purveyors of erotica, and all the other deviant elements responsible for the nation's social decay. Then he sneaks off to a gambling den, where he furtively pulls the $500 slots until dawn while chain-smoking, guzzling martinis and gorging on junk food. Instead of such bracing satire, we will have to be satisfied with earnest debates on cable television and the op-ed pages.

For a man who earns millions fretting about the harmful example set for our youth by marijuana users and homosexual couples, Bennett seems quite unconcerned over the public perception of his own habit by the millions of Americans whose families are ruined by compulsive gambling. He can "handle it," or so he claims. Too bad for those other chumps if they can't. He insists that he wins as much as he loses, an excuse that provokes loud laughter among those knowledgeable about the gaming industry. (Perhaps he should reread the chapter on honesty in "Virtues.")

The defense of Bennett by indignant conservatives revives memories of Clinton's late mother Virginia Kelley, whose passion for the ponies at the Hot Springs racetrack provoked much snooty commentary before her death in 1995. "She danced, drank, flirted and gambled," as the abstemious R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., noted in a book about the former president. Sinner though she may have been, we can say this much about the kindly Mrs. Kelley: She never presumed to give moral instruction to the rest of us, or fleeced the suckers with $50,000 harangues about America's deficient character. Bennett's wife has reportedly vowed that "he's never going again" to the fleshpots of Nevada and New Jersey. Forget Moliere. Now that his wife has picked up the rolling pin, Bennett is beginning to remind me of W.C. Fields.
[12:06 p.m. PST, May 5, 2003]

Darryl G. Thomas · May-5th-2003, 04:56 PM

I have to admit I was kind of surprised. The cat's so sanctimonious. I could understand if he was a Baptist preacher. I grew up in the Baptist Church and the biggest dog in the place was always the reverend.

What really got me is how much he lost. I have no problem withs somone gambling. And with all his books Bennett's pretty rich. But 8 mill is still 8 mill!!! Bill's been hanging out with Michael Jordan?

Clay Fink · May-5th-2003, 05:01 PM

He's made a pile of cash from the virtues book; there have been dozens of product offshoots. Plus, the MF gets 50K per speech. Given that the median income in the US is way below that, he's got a good thing going.

Tanager · May-5th-2003, 05:02 PM

What I liked best was Bennett's line to the effect that, "gambling is like drinking, if you can't handle it, you shouldn't do it."

But Bill, I thought the state should legislate morality?

Bennett is like a less intelligent Safire who doesn't write as well, for my $$$.

Squaredancecalling Steve · May-5th-2003, 05:30 PM

I heard one of the casino managers on the radio yesterday saying "We have a word in the industry for players like him: they're called Losers."

I finally stopped in at one of the Indian gambling parlors around here. HUGE! Packed!! I played video poker for a half hour and won a nickel, but the level of cigarette smoke in the place was off the scale, worse than any old time bar I remember.

MRS · May-5th-2003, 05:40 PM

just now off Drudge. . .

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM J. BENNETT: 'A number of stories in the media have reported that I have engaged in high stakes gambling over the past decade. It is true that I have gambled large sums of money. I have also complied with all laws on reporting wins and losses.

Nevertheless, I have done too much gambling, and this is not an example I wish to set. Therefore, my gambling days are over...'

cookie · May-5th-2003, 06:02 PM

I really don't like to laugh when anybody "gets caught" but you have to admit, it is hypocrital.

Here's a weird thing: I was raised by people who were totally against drinking, dancing, swearing, sex outside of male/female marriage and yet gambling was an issue left to individual conscience. My father and his people love the track and bingo (they don't have a "problem" per se. Nobody's lost the house or anything). Anyway, I have a hard time seeing gambling as in any way immoral---even for such a sanctimonius guy as Bill Bennett.

Tanager · May-5th-2003, 06:53 PM

I don't see gambling as immoral per se - I do see publicly preaching about the decline of morality in society yet nurturing a high-stakes gambling addiction as wrong, especially when your defense is simply, "don't do it if you can't handle it." I don't think the morality of gambling itself is really that material, except that it's a frequent whipping boy of the far right morality police who are among Bennett's biggest fans.

walto · May-5th-2003, 07:28 PM

He always struck me as a pig. Not as bright as Arnold the pig, but even more sure of his absolute correctness in all things.

It would be so nice if he'd fade away now...into bacon or roast ham or something.

Squaredancecalling Steve · May-5th-2003, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by walto
He always struck me as a pig. Not as bright as Arnold the pig, but even more sure of his absolute correctness in all things.

It would be so nice if he'd fade away now...into bacon or roast ham or something.

Lord Of The Flies

Captain Hate · May-5th-2003, 07:35 PM

Gambling has almost no appeal to me; I work too hard for my jack to throw it away. For those who are getting a few chuckles at Bennett's expense, I would advise you to aim your ire at the pimps in state government who con their poorest citizens to pony up in the most regressive tax known to man: The state lotteries. Every weekend when I get my car filled up I see the sheep lining up to get shorn. I assure you that they're spending a much higher percentage of their disposable income than Bennett did; and getting squat to show for it. I hope there's a certain segment of Hell allocated to the snake oil salesmen that gulled the citizens into voting for this legal thievery. Oh yeah; its for the schools. Right.

Tanager · May-5th-2003, 07:45 PM

What I like best is the "no taxes, I want a lottery" lobby. This is the even viler faction of the snake oil salesman the good Captain singles out for vilification. Translate the above, you get "I want people with much less money than me to pay for my government services."

But I'm sorta in the middle on my level of sympathy for the bleating herds of would-be-millionaires who play this crap - I am always reminded of the mother who once came into the Burger King where I worked one time during college - she had this chubby kid with her, she told him he couldn't get a large fries b/c he was too fat (or something to that effect). I felt like smacking her and escorting her to the produce section of the closest grocery.

But it's a cycle with more than enough villains.

Dr Dave · May-5th-2003, 07:50 PM

Let's get back on topic here: Bill Bennett is a flaming hypocrite and a pompous ass and boy did he have this coming. Hey Bill, it's Jerry Springer on the phone! YAAAAHHHH HAH HAH!!

Tanager · May-5th-2003, 07:54 PM

Thank you Dave for reminding us what truly matters.

Personally, I don't see him as a pig - pigs are far too intelligent. Besides, I'd never be able to eat barbecue again.

Bill's more of a catfish - a real bottom feeder. Or maybe an eel.

Brian Olewnick · May-5th-2003, 08:34 PM

The ironic, not to say funny, thing about what CH referred to is that Jack Kemp, Bennett's partner on various crusades, has campaigned vigorously against state lotteries for much the reasons CH cites. (I agree with him).

Always found Bennett very aggravating, but I'm afraid he'll just do a tearful mea culpa somewhere--maybe on Russert's show--and he'll return--kinder, gentler and still a prick.

Clay Fink · May-6th-2003, 09:11 AM

Our new Republican Gov. here in Maryland has made slot machines his sole solution to the state's fiscal problems. So far he's been unsuccessful getting it through. I personally think that state-run gambling, or state dependence on revenue from the gambling industry, is a regressive form of taxation. On the other hand, keeping it illegal isn't a viable alternative either. Just take a look at our other attempts to police human fraility with anti-drug laws, prohibition, illega prostitution, etc.. If anything, keeping something illegal makes the associated problems worse and also creates a criminal infrustructure. I think this is also a good argument against strict prohibitions on firearms.

As far as the current debate in Maryland goes, since our Republican Gov. has no other ideas for balancing the budget (other than selling the state yacht), I'm against it.

Monte Smith · May-6th-2003, 10:27 AM

As it happens, Bill Bennett vacations at a place I have spent some time at, an island off the Carolina coast. So I've had the occasion to observe him a few times. He seemed a very down-to-earth guy, very family-oriented, though definitely not a Puritan. For the Hypocrite Watch, I can testify that I have seen Mr. Bennett chug a few Guinnesses while he relished with some unseemliness a steam pot of shellfish.

Tanager · May-6th-2003, 10:30 AM

Monte: good to know that he's only a Puritan when he's preaching morality to others. I'm relieved.

Monte Smith · May-6th-2003, 11:53 AM

Tan: Granted that when our culture hears anyone suggesting that there should be standards of behavior, then this person is perceived only as a shrieky moralist in a holier-than-thou pose.

Not a damn thing wrong with what Bennett did, of course.

Gentle Giant · May-6th-2003, 11:57 AM

Bennett was one of those who called for an end to federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which would have decimated, if not killed, PBS). Yet when PBS picked up the animated children's show based on his book - which opened the floodgates of merchandising: dolls, books, videos, clothing, etc. - he seemed to have no problem realigning his views.

What can I say? Another fat, white, rich, Republican scumbag with no soul, no conscience, and no penis.

walto · May-6th-2003, 02:00 PM

Like I said. Pig.

Tanager · May-6th-2003, 02:14 PM

My biggest problem with Bennett in this particular instance is that he conveniently exempts the vices he enjoys from those which he deems immoral.

He really did say that gambling is like drinking, if you can't handle it, don't do it. I say, fine, what if I can handle pot (or something harder)? I'm pretty sure I can handle a little kinky porn now and then, maybe even more often than that. What about wife-swapping?

I am not implying that any of the above are immoral - I'm just saying that Bill's yardstick for distinguishing the moral from the immoral seems a little too conveniently tailored towards justifying his own vices and entirely hypocritical.

Clay Fink · May-6th-2003, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Monte Smith
Tan: Granted that when our culture hears anyone suggesting that there should be standards of behavior, then this person is perceived only as a shrieky moralist in a holier-than-thou pose.

Not a damn thing wrong with what Bennett did, of course.

Go fuck yourself Monte. Wrong or right, filthy rich or not, Bennett obviously has a problem with gambling. Nothing all that interesting in and of itself, but this is a guy whose built a career on finding fault with people's frailties and condeming others for being just who they are. I really don't give a shit if you once observed him being family oriented. There's lots of liberals, gays, atheists, pot heads and muslems who are just as family oriented as Bennett and who haven't struck it rich posing as moralist and making people hate themselves. Fuck him, and fuck you.

May-6th-2003, 02:31 PM

I want to have Ann Coulters illegitimate love child. Is that so wrong?

Whats the difference in morality, right vs. wrong, and so forth? Most everyone tailors their own personal realities anyway. Is there really absolute truth? Everyone's own belief system is completely and totally customized and personal. A great example of this would be to read the bible and then talk to your everyday 'Christian'.

It's like our good friend George Carlin said, what you own is 'stuff', what someone else owns is 'shit'.

This guy Bennett is no different. Just human.

Monte Smith · May-6th-2003, 02:32 PM

Most of what Bennett has said has been about the culture. He doesn't like Hollywood because it encourages bad behavior. But he doesn't attack individuals because they are imperfect moral agents (as we all are). The exception to this is Bennett's attack on de facto moral example of POTUS Clinton, about whom Bennett famously asked Where's the Outrage?. Well, the outrage is easy to find when there is the chance to call a Republican a hypocrite!

Last night on one of the cable news programs, the author of the paperback bestseller The Best Democracy Money Can Buy was gleefully alledging that what this Republican hypocrite was hypocritical about was worse than any behavior Bill Bennett had complained of in his guise of moral crusader. He matter-of-factly denied that what Bennett was doing was legally gambling with his own private funds. This guy suggested that Bennett was misappropriating public money--money rightfully belonging to the consumers of Bennett's books that had been duped--illegally defrauded--by the author's false claims of piety.

Say what you want about such outrage, but it is so total that it is darn hard to refute.

Tanager · May-6th-2003, 02:33 PM

Scott, Bennett is different in one crucial respect - he has long presented himself as (and been looked to and held up as) a paragon of moral judgement. Were he just a schmuck like you and me, then yes, this would be (perhaps entirely) forgiveable. But he's not, and he's never considered himself to be - he's used his very public pulpit to rant about what is and is not moral, and I think his justification of his own actions is a little bit two-faced.

Clay Fink · May-6th-2003, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Dolan
I want to have Ann Coulters illegitimate love child. Is that so wrong?

I beat you to it. It's got two heads and they're both way ugly. A miracle what you can do with a red, white and blue strap-on.

Darryl G. Thomas · May-6th-2003, 02:45 PM

Coulter's got no meat on her bones, baby must have back!

Clay,

Ehrlich's turned into a real peach. I understand he's given up on the leftist media and will now concentrate on talk radio.

Anyway, here's a guy who the State Legislature tried to give slots to and he screwed it up somehow. I liked when he called a meeting with the leaders of the legislature but then overslept. If being late for meetings and taking sick days from work is a qualification I could be governor.

As far as gambling isconcerned if a person wants to throw his/her mmoney away on it I could care less. We're talking about personal responsibility. But Bennett served himself up as the "Czar of Virtue". Well the Czar's not allowed any vices.

And if he think that just saying he's not going to gamble is enough he's fooling himself. Anyone who loss 8 miilion over 10 years is out of control. That is an obscene amount of money no matter who you are. I don't care how many 50 K speeches.

May-6th-2003, 02:46 PM

Yeah, but I think you've had many others who have been in the same position in the past. Just seems more like oppurtunistic conservative bashing going on here. The cry heard round the liberal world when Clinton blew a wad on Monica's dress and then lied about it on national tv was 'everybody does it', or 'you would have lied too'.

But let a conservative blow some money on the slots and the libs are out in force, screaming for his head. Now THAT is what I call two-faced.

Tanager · May-6th-2003, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Dolan
I want to have Ann Coulters illegitimate love child. Is that so wrong?

Too late Scott, I beat you to it. What's worse (at least for you), she's joining the ACLU and leaving Fox News to write for The Nation. Sorry man, I guess my liberal charms were just too overpowering.