Ummm, actaully Mr. Will, its at least the third prohibition

George Will has a piece in Newsweek about the new anti-internet gambling bill that W recently signed. I've discussed it here, here, and here (the smart, but illegal, bet is that I'll mention it again) and Mr. Will and I tend to agree. I don't have much more to add except to point out that internet gambling isn't Prohibition V.2, that title belongs to the "War on Drugs." V.1 failed, V.2 failed, but no one can admit it yet, and V.3 will fail too (bet on it).

Two quick hits. One, Mr. Will, and other's like him, need to shed this, "I'm from the Libertarian Wing of the Republican Party" schtick. Just be a Libertarian. I did, and who doesn't want to be like me? Just commit (political and career suicide?) to the cause.

Second, quick anecdote about the internet gambling ban. I happened to be talking to one of the A list Texas Hold-em players and, since I can't really compare gambling stories, I brought up that the House passed the ban, and that Frist was a big fan, and being Senate Majority Leader and all it looked like this thing was heading for law. Did he think the ban would affect the Poker Bubble? Well, after looking at me like I was sooooo naive, he assured me that it would never pass, and that no less the Phil Gordon had looked into it and decided that there was no way it could happen, too much money at stake. We had a brief debate, but I will forever rue that I didn't say, "Wanna bet?" Also, he said there was no poker bubble. All I'm sayin' is that if poker was a stock, I'd be short.