Recent Stories with tag jim mcdermott

Here's Jim McDermott, of "the poker-faced 7th," explaining his position on CNBC, who ask him if his pragmatic defense of online gambling (everyone's doing it, so let's legalize it so we can at least regulate and tax it) extends to marijuana legalization. McDermott says he's on record as being in favor of medical marijuana, but that's as far as he goes.

The Seattle Times has the full story: In brief, illegal online gambling is supposed to amount to $5.8 billion annually, a figure that would no doubt increase if it weren't illegal. With no effective prohibitive enforcement on the horizon--and gambling legal in all kinds of other forms--Jim McDermott and Barney Frank are pushing for legalization.

The tax revenue--McDermott estimates $42 billion over ten years--would pay for "improved foster care and early-childhood education. McDermott would earmark a full 25 percent of revenue for foster child care, in fact.

The legalization move is opposed most vocally by Virginia's Bob Goodlatte, whom the Times says believes "legalizing Internet gambling would pave a path to addiction and financial ruin." The Seattle Weekly points out that Goodlatte's strict stance would also lead him to ban church bingo nights. In any event, McDermott's bill allows states to opt out of legalization if they'd like. So Goodlatte would be free to keep Virginia's foster care system safe from gambling profits.

Tomorrow President Obama will sign the health care reform bill, but right now, the reconciliation bill--a collection of changes to the original bill--is headed back to the Senate, which may vote on it this week. Or not.

CD News has our Congressman McDermott's speech from yesterday: "In 2010 the country needs healthcare reform, and the Democrats will answer tonight." Washington state's Representatives voted yea or nay according to party lines, with Adam Smith and Brian Baird, the two Democratic hold-outs, agreeing finally to vote in favor.

Much of the reform would not roll out until 2014, but there are "early deliverables" that will arrive this year, as Kaiser Health News reports:

Dependent children could remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until age 26. Senior citizens would get more help paying for drugs in Medicare. People with health problems that left them uninsurable could qualify for coverage through a federal program. Other first-year items include a ban on lifetime limits on medical coverage, more oversight of premium increases and tax credits for some small businesses.

The New York Times has put together this more comprehensive detail of reform's effects, both immediately and in 2014, when the state-run insurance exchanges would begin operation.

Some people have internet stardom thrust upon them, and such was the case of Elizabeth Becton, the newly ex-executive assistant to Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Fightin' 7th). Politico reports Becton has left the office (along with chief of staff Mike DeCesare). Her infamous "Don't call me Liz" email thread, the Keith Olbermann reenactment of which was #1 in the list of the most outrageous political videos of 2009, was actually just a highlight from a storied email-invective past, according to Wonkette. She'll always have her Facebook fan page, of course. And we'll always have the eye-singing memories.