By David Richardson

09/30/2008

          As the race for President goes into the final stretch both candidates are going all in and that includes commenting on each others gambling habits.  A recent statement made by Barack Obama has sparked interest in both candidates past affiliations with lobbyist at the tables.  It looks like regardless of who wins we’ll have a gambler in the white house but its unclear the affect it would have on online poker.

            It seems that both Obama and McCain have a taste for gambling with lobbyist they just choose to play different games.  The recent discovery has led to a lot of questions about their associations with the lobbyist and their views on gambling in general.  When Obama’s campaign brought to light that McCain had been known to keep lobbyist for Indian casinos as friends they were trying to cause conflict between the Republican nominee and his right-wing religious supporters.

            But it didn’t quite have the intended effect since it was quickly answered with allegations of Obama doing exactly the same.  It seems that both have been caught sitting with lobbyist at the tables, McCain at the craps tables and Obama on the poker felt.  However there are some key differences in their actions and what their connections mean. 

            The distinctions go farther than the fact that McCain was much more of a high roller than Obama.  For one thing the accounts of McCain’s gambling are very recent, as in happened this past weekend.  Also a key distinction is that McCain was playing with two lobbyist Scott Reed and Rick Davis whom he knows well enough to have had Reed arrange the get together.  The other key distinction beyond McCain purposely meeting up with two specific lobbyists was that they were lobbyist for Indian casinos which McCain oversaw while on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

            As for Obama, his lobbyist associated poker happened a while back while he was the state Senator of Illinois in Chicago.  He was a part of organized poker games that included both lawmakers that were Republican and Democrat as well as lobbyist.  Republican Sen. Bill Brady who use to play with Obama has stated that the games were usually 50-50 lawmakers to lobbyist.  It’s unclear if their was any association beyond the game but no evidence has yet turned up to suggest any special interest connections.