GOP donor may have to hedge his bets on Internet gambling

[mahatmakanejeeves]

That's the title in the print edition of the Washington Post for Friday, November 21.

GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson faces conservative rebellion over online gambling

By Tom Hamburger November 20 

Given the more than $100 million that Sheldon Adelson has donated lately to Republican causes, the billionaire casino tycoon is well-positioned to get what he wants from a GOP-dominated Congress.

But it turns out that the item on top of Adelson’s wish list — a ban on Internet gambling — is encountering resistance. And it’s not Democrats who stand in his way but a small group of fellow conservatives.
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The debate points to a newly visible complication for modern-day political megadonors, who are gaining influence with policymakers in an era of unlimited contributions but can also encounter friction when pursuing policies seen as helping their economic interests.

States “don’t need the federal government babysitting them,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax reform, who joined 10 other conservative- group leaders this week to send a letter to lawmakers urging them to “preserve the authority of the states” and reject the proposed ban.

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