Echoing the sentiments of, well, everyone who isn't named Bill Frist or Jim Leach, MGM/Mirage executive Terry Lanni said that it was ridiculous that the UIGEA was attached to an entirely unrelated port security bill, and passed in the middle of the night before congress recessed for the election.

Lanni said "It makes no sense whatsoever . . . prohibition didn't work, this isn't going to work."

Great, dude. Tell us something we don't already know; now what are you going to do about it?

"We're looking even in the lame-duck session to reintroduce this bill with some of our compatriots in the House and Senate to study (Internet) gaming . . . we think it can be taxed, we think it can be regulated, we think it can be licensed."

A study is the first step down a very long road to repeal the UIGEA, if I understand how congress works.

In a related story, the Poker Player's Alliance did a telephone poll in Iowa, where Jim "click the mouse and lose your house" Leach was narrowly defeated by his Democratic challenger Dave Loebsack. While one in 10 cited Leach's stand against Internet gambling as a strong influence in their vote for him, a greater proportion, nearly one in seven, cited it as a strong reason to vote for Loebsack.

Pollster Thomas Riehle said, "It looks like on balance, Leach's position on Internet gambling hurt him more than it helped him."