Frist's attempt to ban online gaming starting to fizzle

Latest reports indicate that Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist's attempt to attach an internet gambling ban to a defense bill is beginning to fizzle.

One of Frist’s staffers confirmed that the Majority Leader approached Senate Armed Services Committee chairman John Warner, (R-VA) and asked him to add an Internet gambling ban to a defense authorization bill. Senator Warner discussed the issue with Michigan Senator Carl Levin, the ranking Democrat on the committee. Following the meeting, Warner rejected the amendment because a ban on online wagering ban is not relevant to defense legislation.

When learning of Frist’s proposal, Rep. Shelley Berkley, (D-NV) urged Warner to reject the amendment, saying, "We must not use this important (defense) bill as a convenient vehicle for political pet issues such as a ban on Internet gaming."

In a speech Frist made Sept. 5, the day Congress returned from its August recess, he stated that an Internet gambling ban was one of his priorities prior to the Congressional adjournment. Frist's second term expires this year, and he is not running for re-election.