Chad’s Morning Brief: Texas Republican Pushing Online-Poker Bill, Obama Doesn’t Think Successful People Got There Alone, & More

Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of July 16, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty for these and many more topics from 6-9 am.

1. Joe Barton Pushes for Online -Poker (link)

Well, now this is interesting.

"Internet poker isn't a crime," said Barton, R-Ennis, whose district includes parts of Tarrant County. "It is a game of skill, and it shouldn't be outlawed."

With the days waning in the congressional session, Barton said he's talking to colleagues, hoping to pass a bill legalizing the estimated $6 billion online poker industry by creating interstate licensing.

"This is admittedly not the most pressing issue for our country, and it doesn't take priority over current economic issues," said Barton, who occasionally plays poker online for free and at casinos for money. "However, I still believe that it needs to be addressed."

Barton's proposal has drawn three dozen co-sponsors, including Democratic Reps. Shelley Berkley of Nevada and Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Republican Reps. Ron Paul of Lake Jackson and Peter King of New York. The measure has drawn support in the poker-playing industry.

"Most lawmakers recognize the status quo isn't sustainable," said John Pappas, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Poker Players Alliance. "We can continue to bury our heads in the sand and hope that Internet poker will go away, but it won't."

Critics of Barton's bill remain staunch.

Groups like the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission opposes expanding gambling and this bill. Personally, I have no problem with it or gambling. People already play poker and they already gamble. Not sure what the big deal is. If you are worried about people losing all their money, don't be! It's called personally responsibility.

2. Obama and Business, Not a Good Mix. (link)

In Obama's America, the government is always going to help you. No one can make it on their own. In fact you people that have, didn't really. You all had people helping you. And you business people out there, you aren't successful because of your talent. Someone else built up your business and we allow you to survive.

Yes friends, that's how he thinks.

President Barack Obama addressed supporters in Roanoke, Virginia on Saturday afternoon and took a shot at the business community. President Obama dismissed any credit business owners give themselves for their success:

There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me -- because they want to give something back.  They know they didn’t -- look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own.  You didn’t get there on your own.  I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart.  There are a lot of smart people out there.  It must be because I worked harder than everybody else.  Let me tell you something -- there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.  (Applause.)

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help.  There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.  Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive.  Somebody invested in roads and bridges.  If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that.  Somebody else made that happen.  The Internet didn’t get invented on its own.  Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.

Thoughts?

3. Fewer Young People Plan on Voting (link)

Well this is just shocking! Fewer young people plan on voting. Yes, I'm actually okay with this.

Voter enthusiasm in general seems to be low this year, as the percentage of all voters who say they will “definitely vote” this November was only 78 percent — seven points below 2008 levels.

Turnout will be an important factor this election, as President Barack Obama’s 2008 election saw huge support from demographic groups that usually have lower turnouts.

For example, only 64 percent of Hispanics said they were “definitely likely” to vote this election, down 14 points from the national average. Only 76 percent of African Americans say they’re definitely voting this election — 2 points below the national average. Desire to vote is lower for both groups this election by 11 points for Hispanics and 13 points for African Americans.

“The challenge for Obama is that many of Obama’s strongest support groups, including young adults, blacks and Hispanics, have historically turned out to vote at lower rates than other subgroups, Gallup notes. “So maintaining a relatively high level of turnout among these groups is a key to Obama’s winning a second term.”

Lack of enthusiasm, lack of finding work, whatever it is, people just aren't excited about Obama.

4. Bush Think Tank Not Always In-Step With GOP (link)

Interesting story over the Bush Institute and the policy debates that have some in the GOP going in a different direction than George W. Bush.

Far from steering clear of public policy — as media reports often portray him — Bush has quietly guided the institute to start building upon parts of his presidency that remain hot topics of debate: foreign aid, accountability in education, tax policy and democracy movements.

Bush and his staff are careful to honor post-White House standards of decorum that typically limit how much presidents engage in day-to-day politics — and the nonpartisan bent required for the institute’s tax-exempt status.

But some of the ideas that Bush and the institute are promoting put him at odds with many in the GOP, and especially those who participated in this year’s acrid Republican presidential primary.

“One of the ironies of contemporary politics is that the Republicans are ignoring or rejecting the last Republican president,” said George C. Edwards, an expert on the presidency at Texas A&M University. “You have a president interested in compassionate conservatism, and that’s not something the Republicans seem to be interested in right now.”

5. Dumb Story of the Morning (link)

Florida man pulls gun on girlfriend. Why? Well because she broke his bong of course.

A Florida man was arrested for allegedly pulling a gun on his girlfriend after she broke his bong, police said.

Brandon Chviek, 20, was arrested early Monday and charged with domestic battery and strangulation, aggravated assault and possession of drug paraphernalia for the incident, The Gainesville Sun reported.

Police said Chviek and his girlfriend, who he lived with, got into an argument Sunday night in which the girlfriend broke Chviek's bong. Chviek in turn pulled a gun on his girlfriend.

Guests Appearing on Today's LFN:

7:05am: US Senate Candidate Ted Cruz

7:35am: Congressman Randy Neugebauer

Other Top Stories:

UT President Told Not To Speak Out for UT Student Jailed in Iran

Latest in Texas Voter ID Case

Senate Dems Introduce "Team USA Made in America Act of 2012"... No Seriously.

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.