A Curious Silence x 2

     Frank Rich's column in today's NY Times is about what he considers the unusual silence from the Right about Admiral Mullen's testimony against Don't Ask Don't Tell this past week (other than Alabama U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, who Rich calls out.)
     There has been a similar silence here in Alabama from supporters of the Governor's electronic bingo raids. Other than Mobile DA and Task Force Commander John Tyson, the Governor's staff, and seven of the nine Justices on The Alabama Supreme Court, who is applauding the raids at Victoryland and Country Crossing?  Where are the legislators calling news conferences and the church groups holding mass rallies?
    Even the conservative Birmingham News says the raids are an example of "bad public policy", and that the courts are the proper forum for the dispute....though I had to laugh at one part of their editorial argument:

We cannot defend chop shops or meth labs because of their economic impact; neither should we make that a justification for illegal gambling.

     Let's at least stay in the same orchard, no?
    One of the groups that would have been out demonstrating in favor of the Governor-- the Christian Coalition-- has been neutralized by it's own gaming connection. They took  PAC to PAC money from gambling interests. (The pro-gambling side's ads says Bob Riley did the same thing, which he denies.)
     It was certainly a case of curious timing. On Wednesday, the CC's releases their poll showing a large majority of Alabamains do not oppose electronic bingo, then the PAC story, giving the Governor a way to dismiss the CC polls.

     Columnist Rich makes the argument that the tide has turned against DADT, that even conservative politicians are unwilling to stick their necks out anymore on that loser of an issue.

     Could the same thing be happening with bingo here in Alabama? Perhaps conservative politicians who are running for reelection, unlike Governor Riley, have seen the writing of the polls. Maybe they've decided putting thousands of people out of work, in an 11% unemployment economy, and eliminating the taxes and fees paid by the bingo places, isn't the best idea. Especially since the Native American gambling facilities are beyond Riley & Tyson's reach, and will surely profit from the raids.
     Meanwhile, now there are threats of armed confrontation between county and state law enforcement over the issue. Are there any cooler heads in Alabama to prevail?