Lou Sheldon blasts Newt Gingrich for receiving gambling funds, must have forgotten about eLottery

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The Washington Post reports that Newt Gingrich’s new organization recently received “a $1 million check from Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon G. Adelson.”

The Post turned to Traditional Values Coalition head Lou Sheldon for comment on the idea that Gingrich would be using gambling funds to bankroll his right-wing agenda:

"The problem is the income comes from what we call a vice, and that is an issue," said the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, which has long been a powerful voice on social issues inside the GOP.

However, in 2000, Abramoff’s client, eLottery, faced devastation if Congress passed legislation prohibiting internet gambling. Abramoff’s solution was to take an exception for jai alai and horse racing contained in the legislation and argue that the exceptions would actually expand legalized gambling and then gin up right-wing opposition.

Unfortunately for him, most of the Right supported the bill, so Abramoff reached out to Sheldon and Ralph Reed in an effort to kill it. Sheldon when to work pushing House members to oppose the bill and targeting Reps. Robert Aderholt, J.C. Watts and others with mailers accusing them of supporting a “law the gamblers want” for having voted for the gambling bill.

In the end, Abramoff’s scheme paid off and Congress adjourned without passing the legislation.

It was no coincidence that Abramoff called Sheldon "Lucky Louie."

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/01/and_then_the_hy_1.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/15/AR2005101501539_pf.html