Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (of the diagnosis -- by videotape -- of Terri Schiavo) recently attempted to attach anti-gaming legislation to a defense spending bill that will be before the senate for a vote before their next recess.

When news of Frist's efforts was released, pretty much every online poker player I know threw up and prepared for the worst, because defense spending bills typically pass no matter how cynically amended they are, especially in election years.

However, there is some hope that this effort to force legislation which would never pass on its own will fail, according to Lou Kreiger's blog: 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."

Congress has apparently chosen to ignore the 80% of Americans who say that all forms of online gaming should be taxed and regulated, not just the horse racing and state lotteries that Congress has seen fit to exempt from their efforts to play mommy and daddy to the country. This latest common sense rebuff by Rep. Berkley is a welcome change from business as usual in Washington.

However, this fight is far from over, and this is as good a time as any to remind you all to join the Poker Player's Alliance.