The Enforcers
Sen. Harry Reid got on board with the Republicans… or the Mafia agenda last week with an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle:
My term on the gaming commission came to an end in 1981, and when it did, I thought I had seen such corruption for the last time. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. It is not quite the mafia of Las Vegas in the 1970s, but what is happening today in Washington is every bit as corrupt and the consequences for our country have been severe.
Our nation’s capital has been overrun by organized crime — Tom DeLay-style.
The gangsters are the lobbyists, cronies and lawmakers who have banded together and abused their power to serve their own self-interest. The casinos are the Capitol, which has had its doors thrown open for special interests to waltz in and help themselves, and the victims, of course, are the American people.
Right. And to extend the analogy a bit further, a good politician would take all the free smokes and booze and refrain from gambling. That’s the way to beat the house. And avoid the buffets. They’re not worth it.
And while we’re talking mobbed-up casinos and the GOP, it’s probably worth noting that there is an uncanny resemblance between Nicky Santoro in Casino and Tommy “The Hammer” Delay.
They both had roughly the same job, too. Here’s how Nicky describes his purpose:
Thats why The Bosses sent me out here- they wanted me to make sure none of the other crews robbed the joint. Like these two f***** ballonheads over here. They were gonna try to bang us outta two hundred f***** grand? Yeah, right, I’m sure.
And this is Wikipedia on Delay:
As Majority Whip, DeLay earned the nickname “The Hammer” for his enforcement of party discipline in close votes and his reputation for wreaking political vengeance on opponents. DeLay has expressed a like for his nickname, pointing out that the hammer is one of a carpenter’s most valuable tools.
Of course, Nicky preferred a vise.
Ok, so there’s a difference in degree. But not in kind. They’re both the Enforcers. And here’s a piece of trivia that couldn’t be more relevant: Does anyone remember the tagline from the original Casino trailers?
“No one stays at the top forever.”
Hehe. We couldn’t have said it better.