Bill Bennett Busted: Do as We Say, Not as I Do?

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Bill Bennett Busted: Do as We Say, Not as I Do?
by J. Edward Tremlett, Columnist

May 6, 2003

"Down On the rANT Farm"

J. Edward Tremlett "Do As I Say ... " I really, really, really hate William J. Bennett. I've said as much before and I have not changed my mind in the slightest. I find him to be pompous, rude, unnecessarily combative, simplistic, and self-righteous. I agree with him that our society could use some fixing, and I do agree with him on some of what needs fixed. But I find his tendency to mistake the symptoms for the disease to be annoying at best, and - when he's in full-blown kulturkampf mode - borderline fascist at worst.

So - knowing that Karma can take us at any moment - I've been waiting for the day when Bennett would finally trip over his own long, accusing finger and get shown up as a hypocrite. This has largely consisted of me hoping he'd be caught in a bed wearing a clown costume, with a French poodle on either side of him, a huge can of whipped cream balanced on his ample gut and a big, fat joint perched in his mouth. I realize that's cruel of me, as I normally have more respect for animals than that - even if they are French poodles. But I just wanted to see him try to explain his way out of that one.

Yes... I have always felt that it would be a great day in America when William J. Bennett - former Drug Czar, writer of numerous jeremiads on America's moral fiber, culture warrior and general all-around bully - had to have his Bill Clinton moment and confess to being just a little less "moral" than he'd like us all to be. So when I heard that, at long last, Newsweek and the Washington Monthly had caught America's number-one Vituperative Virtuecrat with his pants down, I had to NOT laugh.

Pants down, did I say? Well, not exactly DOWN - more like with the pockets turned inside out in front of slot machines - to the tune of millions of dollars in losses over the last decade or so. According to the aforementioned publications, Mr. Bennett can often be found dropping major bucks at a number of money pits in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. He's even got preferred customer status at a few casinos: $200,000 credit lines, 'comped' hotel rooms, limos... you name it.

Now, normally, this wouldn't be a terrible thing, and nor should it be the sort of thing that we should get upset over. It's isn't completely illegal to gamble in America - in fact, it shouldn't be illegal at all. If someone wants to toss their money down the hole instead of spending it wisely - or giving it to me - that's their business, and not that of the state. So why shouldn't Mr. Bennett - or anyone, for that matter - feel free to indulge where it's allowed? Why should we be shocked that he does?

The answer lies in who he hangs his hat with. Besides being one of the tinfoil hats behind Americans for Victory Over Terrorism, William J. Bennett is one of the co-chairs of Empower America. And Empower America stands in direct opposition to the extension of casino gambling in the states.

Read that one more time. William J. Bennett's own organization does not want gambling casinos to be spread any further than they already are, and yet here's Billy, plunking down millions of dollars in those exact, same casinos. That's like catching Tipper Gore right up front at a Prince concert, isn't it? Either that or discovering that Ann Coulter was a Muslim all along. Or maybe finding Hillary Clinton at a PLO rally - especially now that she needs to get the New York vote...

Thus far, Mr. Bennett's managed to hold his own. He didn't try to deny this, and people already knew that he gambled, anyway - they just didn't know it was to THAT extent. But the IRS knows what he makes, some of the money goes to charity and, as he can command around $50,000 a lecture, he's hardly betting the milk money if he goes and sits in front of a one-armed bandit until the wee hours, is he?

And it isn't as though he's actually been hypocritical, is it? He's never actually condemned gambling, himself. He says it's like drinking: if you can't handle it, don't do it. And he seems to think he can handle it. (Or is this just denial...?)

But while Mr. Bennett hasn't condemned casino gambling, himself, he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with people who DO. Jack Kemp, another co-chair, just
recently complained about lawmakers who "pollute our society with a slot machine on every corner" - and there's Bennett, tossing coins in each and every one. Oops...

This cannot look good at all. I'll be highly surprised if we don't see some crow being handed out for someone to eat at some point, or at the very least a public shaming could be in order. A rather ironic touch, given how Bennett's called for people to be shamed for saying, recording, performing and being caught doing things that he doesn't approve of.

But hey - you know what they say about living by the sword. The old mantra of "Do as I say, not as I do" has tripped up many a victim over the ages. But you'd think someone as well-read and intelligent as William J. Bennett would be smart enough to follow his own advice?

"We should know that too much of anything, even a good thing, may prove to be our undoing . [We] need to set definite boundaries on our appetites." - "The Book of Virtues" - William J. Bennett ***

J. Edward Tremlett is a published author, political thinker and self-described "mean-spirited crank." He lives with his wife and two cats in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Photo of J. Edward Tremlett courtesy of staff files