IS REID READY TO MAKE HIS MOVE ON INTERNET POKER?

Tuesday December 6,2011 : Rumour mill gets into gear on news that Reid is to introduce a new financial measure this week
 
For months there has been rumour and speculation that Nevada Senator Harry Reid, after working behind the scenes with Senator Jon Kyl, is about to launch an internet poker legalization initiative in Congress. Over the weekend this interesting possibility took on new life following a Fox News interview.
 
In the interview Sunday, Senator Kent Conrad revealed Sen. Reid was about to introduce a bill extending tax cuts, and that the cost of this would be covered by other [unspecified] revenue generating initiatives. This immediately triggered speculation that this could signal the attachment of an internet poker legalization provision.
 
“Majority Leader Reid called me yesterday and said he will propose tomorrow a compromise plan to extend the payroll tax cut,” Senate Budget Committee chairman Conrad revealed. “He will offer it at that point — I don’t think it’s probably in my purview to announce his plan — but he indicated to me it will be paid for. It will be paid for in a serious way.”
 
Then Sen. Tom Coburn told interviewer Chris Wallace that he is opposed to paying for a one-year tax cut "through measures that would span the next decade."  That was seen as a reference to the projected billions that the legalization of online poker has the potential to generate over a ten year timeline – an argument often used by pro-legalization politicians.
 
“The principle that you would in fact create a tax cut and then say you’re going to pay for it over 10 years is exactly why we’re bankrupt as a nation,” said Republican Coburn.
 
Reid's office had not commented on the new measure when InfoPowa went to press Monday.