Change!

Our President promised us change if he were to be elected. Well, he has come through.

Aside from all the negative changes we are going through, there are a few positive ones as far as TheGOM is concerned. His constant shredding of the Constitution and stripping us of our rights has caused posssibly the most important change in this country since the passing of the Civil Rights Act. He has awakened the sleeping giant, the American people. The "Tea Parties" are continuing. Neighbors are getting together and starting to resist this eroding or our freedoms. There is a new wave of "community organizers" bringing people of like mind together. "WE THE PEOPLE" are beginning to wake up.

The news media has broken down. We no longer have fair and balanced coverage of the news. The networks and print have sold us out. They only report what is allowed by the administration. Any media not aligned with the administration is barred from coverage. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS is no more!

The new administation has also caused some personal changes for The GOM.

He has become politically active, joining a campaign to remove an incumbent member of the US House.

After a couple of near death experiences last year, The GOM has also become more active in his religion.

TheGOM is also learning a new language, out of a perceived need for self preservation. TheGOM is now also active in a local chapter of a group seeking to educate the nation to what is happening in OUR TIME, the death of a nation.

TheGOM has also been educating himself on international situations. The US has few allies. We don't need to anger them.

Now that TheGOM has his health back, he is thinking about getting a dog. Yes, TheGOM is getting back to a normal life. He now has family living in the same area code, friends that he would give his life for, and now a purpose in life. He will post more often, hopefully meaningful content, but probably just more ramblings of a grouchy old man. Stay tuned.

Does the law appy equally?

Regarding the release of CIA memos:

The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that forced the release of the memos, called on the administration to name a special prosecutor to investigate torture under the administration of George W. Bush.

"We have to look back before we can move forward as a nation. When crimes have been committed, the American legal system demands accountability," said Anthony Romero, the ACLU's executive director.

"President Obama's assertion that there should not be prosecutions of government officials who may have committed crimes before a thorough investigation has been carried out is simply untenable," he said.

"Enforcing the nation's laws should not be a political decision," he added.

Amnesty International's executive director in the United States, Larry Cox, welcomed the release of the memos.

I would ask if what Romero said is true, why are there so many illegal aliens still in this country. Why are guns still in the hands of criminals? Why is the administration full of tax cheats? Why is the Constitution being trampled?

The answer is obvious. The government is out of control. They do not have a clue as to the wishes of their constituents. Both parties have betrayed "We the People".

The tax day protests SHOULD have sent them a wake up call, however the coverage by the main stream media did not accurately portray the reasons and convictions of the protesters. The White House even said that the President was "unaware" of the protests. If he was unaware, what the hell is he doing in office? 

The GOM is BACK!

It's been almost nine months since the last post. Sorry 'bout that, but I'll try to keep up a little better now.

I've had six surgeries since the last post and have spent a total of 3 months in the hospital, but I feel now that I can do justice to The GOM Files.

WHERE DO I START?

Our country is in real trouble. The economy is in shreds, Israel is pissed, Russia is pissed, North Korea is pissed, Iran will have nukes by the end of the year, violence on our Southern border is encroaching on our soil, and all the administration and congress can do is spend trillions on nonsensical projects and programs designed to "spread the wealth". Capitalism is being attacked and our "representation" in DC is just going with the flow. 

How much are we willing to take? 

What atrocity will Obama have to commit before we wake up? 

Will it be too late? 

I'm afraid it already is.

Just My $.02 on the Election

Obama is a brilliant orator. He is a master of the teleprompter. He is a gifted politician. He could be a great leader, BUT NOT HERE! He lacks experience and judgement. He has yet a lot of questions to be answered regarding who he really is. His wife is a liability. 

Clinton is a good politician. She is smart. She is a good leader. She is vicious. She cannot be trusted. Her husband is brilliant, but can not be counted on to always say the right thing. He is not trustworthy. 

McCain is a war hero. He is a good leader. His wife is an asset to him but not to the country.He could be a good President IF he were a bit more in touch with reality. He is old. 

SUMMARY: Our next President should not be any of the above. An ideal ticket would be T.Boone Pickens and either Ron Paul, John Edwards, or Mike Huckabee. Pickens is the only man who has come up with a viable energy plan. He should be drafted to run. Do the people run the country or are we just sheeple to our politicians?

Shaking It All Out & 5 Questions for Obama

OK, the DNC has decided that one person equals one- half vote. They stand on "the rules". I don't have a problem with that as long as they are consistent, as long as they also enforce all rules (and therefore laws) equally. If any of this "rules committee" or anyone that agrees with them fails to support and enforce our immigration laws they will be branded a hypocrite and should be cast out of office. Watch out for this! They are all a bunch of pandering maggots!

Speaking of pandering, and on another note, Obama has now thrown his church under the bus.

A man of conviction would stand up for his religion and church even in face of it's leadership. He can say the leadership of the church is wrong, as he has done. This leads me to believe that he his not a man of conviction, that his Christian religion means little to him. 

SO I ASK HIM:

What religion was he before he became a Christian 20 years ago?

What mosque will he join now?

What did he do on his trips to Pakistan in 1981?

Did I see a poster of Louis Faraquan in an Obama campaign office?

Why won't he publicly answer specific questions about his positions on the 2nd Amendment?

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THE AMERICAN VOTERS?

Anybody see a pattern here?

First it was Rev. Wright. Then Ayers. Now is is another clergy that Obama is having to distance himself from. For a supposed "Christian" he is sure dodging the clergy. By association, Obama is a racist! 

Maybe they know something we only suspect, that Obama is only a Christian when it is advantageous to him. What is he the rest of the time? What was he before the Rev. Wright brought him to Christianity 20 years ago? What is he now?  Muslim maybe? WE DON'T KNOW!

This man is dangerous to the US. He has NO experience. If I were having surgery would I want a surgeon who is just out of med school or on who has had experience performing

the operation before? HOW ABOUT YOU?

TOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS!

Evil Political Dynasties and the Solution

Are the Clintons trying to establish another dynasty? Bill is now trying to get Chelsea involved. Are they alone in this delusional endeavor? Are they evil?

No, they are not by themselves. The Clintons are joined by The Bush's and the Kennedy clan.

Iraq and Chappaquiddick come to mind.

An honest, straight thinking candidate cannot be elected because in order to garner the support of enough party leaders he would have to become one of them, thus abandoning his principles. The only way for us to get a decent President is by a revolution of the people. Our current government is corrupt beyond redemption. I may be too old to see this country become a great nation again, but, sadly, I'm not too old to see it crumble to a third world status before my eyes.

Until there is a strong third party in the US, we are doomed.

Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.

News Editors: Are you guilty?

We might all send this to our local papers and TV stations, or at least get them to do a reality check.

 

For all news editors:

Making sense of spin in the news

by Dr. Michael Brown

copyright 1999

 

Guns are a sad fact of life in American culture and are a major topic in

modern journalism. A good Journalist has a duty to get involved and make

a difference in this important societal debate. By following certain

guidelines, the concerned Journalist can be assured of having the

maximum impact on this shameful problem.

 

The first principle to remember is that subtle use of terminology can

covertly influence the reader. Adjectives should be chosen for maximum

anti-gun effect.

 

When describing a gun, attach terms like "automatic," "semi-automatic,"

"large caliber," "deadly," "high powered," or "powerful." Almost any gun

can be described by one or more of these terms. More than two guns

should be called an "arsenal."

 

Try to include the term "assault weapon" if at all possible. This can be

combined with any of the terms above for best results. Nobody actually

knows what an assault weapon is, so you cannot be criticized for this

usage. Your local anti-gun organization can provide you with a list of

the latest buzz words like "junk guns," "Saturday Night Specials," and

"the criminal's weapon of choice."

 

Don't worry about getting technical details right. Many a reporter has

accidentally written about 'semi-automatic revolvers' or committed other

minor errors. Since most people know little about guns, this is not a

problem. Only the gun nuts will complain and they don't count. The

emotional content of your article is much more important than the

factual details, since people are more easily influenced through their

emotions than through logic.

 

Broadcast Journalists should have a file tape showing a machine gun

firing on full automatic. Run this video while describing "automatic"

weapons used in a crime or confiscated by police. At the least, a large

graphic of a handgun should be displayed behind the on-air personality

when reading any crime story.

 

Do not waste words describing criminals who use guns to commit crimes.

Instead of calling them burglar, rapist, murderer, or repeat offender,

simply use the term "gunman." This helps the public associate all forms

of crime and violence with the possession of guns.

 

Whenever drug dealers are arrested, guns are usually confiscated by the

police. Mention the type and number of guns more prominently than the

type and quantity of drugs. Include the number of rounds of ammunition

seized, since the number will seem large to those who know little about

guns. Obviously, the drug dealers who had the guns should now be called

"gunmen."

 

Political discussions on gun control legislation usually involve pro-gun

organizations. Always refer to these organizations as "the gun lobby."

If space permits, mention how much money the gun lobby has spent to

influence political campaigns and describe their legislative lobbying

efforts as "arm twisting" or "threats."

 

Gun owners must never be seen in a positive light. Do not mention that

these misguided individuals may actually be well educated, or have

respectable jobs and healthy families. They should be called "gun nuts"

if possible or simply gun owners at best. Mention details about their

clothing, especially if they are wearing hunting clothes or hats.

Mention the simplistic slogans on their bumper stickers to show that

their intelligence level is low. Many gun owners drive pickup trucks,

hunt and live in rural areas. Use these details to help portray them as

ignorant rednecks. Don't use the word "hunt." Always say that they

"kill" animals.

 

Don't be afraid to interview these people, they are harmless even though

we don't portray them that way. Try to solicit comments that can be

taken out of context to show them in the worst possible light.

 

Never question the effectiveness of gun control laws or proposals. Guns

are evil and kill people. Removing guns from society can only be good.

Nobody really uses guns for legitimate self-defense, especially women or

children. Any stories about armed self-defense must be minimized or

suppressed.

 

Be careful about criticizing the police for responding slowly to 911

calls for help. It is best if the public feels like the police can be

relied upon to protect them at all times. If people are buying guns to

protect their families, you are not doing your job.

 

Emphasize stories where people kill family members and/or themselves

with guns. It is important to make the public feel like they could lose

control and start killing at any moment if they have a gun in the house.

Any story where a child misuses a gun is front page material.

 

View every shooting as an event to be exploited. Always include

emotional quotes from the victim's family if possible. If they are not

available, the perpetrator's family will do nicely. The quote must blame

the tragedy on the availability of guns. Photos or video of grieving

family members are worth a thousand facts.

 

Most people will accept the assertion that guns cause crime. It is much

easier than believing that some people deliberately choose to harm

others.

 

Your story should include terms like "tragic" or "preventable" and

mention the current toll of gun violence in your city or state. Good

reporters always know exactly how many gun deaths have occurred in their

area since the first of the year. List two or three previous incidents

of gun violence to give the impression of a continuing crime wave.

 

Little space should be devoted to shootings where criminals kill each

other. Although these deaths greatly inflate the annual gun violence

numbers, they distract from the basic mission of urging law abiding

citizens to give up their guns.

 

Do not dig too deeply into the reasons behind shootings. The fact that a

gun was involved is the major point, unless someone under 18 is

affected, in which case the child angle is now of equal importance.

 

Any article about gun violence should include quotes from anti-gun

organizations or politicians. One quote should say that we must do

something "for the children." Anti-gun spokespersons should be called

"activists" or "advocates."

If your employer wishes to appear unbiased, you can include one token

quote from a gun lobby group to show that you are being fair. The

anti-gun statements should be accepted as fact. The gun lobby statement

can be denigrated by including text like, "according to gun lobbyist

Jones."

 

Fortunately, statements from anti-gun organizations come in short sound

bites that are perfect for generating an emotional response in the

reader or viewer. Gun lobby statements usually contain boring facts that

are easy to ignore.

 

Feel secure in your advocacy journalism. The vast majority of your

fellow Journalists support your activism. The nation will be a better

place when only the police and military have guns. Remember that you are

doing it for the children so the end justifies the means.

 

Eventually, the government will have a monopoly on power. Don't worry

about the right to freedom of the press, just contact me then for more

helpful hints.

 

Professor Michael Brown, School of Journalism, Brady Chair, Vancouver

College of Liberal Arts

 

Political Satire, copyright 1999, Michael Brown. May be reproduced

freely in its full and complete form.

Bush encourages increase in illegal immigration!

The President has basically given the go-ahead for illegals to storm the border in 3 weeks. Drugs smuggling will also increase. That is the date he is pulling out the National Guard troops. They were supposed to be there until the Border Patrol had grown to 18,000. The Border Patrol is not there yet but Bush is pulling the Guard troops out anyway.

If I were someone smuggling illegals or drugs I would be overjoyed! "Hey guys, let's just wait until they leave the Border Patrol to handle it shorthanded."

This administration and the Presidential candidates have done NOTHING to secure our borders. Our justice department has prosecuted Border Patrol agents for doing their job and NOTHING has been done! We have a National Guard, but as I see it there is a question as to what nation they are guarding, Iraq, Mexico, or the US.

There was a segment on "60 Minutes" (you know, the extremely non-biased investigative voice of the far left) regarding the level of medical care afforded to illegals while being held in detention while waiting for deportation. 

We, the taxpayer are paying for this medical care and also the high costs of confinement for these illegals. One suggestion is to deport them as they are arrested instead of sending them to a detention center. We could also speed up the deportation process.

 Some of these illegals are even FILING LAWSUITS (with Obama a shoo-in the ACLU has to have something to do) for poor medical treatment. I assure you, the treatment they are getting is far superior to the treatment they could get in their own country. If they don't thinks so then they should just GO HOME!

Once again, I have nothing but respect for LEGAL IMMIGRANTS to our country. They are and have been contributing to the greatness of our nation. 

If someone comes here illegally, flaunting our laws, what kind of citizen could they be? They would not feel they have to wait in lines at restaurants, doctors offices or gas stations. They do KILL to get what they want and  in front of others. Yeah, we really want those people here.

I would like someone to declare Crawford, TX a sanctuary city.

Obama Supresses Freedon of Speech!

The following is a direct cut and paste from Obama's website. Make up your own mind about this guy.

CAN I TALK TO THE PRESS?

• We ask that you under no circumstances talk to press before or during your time in North Carolina.
• We also ask that you do not blog about your experience.
• Unfortunately, if you do talk to the press you may be asked to halt volunteer activities with the campaign.

Thank You

Thank you for being a part of the North Carolina campaign! If you haven't received information about where you will be going in North Carolina within 48 hours of your sign-up, please follow-up with us at ncgotv@barackobama.com.

2nd Amendment: Right or Privilege

The following is a quote from Senator Obama's website:

PROTECTING GUN RIGHTS

Respect the Second Amendment: Millions of hunters own and use guns each year. Millions more participate

in a variety of shooting sports such as sporting clays, skeet, target and trap shooting that may not necessarily

involve hunting. As a former constitutional law professor, Barack Obama believes the Second Amendment

creates an individual right, and he greatly respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. He will

protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the

purposes of hunting and target shooting. He also believes that the right is subject to reasonable and

commonsense regulation.

Why does he want to eliminate concealed carry permits for law abiding, background checked citizens?

If Obama thinks the 2nd Amendment is subject to regulation how does he feel about the rest of the Bill of Rights. How does he feel about civil rights? Is "all men are created equal" subject to commonsense regulation?

Scary stuff, folks!

Elitest? I think not!

Folks, I'm a poker player and as such call a spade a spade.

The opponents of Obama are calling him an "eletist". A long time ago the work would have been "uppity". His  remarks about the people of Pennsylvania being "bitter" just let us know that his true colors are showing. He is against the 2nd Amendment even more than Clinton. Why does he want an unarmed citizenry?

He said the people are clinging to their religion. What's wrong with that? Does he think that they are infidels? C'mon Barack Heussein Obama, let it all out!

John McCain was not my first choice for President, but now he is the ONLY choice. I will support him.

I've always been told that where there is smoke, there is fire. All this "smoky" information about Obama being a Muslim may have merit. It is reported as a young man he also traveled to Pakistan. What did he do there? Did he also go to Jerusalem on that trip? This guy just scares the hell out of me.

360 Degrees

Well folks, they have finally done it. We have now completed the circle back to segregation. Is Obama proud of himself for stirring up this shit?

I heard today the "black" national anthem. I guess this means "The Star Spangled Banner" is the "white" national anthem. The Rev. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have finally done it. I guess we should go back to "black" and "white" restrooms and water fountains. Is this what Obama is all about?

Now, before you get your panties in a wad, I assure you I respect MLK and all he did for civil rights. All men ARE created equal. All men DO have equal rights.
But for the blacks to have their own national anthem is demostrative of how they are thinking. They want their own, separate country.

I guess the trend is for every ethnic group to want their own America. This is not what our forefathers envisioned, but it's what we have. Open the gates and let everyone in, just be sure you know how to feed and house them.

I'm glad I'm so old. I would not want to live in the USA in 20 years the way things are going. We will have a black army, a mexican-american army and a white army. The Southwest will be all Hispanic, the Northeast will be all black, and there will be a few white folks spread out throughout the Midwest and Southeast. The Northwest will be the new center of the whites. The white capitol will be Spokane or Seattle, the black capitol will be Washington, DC, the Hispanic capitol will be Los Angeles and Texas will still have Austin.

black national anthem... horseshit!

Obama- American?

The GOM is voting for Hillary in the Texas primary! I'll vote differently in November of course, but Obama must be stopped.

I hate to admit it, but Bill was right. This guy is a joke. His rhetorical skills on on par with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, his cohorts in this master plan, but his substance and character are certainly suspect. When he is giving a speech the words just flow. When he must think about what he is saying, however, he stops and stutters so much one wonders if he is even literate.

How can ANY American not be aware they are passing Dealey Plaza?

In an article in the New York Times:
“Right around the corner is the John Kennedy Memorial; everyone all around me was talking about it,” said Imogene Covin, a Democratic activist from Dallas. “In the back of my mind, it’s a possibility that something might happen because he’s something to gawk at right now. But you know why I think he will be safe? He has a broad range of people behind him.”
That afternoon, Mr. Obama’s motorcade passed Dealey Plaza and the Texas Book Depository building, where the fatal shot was fired at President Kennedy in 1963. Several campaign aides looked out their windows, silently absorbing the scene.
Not so for Mr. Obama, who later said he had not realized he was passing the site. And no one in his car pointed it out.
“I’ve got to admit, that’s not what I was thinking about,” he said. “I was thinking about how I was starting to get a head cold and needed to make sure that I cleared up my nose before I got to the arena.”
Copyright © 2008 The New York Times

A lady wrote the best letter in the editorials In ages!!! It explains things better than allThe baloney you hear on TV.

Her point:

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration.Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay indefinitely.


Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.

Let's say I break into your house.

Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave.But I say, 'No! I like it here.

It's better than my house. I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors. I've done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house).

According to the protesters:

You are Required to let me stay in your house
You are Required to feed me
You are Required to add me to your family's insurance plan
You are Required to Educate my kids
You are Required to Provide other benefits to me & to my family (my husband will do all of your yard work because he is also hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part).

If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my RIGHT to be there.
It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm a hard-working and honest, person, except for well,you know, I did break into your house and what a deal it is for me!!! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, andthere is nothing you can do about it without being accused of cold, uncaring, selfish, prejudiced, and bigoted behavior. Oh yeah, I DEMAND that you learn MY LANGUAGE!!! So you can communicate with me.

Why can't people see how ridiculous this is? Only in America .

GOD BLESS AMERICA, for we need all the help we can get when we have politicians who are too stupid or crooked to do anything about an ILLEGAL immigration problem that seems too big for their small minds to solve.

-- "That whenever any From of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.".

What's Happening

Because we don't enforce our borders

This is happening now. The eagle is crying.

Voter Fraud? Of Course Not!

While watching the Democratic caucus in Nevada today, the thought came to mind that it looked like the election of a third world country. What has this nation come to? Where is the dignity of a Reagan, a Kennedy, an Eisenhower, a Carter?

They needed interpreters to understand what was going on! Does that give you a clue as to what is coming in our election? To become a citizen one must learn English! This election will be nothing but a sham paid for by the taxpayers of the USA for the benefit of the government of Mexico.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

I thought at one time that I would always live in the greatest nation on earth. If the people in this country don't take hold of this country and these politicians I will still be alive to see the fall of the USA. That is a sad thought. Even sadder is the thought that what we knew as the USA will not be here for our children.

What's Really Important

Sorry it's been a while since the last post. I've just been too upset by the latest news. Since Thursday the GOM has been riveted to the TV following the terrible tragedy that has befallen one of America's greatest icons, Brittany Spears.

COME ON PEOPLE! How can this Brittany crap have such a hold on the American people? And more significant, how can it dominate the media? There have almost been more stories about her than the slanted stories we are getting about the primaries.

All the candidates should be heard! ALL! The exclusion of one of the viable Republican candidates from a debate is nothing less that censorship. Ask yourself, Why does the media and RNC want to  silence Ron Paul?

I don't necessarily support him, but he has the right to be heard. Our elections are controlled in this country by the media. They determine what candidates are seen and heard. They run polls with questions designed to enhance their candidate's position.

We have become a nation of sheep in this country. We are being led by the media which is owned by the extremely wealthy 1% of this country, not the masses.  Only a few media people get it right, a very few.

The GOM doesn't care who you vote for, as long as you vote with an informed opinion. If you vote, know who and what you are voting for. Take part in this wonderful privilege we have in this country, at least for now.

Don't Tear Off That Mattress Tag- You Could Be Next

The following article appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Naturally the police would go after poker players, as they have already taken care of the rest of the crime. The federal government is also involved with shutting down internet gambling, especially now that our borders are secure and all the graft in government has been eliminated.

Police go after poker games in which house takes cut

By ANNA M. TINSLEY
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Dec 10, 2007

Dan Michalski likes nothing more than to sit at a table and play Texas hold 'em.

But it's been harder for the North Texas man to find a good game lately, because Dallas police keep raiding everything from VFW halls to underground poker games, ticketing players, arresting operators and confiscating everything from the chips to the tables.

Players fear that the crackdown on poker won't stop at city borders, but spread throughout the state as long as Texas outlaws the games where the house gets a percentage of the pot.

"It's a shame," said Michalski, a poker blogger, player and editor of pokerati.com. "It's not like the people running these rooms are getting rich. A lot of people in good rooms are just trying to provide a service. What's wrong with them being able to pay the rent, buy food, with the money?

"This is frustrating, to say the least," he said. "These laws themselves are questionable."

Police say they are following the law, which says poker games in which the house gets a percentage of the pot, a rake, are illegal.

And police say they're going to track them down and bust them.

In recent years, raids of organized poker games where the house gets a rake have picked up in Dallas, and now Tarrant County law enforcement is pledging to shut down illegal gambling.

"If we find it and it's in our jurisdiction, then we're going to work it," said Mike Johnston, executive chief deputy of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department. "We haven't run across an ongoing poker situation where the house gets a cut.

"But with all the World Series of Poker on TV, it's naive to say it's not going on," he said. "If we find it, we'll get warrants and shut them down."

This in a state where former gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman once joked, "We invented Texas hold 'em here, [but] we can't even play it."

A friendly game?

Friendly poker games, where players collect the full amount of the pot, are not illegal.

It's when the house gets a percentage -- whether for food, utilities or anything else -- that it becomes illegal.

State lawmakers have unsuccessfully proposed bills to expand gambling: measures ranging from allowing Texas hold 'em at licensed bars and restaurants with the state getting a cut to letting voters decide whether the state should allow full casinos.

Those legislative efforts will likely continue, as the state looks for new revenue and realizes how many Texans gamble in neighboring states.

But until the law changes, Texas law enforcement officials say they're going to do their best to shut down illegal poker games.

In Dallas this year, there have been at least six busts of illegal poker games, with police issuing Class A misdemeanor tickets for running or promoting gambling and Class C misdemeanor tickets for gambling.

"We don't go out looking for these types of operations," said Dallas Deputy Police Chief Julian Bernal, commander of vice and narcotics. "The community is calling us repeatedly with these locations. When we get the citizen complaints, we're going to respond."

Bernal said that during the busts, police confiscate anything poker related: from the tables and chairs to the chips and money.

Tarrant County deputies haven't gotten many tips on illegal poker games and haven't come across many during their quest to shut down the eight-liner video game industry.

"It hasn't been an issue," Johnston said. "But the sheriff has been very proactive in taking a pretty hard stance on something that violates the gaming statute."

Recent raids

Several Dallas poker rooms were closed this year after police raided Veterans of Foreign Wars halls and confiscated poker paraphernalia.

Many Class C misdemeanor charges from a raid on a VFW post in Dallas were dismissed, but prosecutors are moving ahead with charges against the operators.

Dallas lawyer Bob Hinton represents one person charged with operating the April game, Brenda Wigington, and was in court recently on her behalf.

He filed a motion to suppress the evidence, which is expected to be heard in February, because, he said, he believes that the affidavit for a search warrant won't stand up in court.

But Hinton said he doesn't understand why some of the poker games are being targeted.

"All of these lodges -- VFW, Elks, whatever -- they all do this: play poker," he said. "It's just good, clean fun.

"They say since the house was taking a small percentage to pay the light bill, then that's illegal. From a practical standpoint, this is how they were able to raise money for charitable things. This wasn't something about profit."

Nationwide attention

News of the Dallas busts quickly traveled through newspapers and on the Internet.

Recently, even comedian Drew Carey became interested, filming a segment about the story for Reason.tv, a Web site home to a collection of libertarian videos.

"Poker is about as American as baseball and apple pie," Carey said on the broadcast. "It was born here in America. Mark Twain loved it. He's a great American.

"Until recently, Supreme Court justices had a monthly game. They're great Americans," Carey said. "You'd think playing poker in a VFW hall would be about as American as anything you could do."

Michalski says he's moving to Las Vegas after Christmas.

"It's frustrating to saw the least," said Michalski, 35. "These laws in Texas are outdated. ... It's not what it used to be."

ANNA M. TINSLEY, 817-390-7610
atinsley@star-telegram.com