You do read The Dilbert Blog right? If not, check out this take on the Abramoff scandal:

Abramoff is alleged to have engaged in a number of complicated and shady activities involving money and politicians and gambling and whatnot. Most of the allegations aren't that interesting. But one scheme, according to Time magazine, caught my eye. They say, "eLottery – This Internet gambling firm hired Abramoff and invested some $2 million in an intricate campaign in 2000 to kill a bill that would have outlawed most online gaming. Abramoff used Christian groups to block the bill on the grounds that it didn't go far enough."

Yes, the man convinced Christian groups to support gambling. Now THAT'S what I call an effective lobbyist.

When you think about it, that would be an effective way to kill almost any bill. If the goal of our non-parliamentary system is really to generate compromise, and keep solutions in a happy middle ground (as opposed to the extremes that parliamentary systems tend to generate), then killing a bill because far left or far right groups don't think it goes far enough would be able to kill anything... well... anything except pork barrel spending from ear marks.

Of course... Christians supporting gambling isn't all that far fetched really. You have heard of Bingo Night haven't you?