Whether or not “finishing” includes passing the online poker bill remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Reid bill is still on the table and continues to be revised, albeit quietly, as the Senate engages in a multitrillion-dollar left-vs-right holiday battle royale. But so far the only thing the bill has attached itself to is what is becoming, as NPR explains, a contentious race against the clock.

The Constitutional deadline for this session of Congress to close its business is noon on January 3rd, 2011.

Yesterday, the Christian Science Monitor published, “Will Harry Reid keep the Senate in session through Christmas?” — revealing that Dems want to max out their time left in the 111th Congress, while the GOP would like this session to be short and sweet. Shocker.

On Tuesday, Senate majority leader Harry Reid laid out an ambitious three weeks, potentially keeping senators in Washington through the holidays and calling votes on controversial issues ranging from the START nuclear arms pact to the immigration reform DREAM Act. Republican leaders, by contrast, offered a more modest agenda: pass the tax-cut deal, pass short-term funding for the government to avoid a shutdown, and go home. [Emphasis added.]

But just hours ago The Hill reported that Reid and crew could finish up earlier – say next week:

“Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday announced that the Senate would remain in session through Sunday and that he hopes to wrap up the chamber’s work by the middle of next week.”

Not sure what Reid is *really* trying to say here, but surely the Democratic party is even more on edge about their clout in the 112th Congress, with Republicans not only assuming Committee leadership roles, but also cutting panels in away that stands to hack away at Democratic influence.

With so much on the table to contend with, and both parties aware this could well be the Democrats’ last-best shot for passing all variety of bills they want to see signed into law for at least two years, it seems a new delay tactic now could be simply arguing over how long Congress should stay in Washington DC. Seems doubtful that the two parties reach some consensus on finishing up in time for Barack Obama to avoid ticket-change fees on his trip to Hawaii.

President-elect Obama and his transition team established a website to give the people of America a voice. Change.gov has a section called Citizen’s Briefing Book, wherein with a simple log-in, anyone can sound off about issues that they’d like to see the Obama administration put on its radar. Poker players have stepped up and taken action, not only by posting entries about online poker and the UIGEA, but taking one post in particular and ranking it so high (second at one point) that the Obama administration will have to take a look at it.

The entry called “Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker” didn’t use spell-check isn’t the most detailed, but sometimes short-and-sweet is all that’s necessary. By thousands of people logging in and hitting “vote up” next to the entry, it has become one of the most viewed on the site. It takes a few minutes, and each subsequent vote will push the issue that much closer to Obama’s desk.

Meanwhile, in Congress, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has introduced the Midnight Rule Act in an attempt to negate – or at least call into review – the last three months of regulations put into effect by the lame duck Bush administration. That would include the UIGEA that, despite objections by financial institutions, will go into effect on Monday, January 19th with compliance required by December 1st. If Nadler’s bill passes and gets to Obama’s desk, all of those midnight antics would go through a review, and possible rejection, by the appropriate members of Obama’s cabinet. This is a chance to reverse the enforcement dates of the UIGEA and give us more time to lobby Obama to help us change it.

Get on over to the PPA website, where you can get in touch with your Congressional representative and urge their support of the Midnight Rule Act introduced by Nadler.

Begs the question, of course, of who will make the next administration’s Presidential poker chips … because clearly he’ll have to have some, right?

Here’s the word that just came over the D’amat-phone:

Dear Dan,

Yesterday, in a move reminiscent of 2006 when the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act [UIGEA] legislation passed in the dead of night, the Bush Administration finalized the UIGEA regulations. These so called “midnight rules” are set to go into effect on January 19th, 2009, the day before President-Elect Obama takes office. Even though the President stated many times he was against midnight rulemaking, his actions undermine those words.

Right now, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is preparing for a potential lawsuit against the UIGEA because its vagueness will likely force banks and other payment processors to over-block lawful Internet poker transactions. Thusly, the PPA is looking for a few good men and women to stand with us in a potential lawsuit. As a paid PPA member, your support has been crucial to our successes. The PPA is prepared to underwrite the complete cost of potential litigation we just need members like you to be part of our action.

We are looking for certain characteristics from our members who would be in this potential lawsuit. Firstly, you would incur no legal costs of your own, and would not be in danger of any kind of prosecution for your actions. If you fit the follow characteristics and would be interested in helping, please let me know as soon as possible,

1. Engage regularly and currently in internet poker;

2. Earn money through internet poker–the greater the percentage of one’s total income the better;

3. Report net internet gaming income on one’s federal and state tax returns; and

4. Reside in or game from a state where such activity is not illegal.

Plaintiffs who are required either by circumstance (e.g., care for children) or health (e.g., disabled) to remain at home and who therefore, earn their income solely from internet gaming would be highly desirable. Members of the military stationed in a war zone who engage in internet gaming would also be desirable.

If you are interested in being interviewed by PPA’s legal counsel to serve as a plaintiff in this potential case send us an email at uigealitigation@pokerplayersalliance.org. You must include the following information in your email, and a member of our legal team will contact you.

Name

Contact Phone Number

State of Residence

Date of Birth

Thanks so much, and I look forward to standing up to this injustice with you.

Proud to Play,
Alfonse D’Amato, Chairman
Poker Players Alliance

Naturally I would love to be party to this suit. It’s been too long since I’ve been involved in some civil jurisprudence — fun! However, items 2, 3, and 4 might leave me unqualified. Not only do I show net losses for my play online, but also I’m not even clear on how legal or illegal playing online is in Nevada.

But I gotta say, it was kinda interesting just now to see none other than Barney Frank (Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, D-MA) step out with Spencer Bachus (Frank’s enemy in recent poker fights, R-AL), letting the public know that they are working with the hastily constructed bailout bill to massage it into good working must-passable shape. Frank is talking about provisions Congress will add to the bill, and Bachus is there by his side, assuring taxpayers whatever happens, they won’t get screwed.

(Fingers crossed!)

Seeing these guys working together toward compromise (as John McCain and Barack Obama huddle with President G-Dub) made me think a little more about how poker might fit in to America’s 21st Century economy … and why shouldn’t the poker sites have to/get to pay a fee to American banks for processing their electronic transactions? Not anything to do with actual bets across the table, of course … but paying the banks to secure the transfer of money for players making deposits and cashouts … that certainly seems fair enough to me.

Maybe a drop in the bucket toward helping out such a huge industry … but a push in the right direction for the banks’ bottom line.