National Poker Week kicked off with Al D\’Amato on Howard Stern yesterday, and Howard Stern joining, on-air, the Poker Players Alliance. While I couldn\’t help but wonder if anyone listens to Howard Stern anymore — or is he kinda like Friendster … you know, very Web 1.0 — apparently Stern does still have a few million listeners, most of whom had little clue about poker issues before yesterday, when D\’Amato also discussed the possibilities of more legal marijuana in America and the joys of an elder man banging his pregnant wife. So mission accomplished, at least as far as injecting our issues into the semi-intelligent American discourse is concerned.
From the Examiner:
D’Amato (who sounds a lot like Gilbert Gottfried to the untrained ear) told Howard Stern that he believes that America should get out of both Iraq and Afghanistan immediately, stating that both wars are unwinnable. D’Amato also spoke about current efforts to reform the U.S. healthcare system. D’Amato stated that he preferred “marginal†reform to overhauling the entire system, which he states would result in huge tax increases for most Americans.
“What about legalizing pot?†asked Howard Stern, pointing to new reports about the flourishing legal marijuana industry in California.
After thinking on it carefully, D’Amato responded: “I think there’s some merit in it.â€
It wasn’t all shop talk for Alfonse D’Amato. Howard Stern asked D’Amato some of his classic questions. Alfonse D’Amato admitted that he still regularly has sex with his 6-month pregnant wife, spoke about it openly, and then sheepishly followed up his response by saying: “This isn’t going to be on TV is it?â€
To celebrate this momentous kick-start to a week of DC-centric poker politicking, the PPA unveiled a press release font upgrade and added the color blue to its official statement on Stern\’s membership:
Statement by PPA Chair D’Amato Thanking Howard Stern for Joining the PPA
WASHINGTON, DC (July 20, 2009) – Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today released the following statement commending radio host Howard Stern on joining the PPA.
“I can’t think of a more fitting way to kick off National Poker Week than having my friend, Howard Stern, become a member of the PPA. I thank him for having me on his show this morning and for supporting the PPA’s efforts to protect the freedom of American citizens to play the great game of poker at the time and place of their choosing – a freedom Congress voted to take away.
“National Poker Week is a way to shine the spotlight on this injustice and educate my former colleagues on why licensing and regulation of Internet poker is a much more effective – and revenue generating – alternative than an outright ban of this great American pastime.
“With Howard Stern as a member of the PPA, it shows Congress and the public that protecting Internet poker is about more than just poker – it’s about protecting Internet freedom and personal responsibility.â€
