by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright May 5, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

ig, burly and garrulous virtues maven William J. Bennett, whose books, articles, lectures and, yes, biting TV punditry about cultural depravity set the moral compass for a generation of neo-conservatives, was caught with his pants down. Newsweek and The Washington Monthly writers Jonathan Alter and Joshua Green rocked the punditry world, breaking the story that Bennett has a longstanding problem with compulsive gambling. "We should know that too much of anything, even a good thing, may prove to be our undoing . . .[We] need . . . to set definite boundaries on our appetites," wrote Bennett in his "Book of Virtues," giving a free but revealing X-ray into his problem. What gives the story legs is not Washington's preoccupation with character assassination but Bennett's holier-than-thou smugness. Bennett has earned a living feeding off the moral bankruptcy of liberal politicians—especially former president Bill Clinton.

      Dismissing reports about his gambling as political theater, Bennett's wife fired back, insisting that his habits never hurt her family. "We are financially solvent," said Elayne Bennett, adding "all our bills are paid," discounting suggestions that her husband suffers from compulsive gambling. Trying to quell the hubbub, Elayne said, "he's never going again." Bennett, a devout Roman Catholic, heads a conservative Washington-based think tank called Empower America, frequently lectures on moral issues. He served as Ronald Reagan's Education Secretary and George H.W. Bush's drug czar, earning him a gunslinger reputation for attacking contemporary vice, liberal thinking and moral relativism. Newsweek's revelation that Bennett racked up $8 million in losses over a 10-year span in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, playing high-priced slot machines and video poker stunned the mainstream media.

      Internal casino audits show that Bennett's problem was far from a recreational gambler. Since serving in the Reagan White House, Bennett has been on a national crusade against almost every vice except compulsive gambling, though he publicly opposed the spread of Indian gaming, now pushing casino gambling to 28 states. Empower America published its "Index of Leading Cultural Indicators," reporting that "pathological" gambling plagues 5.5 million Americans, contributing to family disintegration, divorce, bankruptcy and domestic abuse—in other words, a serious cultural plague. "I view it as drinking," Bennett said, "if you can't handle it, don't do it," minimizing the significance of pathological gambling. What irks the press is not Bennett's fall from grace, but his cavalier attitude. "I play fairly high stakes. I adhere to the law. I don't play the 'milk money,'" said Bennett, giving more flimsy excuses.

      Rather than making lame excuses, Bennett should be busy repairing the damage by owning his weakness, acknowledging his need for help and pursuing some sort of rehabilitation. Continuing to deny his problem fuels more outrage among witch hunters looking to tar and feather political opponents. Bennett's "milk money" excuse offends ordinary people for whom squandering millions is essentially unthinkable, smacking of revolting elitism. Despite pointing fingers at gays and illegal aliens, Bennett must recognize that you can't cherry pick when it comes to excusing your own vices and riding a high horse on everything else. Establishing yourself as a paragon carries inherent risks, especially when you don't measure up. But Bennett's problem has less to do with gambling and everything with pointing fingers and passing judgment. Instead of making excuses, he should swallow hard and accept responsibility.

      No one should blame Newsweek's Jonathan Alter or The Washington Monthly's Joshua Green for breaking the story. Calling it political assassination on neo-conservatism misses the significance of exposing yet another case of "the emperor has no clothes." Bennett's own weakness doesn't detract from his life's work of providing a moral backbone to contemporary America. No matter how much Bennett won or lost can't hide the silly game of moral equivalency, excusing himself for extreme gambling while condemning sexual perversity and drug abuse. Everyone knows pathological gambling represents a serious social ill, every bit the match of domestic violence or drug addiction. Suggesting that pathological gambling bears no resemblance to drug abuse fails to acknowledge its devastating effects on the American family. Bennett's wife can't ignore the negative effects of compulsive gambling in today's society.

      Putting Bennett in the cross hairs, the liberal press is having a field day holding his feet to the fire, much as he's done to liberals faced with similar controversies. Bennett's backlash has more to do with his own haughtiness and life's work than an organized liberal conspiracy to take a cheap shot. Pathological gambling isn't major news when it comes to low-ranking government officials. But with Bennett's high profile virtuosity, it's natural for the press to take him to task on his own shortcomings. Bennett is a brilliant polemicist, frequently framing arguments and shaping conservative political platforms. So far, his response to news about his gambling habits hasn't played well in the press. Instead of ignoring the issue, it's time for Bennett to own his problem, welcome rehabilitation and apologize for displaying his shortcomings. Even celebrities need to know when it's time to get off the high horse.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2002 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.