What the Wacko Strategy Did

I should give some context to that memo written by former DeLay aide Michael Scanlon where he called Christian conservatives "wackos." Scanlon was attempting to whip up opposition to a ballot measure in Louisiana that would have allowed the Jena Indian tribe to operate casinos in the state. Scanlon and his lobbying firm successfully played upon concerns about the immoral nature of gambling, and the ballot measure failed.

The catch? Scanlon was working for the Coushatta Indian tribe, who was already operating casinos in Louisiana, and didn't want their market share eaten into by any other tribes. The ballot measure was really about protecting Coushatta casino revenues. So they were using money from one Indian gambling interest to decry the immorality of Indian gambling. They were also vastly overcharging the Coushatta, taking $66 million dollars from them and other tribes, using it to fund their own pet projects as well. The whole sordid tale is in this Salon piece, and it provides a textbook example of how the culture of corruption operates in Washington.