The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (not know for its antagonism of Republicans) reports:

Former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed claimed in a 2001 e-mail to a lobbyist that he choreographed John Cornyn's efforts as Texas attorney general to shut down an East Texas Indian tribe's casino

That "East Texas Indian tribe" is the Alabama-Coushatta - one of the poorest Native American nations. Look at the facts of life among the Alabama-Coushatta:

46 percent of all eligible members of the Alabama-Coushatta are not employed on a full-time basis.

Only 1 percent of Tribal members on the reservation have a four-year college degree.

Out of a total of 513 on-reservation Tribal members, 147 are diabetic.

Median household income of the Alabama-Coushatta is $10,809.

Don't let anyone sucker you into thinking that they are just too damn lazy to get ahead either:

The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe does not want a handout – it just wants the opportunity to pursue economic development projects. We want to provide long-term economic stability for our members, and economic independence for individual tribal members. We want a better life for ourselves and our children. We want to be self-sufficient.

What does John Cornyn, the darling of the Texas Republicans, think of this group of Indians? Let's look at some of the email on the subject:

"We have also choreographed Cornyn's response. The AG will state that the law is clear, talk about how much he wants to avoid repetition of El Paso and pledge to take swift action to enforce the law," Reed wrote. "He will also personally hand Ed Young a letter that commits him to take action in Livingston."

"Reed" is Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed. He is point-blank bragging - and guaranteeing - that John Cornyn will behave exactly the way he wants. And the way he wants is for two Indian casinos - the sole means most young Native Americans have of getting enough money to go to college - to be closed forever.

Ralph Reed has a long political career. In that career, he has managed to tie himself to Pat Robertson, Jack Abramoff, Mike Scanlon, Tom DeLay, Karl Rove, Enron, Jesse Helms, and Pat Buchanan.

It should be apparent to anyone that the actions of this bunch is not in any way tied to a moral objection to gambling - after all, no one blinked when William Bennett admitted he was a big time gambler. Not one of them has openly opposed the Texas Lotto - or any other lottery, for that matter. Yet they seem to get a bee up their butt when Indians make a few dollars off of people willfully going into a casino and make a wager or two.

It's time to call it what it really is - racism. There's simply no other reason why they would favor certain forms of gambling, yet fight so hard to get two Indian-owned and -operated casinos in Texas shut down.

Perhaps it's as simple as the fact that the Indians didn't fork over enough cash to be treated "fairly".

This might be a good time for Tom DeLay to read up on what happened to another cocksure White Man who hated Indians - George Armstrong Custer.
Rabid conservatism defeats itself!