WHO'S WORKIN' THIS ROOM?

In the game of Entitlement Poker, most people think the "race" card is the highest, most powerful card in the deck. Wrong. There's another card that trumps that one: the "slave" card. Nothing beats it.

If a politician knows the "race" card's in play, said politician folds every time. If that same politician thinks there's even the slightest chance that the "slave" card's in the deck, said politician doesn't take a seat in the game. It's simply a losing proposition. By not taking a seat, however, the politician actually wins. We lose.

Entitlement Poker is being played across our Nation and has been for decades. It's a growth industry. The stakes are big. Usually it's a quiet game, conducted smoothly and mostly free-of-charge. The pit boss rarely has to step in to make a decision, especially if the "Race" card's in play.

These days, the game that's being played in New Orleans is anything but quiet. The "house" has floated the idea that all seated players must actually pay for their chips, or a portion of them, anyway. The players consider this idea preposterous and unacceptable. Unfair. Who can blame them? Hell, I want a seat in a game where the "house" pays for the chips, and I know you do too.

Well, it looks like the pit boss in New Orleans will be forced to make a decision on this one. In this room, Ray Nagin's the pit boss, but I don't see him on the floor. So, I ask you: Who's workin' this room?

Like I said before, the stakes in this game are big. The game is becoming heated; people are beginning to gather around, taking notice. There's only a few more hands to be played in this crooked, insidious game of Entitlement Poker, and soon one of the players will be leaving the table--busted. Who's it gonna be?