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Casino has serious federal problem; Ted Kennedy cohort Don Young in trouble

Casino no done-deal for tribal leaders
Wampanoag bid faces federal hurdles

A spokesman for the Department of the Interior said he did not know of any other case in which the government approved such a requestGovernor Deval Patrick has repeatedly argued that the state should license casinos because, with or without state approval, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe will inevitably build one under federal rules. But, in reality, Wampanoag tribal leaders have embarked on a venture that is fraught with uncertainty, their hopes for gambling riches by no means guaranteed.

Most immediately, the fate of the tribe's casino proposal could hinge on the outcome of the 2008 presidential election. A victory by Senator John McCain, who strongly opposes so-called off-reservation Indian casinos, could derail the Wampanoags' effort because they are seeking to build 25 miles from their headquarters on Cape Cod...  The tribe is also attempting a political and bureaucratic feat that the Bureau of Indian Affairs says has never been tried: parlaying tribal recognition, which it received in February 2007, into two tracts of reservation land 25 miles apart, with one targeted for a casino, the other for its tribal headquarters on Cape Cod...  Globe. 
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Rep "Bridge to Nowhere" Young of Alaska Gets Tough Primary Challenge
The man who tried to stop Cape Wind for Kennedy

Embattled Alaska Rep. Don Young's road to re-election just got significantly more difficult, as Lt. Gov Sean Parnell told attendees of the state's Republican convention today that he would challenge the incumbent in the GOP primary.  Young had already drawn one challenger in the Aug. 26 primary, state Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, and the longtime House member also faced a tough general election contest against the likely Democratic nominee, ex-state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz. But Parnell -- who was elected in 2006 on a ticket with immensely popular Gov. Sarah Palin - could be Young's toughest foe this year.

Young is under federal investigation for his dealings with the Alaska oil services company Veco Corp., and he has seen his popularity in the state plummet. A new poll of Alaskans by the Hays Research Group found that 55 percent of respondents viewed Young unfavorably, while just 40 percent had a favorable view of him...  Washington Post.  Read "Oily Bedmates" here.