Bill Clinton: “Oh yes, I would do that. I have a little different approach to this, and I don't want to take a lot of the program on it…”

“Oh yes, I would do that. I have a little different approach to this, and I don't want to take a lot of the program on it because I intended to do that, but I have a little different approach and a little different perspective, I think, than either the Indian tribes or the Governors. The Governors are worried--you all probably don't know what we're talking about. Basically, the Indians who live on Indian lands have been able for many years to have some kind of gambling, like bingo parlors. A Federal magistrate ruled several months ago that if any kind of gaming could occur on Indian lands, then all kinds of gaming could, basically, right? So that means that, essentially, if they so chose, that any Indian land could become Las Vegas, could do any kind of gambling. So the Governors are all real nervous about that, partly because they think that they'll have to turn their States into Nevada because the pressure to give the gambling rights to everybody else will get so great, and that the whole thing will get out of hand. So they argue for restrictions which would enable the States to restrict the range of gaming. The Native American tribes don't want that; they want to have this maximum amount of flexibility. I have a different perspective. I'll just give it to you, but I intend to meet with tribal leaders; I welcome that. I grew up in a town with the largest illegal gambling operation in America when I was a kid. Hot Springs, Arkansas, had the biggest gambling operation except for Las Vegas anywhere in the country. A young man, the age of that fellow that just asked me the question, could walk in any restaurant and put a nickel in a slot machine. There were open casinos. What my belief is, is that it is a lousy basis for an economy, past a certain point. The Indian reservations have been kept dependent for too long, have suffered from the patronizing attitude of the Federal Government, have never been empowered to seize control of their own destiny. And I do not blame the tribes for wanting the maximum possible flexibility on gambling. But what I'd like to see is a whole range of different initiatives so we can have real long-term economic prosperity, because there is a limit to how much gambling the country can absorb. There's a limit to how many Las Vegases can be successful. So we need to talk about it, and I would be happy to see some tribal leaders about it. Health Care Reform”