Barney Frank, my hero

Here's Barney Frank telling his colleagues in the House that government should not ban activities that adults enjoy without hurting anyone. But he and the gentleman from Iowa are wrong, of course, in saying that gambling does not add to the country's GDP. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, "Amusements, Gambling, and Recreation Industries" accounted for approximately $60 billion of value added in 2005. I don't know how much of that is internet gambling, but any legal business activity is fair game for inclusion in the National Income and Product Accounts.