BENNETT VOWS TO SQUASH HIS GAMBLING BUG

Moral crusader William Bennett knows better than to bet against the house -
especially his own. A day after his wife declared that he had played his
last slot machine, the Brooklyn-reared poster boy for family values said
it's time to cash in his chips and fix his own moral compass.

"My gambling days are over," Bennett said in a statement released by his
Empower America conservative think tank, which opposes the proliferation of
casino gambling.

"It is true that I have gambled large sums of money," said Bennett, who
served as former President Ronald Reagan's education secretary and
ex-President George Bush's drug czar. He also was one of former President
Bill Clinton's chief critics in the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

The 60-year-old author of "The Book of Virtues" insists his big-bucks
wagering has never caused him to break the law or bet his kids' milk money.
"Nevertheless, I have done too much gambling. ... This is not an example I
wish to set," he said.

As he reevaluates his behavior, Bennett might want to reread the chapter in
his best-selling book titled "Self-Discipline."

"In self-discipline one makes a 'disciple' of oneself," Bennett wrote. "One
is one's own teacher, trainer, coach and 'disciplinarian.' It is an odd
relationship ... and many of us don't handle it very well."

$8m In Losses

Bennett's mea culpa was prompted by reports that revealed the man behind
the slogan "Just Say No" had a tough time following his own advice, losing
a whopping $8 million playing high-stakes slots in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Stunned friends were shocked to learn that his $50,000 speaking fees fed
his trips to the sin cities.

"We were disappointed to learn that our longtime friend Dr. Bill Bennett is
dealing with what appears to be a gambling addiction," said James Dobson,
founder of Focus on the Family.

"One of the reasons Focus on the Family continues to be strongly opposed to
any form of gambling is because it has the power to ensnare and wound not
only its victims, but also those closest to them."