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Artist's rendering of the Tohono O'odham casino near Glendale. (Photo: Photo by Hnedak Bobo Group, Courtesy of Hnedak Bobo Group)

If the fight over the Tohono O’odham casino near Glendale was a poker game the tribe's political opponents would have been caught dealing from the bottom of the deck, marking cards and slipping aces up their sleeves. And still – STILL – losing every hand.

So they’re going to try the oldest, dirtiest trick in the book – legislation.

Reports out of Washington suggest that political opponents of the casino in the Arizona delegation are trying to get a bill to stop the casino on what is called the “suspension calendar,” which is reserved almost exclusively for non-controversial legislation that is passed by simple voice vote.

In other words, politicians can hide among a chorus of yeas or nays.

It’s a political way to accommodate cowards and sneaks.

In this case it’s almost funny.

Almost.

Anti-casino politicians like Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, along with many of Arizona’s House members and Gov. Doug Ducey, accused the tribe of being underhanded in the initial negotiations that got them the casino land.

The tribe was able to purchase the land after receiving payment for thousands of acres it lost to the federal government for a flood project. Some of our politicians, along with the Gila River and Salt River tribes, who have casino operations, say the Tohono O'odham Nation defrauded voters and the state by not announcing early on its plans to build a casino on the property near Glendals.

I can understand the other tribes being upset. But, really, isn’t it just a little nervy for members of the U.S. Government to accuse a Native American tribe of not being honest in negotiations?

The Tohono O’odham simply out-smarted everyone else.

Now opponents want to bully them into submission.

And for what? The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that if casino-blocking legislation is enacted the Tohono O'odham could sue and that damages could cost the taxpayer up to $1 billion.

According to an article in The Daily Beast, when Rep. Raúl Grijalva heard of a bill being put on the suspension calendar he sent a in a letter to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy that reads in part, "This precedent-making legislation has no business on the suspension calendar. As you know, suspension of the rules is for non-controversial legislation that doesn't cost taxpayer's money. This bill is both controversial and expensive.”

A number of towns near the site approve of the casino. A while back the vice mayor of Glendale and the mayors of Surprise, Peoria and Tolleson wrote a letter to The Arizona Republic in support of the casino and against a federal law to stop it.

The Tohono O’dham made a clever move. They outfoxed the government’s lawyers and now some of our politicians want to pass a law to stop them.

The politicians have done what no legitimate casino operator would do. They’ve stacked the deck.

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