Congressional Republicans Are Idiots

The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, scheduled meetings in Washington this weekend with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other senators to press for her state's share of the package.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist worked the phones last week with members of his state's congressional delegation, including House Republicans. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the Republican vice chairman of the National Governors Association, planned to be in Washington on Monday to urge the Senate to approve the plan.

"As the executive of a state experiencing budget challenges, Gov. Douglas has a different perspective on the situation than congressional Republicans," said Douglas' deputy chief of staff, Dennise Casey.

(Yahoo!)

Man Faked Death for No Reason

Easily the best story of the day. 20 Years on the run: for nothing. (ORLANDO SENTINEL)

2009 Coachella Line Up Announced

Coachella 2009 Poster

Hero?

Robin Hood? Richard Abbott

In these troubled economic times we need outlaws as heros. Just think of Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, and John Dillinger and the role they played during the depths of the great depression. I think a modern day variation of this is "guys who burgle the homes of the super wealthy." It's a win-win: the rich people are always insured, no one gets hurt, etc,

The main suspect in a series of burglaries of upscale homes in Newport Beach was arrested following a car chase in Las Vegas, police said.

Richard William Abbott, 45, is in custody in a Las Vegas county jail pending extradition, Newport Beach police Sgt. Evan Sailor said.

Abbott, whose last known address was in Palm Springs, was identified as the man who burglarized a Newport Beach home on Oct. 25, Sailor said. He's also suspected of two other burglaries in the same neighborhood in December.

Abbott was spotted about 8 p.m. Wednesday by Las Vegas police while driving a red 2007 Ford Mustang Selby GT500 convertible identified in the bulletin issued by Newport Beach police.

A chase reach speeds of more than 100 mph until the car's engine blew and Abbott surrendered, Sailor said.(CBS 2)

"International" Cockfighting Ring Broken Up in Central California

Cockfighting!

NIPOMO, Calif.—Five people are in jail and up to 1,000 roosters in custody after San Luis Obispo County authorities raided what is believed to be an international cockfighting operation.

Officers from a variety of agencies swooped down on the large Nipomo compound on Wednesday.

Some 500 to 800 birds were believed to be at the compound, but the Humane Society's Eric Sakach says the final tally could be 1,000 or more. The birds were reportedly being sold internationally.

Fighting and training equipment as well as bird performance enhancing drugs were confiscated. Investigators says they also found cocaine, marijuana and a pound of methamphetamine.

(AP)

Zeta's Ready for Sentencing in Laredo

They have a big case going against the Zeta's (gulf cartel paramilitary organization) over in Laredo. Some of the first defendant's to plead guilty are about to be sentenced, which is a good opportunity to recap the case:

The first round of sentences in a federal conspiracy case brought against the Zetas in Nuevo Laredo are expected to be handed down this week.

The three defendants who will appear in federal court Thursday represent the wide scope of "Operation Prophecy," an investigation targeting the Zetas that involved almost every law

enforcement agency in the Laredo area and was spearheaded by investigators from the Laredo Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Roberto Camacho, Gustavo Fabian Chapa and Jorge Rodriguez, considered low-level associates, pleaded guilty last year to drug possession and distribution charges and will be sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez.

Camacho and Chapa worked for a Zeta hit man during the organization's war on behalf of the Gulf Cartel against factions of the Sinaloa Cartel for control of Nuevo Laredo's drug-trafficking lanes, a conflict that resulted in murders on this side of the border in 2005 and 2006.
The indictment appears to target the reported former head of the Zetas in Nuevo Laredo, Miguel "El 40" Treviño Morales, and his lieutenants. However, Treviño is not in custody.

Treviño is wanted on five state murder charges in Laredo, and a federal indictment unsealed last year in Washington D.C. charged him with drug conspiracy in a separate case that targets the top ranks of the Gulf Cartel.

So far, no high-ranking Zetas from Nuevo Laredo have been brought to court to face charges, although Treviño and other alleged Zeta leaders are named in court documents.

(LAREDO TIMES