CONGRESS RESORTS TO TINKER BELL TO SOLVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

It appears that no meaningful legislation will come about in the Senate to crack down on illegal immigration. Perhaps, the Congress is waiting on Tinker Bell to spread some pixie dust over Dixie Land and Mexifornia to solve our problems. Waiting until after the 2006 elections is a major cop out, and will probably create a big turnover in Congress.

ABRAMOFF GETS 6 YEARS FOR FRAUD

Abramoff gets 6 years for fraudWed Mar 29, 2006 5:53 PM ET
By Jim Loney
MIAMI (Reuters) - Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist at the heart of a Washington influence-peddling scandal that has rattled top Republicans, was sentenced to nearly six years in prison on Wednesday for fraud in the purchase of a Florida casino cruise line.
Abramoff, who is cooperating in a federal investigation into whether Washington politicians gave his clients favorable treatment in exchange for campaign contributions, Super Bowl tickets and other illegal gifts, was also ordered to pay restitution of $21.7 million, together with a co-defendant.
"I am much chastened and profoundly remorseful," Abramoff told a Miami court. "I can only hope that the Almighty and those whom I have wronged will forgive me my trespasses."
U.S. District Judge Paul Huck handed Abramoff and the co-defendant, New York businessman Adam Kidan, sentences of five years and 10 months in prison. They will be on probation for three years after their release.
Abramoff pleaded guilty in a Miami federal court in January to conspiracy and wire fraud charges, acknowledging he faked documents to get a $60 million loan to buy the SunCruz fleet of gambling ships in 2000.
The documents falsely claimed Abramoff and business partner Kidan had put $23 million of their own money into the deal.
The acknowledgment of guilt was tied to a plea bargain deal that involves cooperating in a federal investigation into whether he showered golf trips, meals, sports tickets and other gifts on lawmakers -- almost all Republicans -- in return for actions that would help his clients.
"Jack Abramoff broke the law and now he is going to pay the price for it," Rep. George Miller, a California Democrat, said in a written statement. "But complete justice will not be served until all of Abramoff's activities and connections are exposed and all of this partners-in-crime are punished."
WASHINGTON LINKS
Abramoff has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges in Washington, and federal investigators are examining his links to a number of politicians, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas and Republican Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio. DeLay and Ney have denied any wrongdoing.
Huck postponed the start of the prison terms for at least 90 days to allow Abramoff and Kidan to continue to help prosecutors in the corruption probe.
"I have every reason to believe both of these defendants will continue to cooperate," Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence LaVecchio said.
Abramoff left the court by a back entrance and slipped away in a black Lincoln, avoiding a horde of reporters and cameras.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Abramoff had given Republican lawmakers more than $120,000.
It accused some Republicans of refusing to hand back the money, and urged voters to take note of the corruption scandal at midterm elections in November, when the Democrats hope to wrest control of Congress from Republicans.
"With so many thousands of dollars shelled out to Republicans in Congress and so many Republicans in Congress holding fast to Abramoff's tainted cash, American families are again reminded of the cost of the corruption that he engineered in Washington, D.C.," Bill Burton, the campaign committee's communications director, said in a statement.
Abramoff and Kidan bought SunCruz from Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis, who was shot to death in an ambush on a street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in February 2001. Three men were charged in the killing last year.
Abramoff and Kidan have said they know nothing about Boulis' death.
(Additional reporting by Tom Brown)
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PAT BUCHANAN PAINTS A GOOD PICTURE OF THE ARROGANT NEOCON MEDIA MOGULS THAT LED US INTO WAR AND NOW LOOK FOR SCAPEGOATS

March 25, 2006
Are the Neocons Losing It?
by Patrick J. Buchanan
While President Bush appears serenely confident about Iraq, the same cannot be said of the War Party propagandists who were plotting this conflict when Dubya was still a rookie governor of Texas.
William Kristol of The Weekly Standard now demands the firing of Donald Rumsfeld. William F. Buckley, whose National Review branded the antiwar Right "unpatriotic conservatives" who "hate" America, now calls upon Bush for an "acknowledgement of defeat."
Richard Perle says the administration "got the war right and the aftermath wrong." Self-described "humiliated pundit" Andrew Sullivan confesses to "a sense of shame and sorrow." Michael Ledeen says of Bush's war, "Wrong war, wrong time, wrong way, wrong place."
Frank ("The End of History") Fukuyama concedes that "Iraq has now replaced Afghanistan as a magnet, a training ground and an operational base for jihadists, with plenty of American targets to shoot at."
But it is a March 20 essay in The Wall Street Journal that suggests the neocons may be coming unhinged. Written by Weekly Standard Executive Editor Fred Barnes, the piece urges Bush to begin the "rejuvenation of his presidency by shocking the media and political community with a sweeping overhaul of his administration."
The purge Barnes recommends would have caused Stalin to recoil.
Barnes calls on Bush to fire press secretary Scott McClellan, chief of staff Andy Card, political adviser Karl Rove, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Treasury Secretary John Snow – and Vice President Richard Cheney.
"The trickiest issue is how to handle Karl Rove," says Barnes.
I don't think so, Fred. I think "the trickiest issue" will be how to handle Dick and Lynne when they are told by Dubya they must give up a constitutional office to which Cheney was elected by the nation, vacate the vice presidential mansion and turn the keys over to Condi Rice.
That's right, Barnes urges Bush to appoint Condi vice president and "anoint" her as "presidential successor."
Who would replace Condi at State? Pro-war liberal Joe Lieberman.
I should like to be in earshot when Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, hears that he has been passed over for secretary of state by the junior Democratic senator from Connecticut.
"Mr. Cheney would probably be happy to step down and return to Wyoming," Barnes assures us.
Is he sure? Why would Cheney not regard any such attempt by Bush as a stab in the back by a friend to whom he has given years of service? For if Cheney is forced to quit his office, he goes down in history as a failed vice president and, along with Rumsfeld, the Bush-designated scapegoats of the Iraq war.
What, other than poor poll ratings, would be the rationale for removing Cheney, who is infinitely more qualified than Condi Rice by philosophy, experience and knowledge to take over the presidency?
All of Cheney's problems are tied to Iraq. But so are Bush and Condi tied to Iraq. Her failure at the National Security Council to screen the intelligence and ensure that Defense did due diligence for the occupation produced today's crisis. And what has Condi's crusade for democracy produced, other than historic gains for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Hamas on the West Bank, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Moqtada al-Sadr and the Shia clerics in Iraq?
Exactly what qualifies her to be president?
Well, says Barnes, it would be a "spectacular move."
I'll say. Putting Rice directly in the line of succession to the Oval Office would detonate an explosion far more ruinous to Bush than the Dubai ports deal. It would instantly jump-start the presidential campaign of 2008. Conservatives who consider Condi weak on life and a pro-affirmative-action social liberal would start carving her up before she reached the Senate hearing room.
Did not the firestorm over the Dubai deal wake these Beltway dreamers up?
Would John McCain stand aside for Rice? Would George Allen? Would the evangelical Christians? All would move to block her. And no one would worry about any damage this would do to a George Bush who was so arrogant as to try to impose, as his choice for the 2008 nominee of the GOP, another ex-staffer and spinster like Harriet Miers.
That Bush is in trouble is undeniable. But his people are not Bush's problem. His policies are. It is these policies, not his advisers, that have given us huge deficits and a no-win war that is bleeding our country.
If Bush should follow Barnes' advice and throw his most loyal people to the wolves as a P.R. stunt, he will have earned their lasting contempt, and that of the country. For all will know he was scapegoating them for his own failures – failures that come of having listened to the neocons who are even now slipping out of camp, rehearsing alibis and blaming Bush for not heeding their brilliant advice.
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BIBB COUNTY LOST A DEPUTY IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN A SENSELESS GANG ACT

In the early morning hours, Deputy Joseph Whitehead was delivering a warrant for a drug arrest with some other Bibb County officers. Mr. Whitehead was shot and killed, and the five suspects involved have all been arrested. God bless the family of Deputy Whitehead, and hopefully these thugs will get the death penalty.

HOUSING AUTHORITY IN CHARGE OF SWIMMING POOLS AT CONVENTION HOTEL

After designing the new Convention Hotel in the Convention Center parking lot, there was no room for a pool. The Housing Authority came up with a rent subsidy idea, whereby tenants could lease truck beds to use for budget pools to hotel guests and get a discount on their rent. Guests will be able to splurge for a tour of Macon if they wish, which will allow them to stretch out in the truck beds and see the sights at the same time.

PRESIDENT OF WOMEN'S DRIVING CLUB HIRED AS CONSULTANT FOR CONVENTION HOTEL PARKING PROBLEM

SOME STATISTICS ABOUT MACON GA

Macon, GA has more Cherry trees than Washington, DC.

Macon, GA is ranked in the top ten of the most dangerous cities between 75,000 and 99,000 populated cities.

Macon, GA is ranked 38th in the United States for vehicle thefts.

Macon, GA is only 90 or so miles from Atlanta, GA, which is one of the most violent citiies in the United States. It gives new meaning to Hot Atlanta.

This is rather depressing, buy hey we can be proud of all of those Cherry trees.

AARON BOWERS FOR CITY COUNCIL IN WARD FIVE

HELP SUPPORT AARON BOWERS IN WARD 5 FOR CITY COUNCIL. IF YOU LIVE IN HIS WARD OR KNOW PEOPLE THAT DO, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH AARON FOR SIGN PLACEMENTS! AARON IS A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN THAT SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WILL BE AN ASSET TO THE MACON CITY COUNCIL.

THIS PROFESSOR WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE MESSING WITH A SEAL AGAIN!

Message from ,A GOOD AND LOYAL FRIEND.US Navy SEALS are always taught:1) Keep your priorities in order2) Know when to act without hesitation.
A Navy SEAL was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU.
One day he shocked the class when he came in, looked to the ceiling, and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes."The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God I'm still waiting."
It got down to the last couple of minutes the SEAL got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform.
The professor was out cold. The SEAL went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence.
The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the SEAL and asked, "What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"
The SEAL calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid shit and act like an asshole. So He sent me."

NEW TICKETS IN MACON TO COMPLEMENT CONVENTION AND VISITORS CENTER THAT IS TRYING TO BRING IN TOURISTS-CLICK ON TICKET TO ENLARGE!

WHERE WOULD YOU RATHER SPEND YOUR TIME OFF FROM WORK? I KNOW WHAT MY ANSWER IS!

Data could have been misinterpreted in a survey that ask potential travelers where they would rather take a vacation to. The answers had a Macon Convention Hotel beating the Atlantis in the Bahamas 2 to 1. Kelly Clark has a new job as manager of a statistical sampling company in Atlanta, Georgia that handled the online poll.

GAMBLING MAY BE THE ANSWER FOR LACK OF FUNDS AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN MACON

HELP A MEMBER OF THE MILITARY WITH A GIFT BOX WITH SOME OF YOUR TAX REFUND-WE NEED TO REMEMBER THEM ALWAYS!

THE SUCCESS OF THE LOTTERY IN GEORGIA IN PUBLIC EDUCATION COULD LEAD TO GAMBLING CASINOS-IS THIS THE ANSWER TO OUR FAILING TEST SCORES?

COPS DRINK WITH YOUNG GIRLS IN ILLINOIS! OUR COUNTRY IS IN A MORAL DECLINE ALL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

Photos surface of Monmouth police and underage drinkers
By Kelly Hessedal
MONMOUTH - Residents say rumors about Monmouth cops, alcohol and underage drinking have been floating around town for months.
Pictures that recently surfaced speak for themselves. The photos were taken last summer at Monmouth cop Terry Hepner's home. The girls in the photos are drinking - and they're underage. Officer Randy Ewing stands smiling in between them. He was on-duty at the time.
"On camera - how stupid can you be?" asked Yancy Bolon. He was picked up for underage drinking and spent 15 days in jail.
"I think the same criminal charges apply for everyone in America," he said angrily. "I guess if you have a badge, it doesn't apply to you."
The photos were shot last summer. A few months ago - they mysteriously surfaced at several businesses.. Not many people wanted to talk about them - Hilary Nichols isn't surprised.
"These people are all friends, they're working together to save their jobs," she said. "I think they should get in the same amount of trouble anyone else would"
Monmouth Police Chief Brad Ziegler says he's very disappointed with the incident. The officers were disciplined in September. He wouldn't say what their punishment was, but did say the situation's been resolved. All 3 cops there that night are now back on duty.
"What if that girl drove in a car and got killed," said Bolon.
One of the girls in the photo tells Newschannel8 the situation's been blown out of proportion. She says the cops didn't buy them the alcohol - they got it from a friend. Bolon says he doesn't care who supplied it - the officers should've lost their jobs.
"These guys are smiling, laughing, I work hard and I'm paying for them to do this," he said.
Prosecutors didn't file any criminal charges against the officers. Warren County State's Attorney Chip Algren says he didn't receive any complaints from the girls' parents.

THREE 6 MAFIA AND "IT'S HARD BEING A PIMP"

Now these degenerate denziens won an Oscar for a song that was crap, and what is so disgraceful they beat Dolly Parton! I did a search on the Internet to see some of their other artistry or trash, and if you are so inclined you can check out some of their songs. Hollywood has gone off the deep edge, and I wonder if they will finally crash and burn in tinsel town (wishful thinking). Maybe California will finally break on the fault line, and Hollywood could drift away to become a deserted island. Would that not be grand?

THUMBS DOWN TO CONVENTION HOTEL BUILT WITH TIF BONDS

Money trees in Macon, Georgia: There is no money for pay scales for police officers and fire fighters, loans have to be obtained to meet payroll in the City before tax proceeds come in. But by granny, we have the ability to provide Tax Incremental Financing to finance a needed convention hotel where a need does not exist. How can that be, well you see here in the South we have these smart City Council people that allow the movers and shakers to convince them that it does not matter if the area around the Centreplex and Coliseum is blighted or it does not matter that hotel workers do not make a living wage or it does not matter about the expertise of the Crowne Plaza management that says their business will be harmed if a Convention Hotel is built to compete against them. Now if taxpayers are not supposed to be harmed by a Tax Incremental Financing plan, and the Crowne Plaza loses room rents by higher vacancy rates and by competition that drives down the per night room rate, then it is only common sense that the sales taxes collected will be less (remember the TIF Convention Hotel has abated taxes so long as the bond debt is outstanding). The government should not be in the business of helping one group of investors over another group of investors. The capital market system was designed to operate "hands off." Private competition is fair game, but the government is supposed to stay out of the game! I give a thumbs down to Tax Incremental Financing used to build a Convention Hotel.

WOW-SEX CHANGE AND STILL ALLOWED TO TEACH-THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!

By JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 28, 4:18 AM ET
EAGLESWOOD TOWNSHIP, N.J. - To students at Eagleswood Elementary School, she used to be Mr. McBeth. Now, after undergoing a sex change, 71-year-old Lily McBeth is ready to return to teaching as Miss McBeth.


Despite criticism from parents, the school board on Monday stood by its decision to allow McBeth to resume working as a substitute teacher.
After two hours of public debate and a private meeting with McBeth and her lawyer, the board took no action on calls by several parents to bar McBeth from returning to the school where she taught for five years before becoming a woman.
"It was magnificent," McBeth said afterward. "You saw democracy in action."
McBeth, a retired sales executive who was married for 33 years and had three children, underwent gender reassignment surgery last year and re-applied for her job under her new name.
McBeth on Monday told the school board and the crowd that she loves teaching and children, and looks forward to returning to the classroom.
"This is not something I got into just as a whim," she said.
Several parents said children in the school — which consists of kindergarten through sixth grade — were not old enough to understand the concept of changing one's gender.
"I, as a parent, am appalled to have this issue brought into my child's psychology," Steve Bond said.
Vincent Mustacchio predicted "chaos" at the school when the students learned of McBeth's surgery.
Young children will be confused by the conflicting appearance of McBeth, who has a deep voice and masculine features but otherwise looks like a woman, other parents said.
"I will not allow you to put my kids in a petri dish and hope it all turns out fine," said Mark Schnepp, who had taken out an ad in a local newspaper urging parents to turn out for the meeting.
Several people spoke in support of McBeth, including three transgender people, two former students of McBeth's and a handful of others, saying that the fact that she is a good teacher was more important than whether she appears as a man or a woman in class.
"There's really nothing to fear because a person is transgender," said Karina Mari, a mother of three school-age children who said she has transgender relatives.
School board attorney Paul Carr said McBeth was a good teacher who had received favorable reviews during her tenure as a substitute.
Earlier this month, the board voted 4-1 to accept her application to return to the classroom.
It's unclear how soon McBeth will resume teaching, Carr said. That depends on the need for substitutes and the availability of certified teachers who get priority when a spot opens up, he said.
Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, a gay rights advocacy group supporting McBeth's bid to resume teaching, called the school board's action historic.

AMERICANS IN ACTION....AS IT SHOULD BE

Subject: Americans in action ... As it should be.
Subject: AS IT SHOULD BE
This text is from a county emergency manager out in the western
part of North Dakota state after the recent snow storm.
W E A T H E R B U L L E T IN
Up here in the Northern Plains we just recovered from a Historicevent --- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions"
--- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to
90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded
hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads,isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands
of our residents.
FYI: George Bush did not come.... FEMA did nothing ... No one howled for the government ... No one blamed the government ... No one even uttered an expletive on TV ... Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit ... Our Mayors did not blame Bush or anyone else ... Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else either ...
No Rappers made up lies about our lack of federal help ... CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snow storm ... Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards ... No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House ... No one looted... Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something. Nobody expected the government to do anything either!
No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathewsand No Geraldo Rivera. No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types
to be found around here. Nope, we just melted the snow for water.
Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow
engulfed cars. The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and
didn't ask for a penny. Local restaurants made food and the police and firedepartments delivered it to the snow bound families. Families took in the stranded people - total strangers. We fired up wood stoves Broke out coal oil lanterns orColeman lanterns. We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is"Work or Die!" We did not wait for some affirmative action government to getus out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfareprogram that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks. Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has neverfallen this early...we know it can happen and how to deal with itourselves. "In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% most of the world'ssocial problems evaporate." It does seem that way, at least to me.. I hope this getspassed on ... then, Maybe ... SOME people will get the message; The world does not oweyou or anyone else a living