Bill O'Reilly condemns me! (maybe) Also, one suspected arsonist killed, several arrests in CA

San Clemente burning at night, by Erik Saulietis

From Bill O'Reilly's broadcast today:

Politics and the California fires, that is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo." While thousands of Californians have lost their homes to the flames, and almost a million people have been displaced, the usual political loons are trying to define the fire in an ideological way.

A quick trip to the extremist Web sites is nauseated. One right-wing nut is blaming the fires on illegal immigrants. A left-wing loon is hoping President Bush is killed by the fire when he goes to California tomorrow. And then there are the politicians. Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi says that the president's visit will be a distraction. And the fire is worse because of Iraq.

Who is this "right-wing nut"? If it was me, I wish he would have mentioned my web site! I could use the publicity. (To my non-American readers - Bill O'Reilly is the host of a hugely popular "O'Reilly factor" program on the Fox News Channel in the US). In my previous article, I brought up the possible connection with illegal immigrant involvement in the Harris fire - their deliberate involvement in the other fires is unlikely.

If he was referring to another site, I can't find it though. I did a thorough Google and Yahoo search and couldn't find any other blogger making this direct connection. The closest I found was on Free Republic, but the accusation against illegal immigrants come in the comments section, not in the article. So I just might be the "right-wing nut" here.

Incidentally, a few interesting related developments yesterday - one suspected arsonist was shot by police, one arrested, and several illegal immigrants arrested for looting:

From the LA Times:

The confrontation that ended in the shooting death started about 6 p.m. Tuesday when San Bernardino university police spotted a man in a rural area of flood channels and scrub near the campus. University police tried to detain the man, but he got into his car and fled, authorities said. When he began to ram officers' vehicle, they shot him.

The suspect is described as a 27-year-old man with a home address in Arizona.

And later:

About three hours later in Hesperia, a man was seen by a female motorist squatting along the side of Highway 173 just south of Arrowhead Lake Road. Sheriff's officials say John Alfred Rund, 48, of Hesperia had just started a fire along the flat, isolated, scrubby road.

The woman called police, and Highway Patrol and sheriff's deputies were soon looking for the suspect, who witnesses said took off on a Honda motorcycle, wearing a red-and-white-striped helmet.

Four residents grabbed shovels and put out the fire with clods of dirt, said sheriff's spokesperson Jodi Miller.

A CHP helicopter, using infrared equipment, caught sight of Rund on his motorcycle, Miller said. Along with CHP officers, sheriff's deputies found and arrested him at a home along Highway 173 near Highway 138, she said.

He was being held on $750,000 bail on suspicion of arson and is to appear in court tomorrow in Victorville.

San Bernardino is a little ways east of Los Angeles. It is a fairly far distance NE from the largest fire clusters. Hesperia is a short distance north of San Bernardino (these cities can be seen on a current fire map here)

And more arrests yesterday, for another crime:

Six illegal immigrants who were suspected of stealing relief supplies from Qualcomm were arrested by Border Patrol agents.

A woman told San Diego Police she saw the group load up two pickup trucks and a car with cots and other supplies, leave and then return, said police Sgt. Jesse Cesena.

When officers stopped them, a member of the group said they were being paid to take things of value from the stadium.

“They were stealing a lot of stuff,” Cesena said. “We took the stuff back and we escorted them out. They were stealing from the people in need.”

Because some members of the group spoke Spanish, officers called Border Patrol agents who were at the stadium for relief efforts. They determined the people were in the country illegally and arrested them.

“We're not out there doing immigration stuff in the middle of a disaster. However, we still enforce the laws,” said Border Patrol spokesman Matthew Johnson.

Michelle Malkin responded: "Just looting the emergency aid no one else will loot."

As I mentioned earlier, there is a $70,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of any of the arsonists. There is also a toll-free tipline at: 1-800-540-7085.





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