The smack-talk is already flying in the lead-up to the annual House v. Senate basketball game. Though the House is usually favored to win, at least two developments have the larger  legislative body at a disadvantage: court brawler Dan Foley, R-Roswell, was voted out of office and nine-foot-three Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, has defected to the Senate.

At a House Republican coffee briefing with the press this morning, House Minority Whip Rep. Keith "Gentle Giant" Keith Gardner told reporters that he plans to use four out of his five allowed fouls against Wirth.