The Larry Kane Report

It was a just small moment in time, but one that offered a statement about our times and the confluence of events that engulf the history that we are living.

I’m home now, but this past weekend I found myself in the Atlanta airport, sitting in an oval area, a food court surrounded by stores. Suddenly, I heard applause. It was the kind of celebratory and congratulatory ovation that you might hear after a concert, or perhaps as a stirring tribute.

That is exactly what it was.

Much to my surprise, a group of soldiers wearing the now familiar combat fatigues that we associate with the desert, paraded through the food court area. They walked in a single file enroute to the security area and to flights destined for their homes around the country.

Almost everyone in that section of the airport was on their feet, staring at the soldiers, their hands clapping harder and harder, their faces lit up with smiles.

The soldiers, looking a little uncomfortable, smiled back and waved.

Several of the men and women were later lining up for the security check. The lines were long at Atlanta airport in this beginning of the busiest travel week of the year. The soldiers, although short on details, were arriving home from Iraq. They must have been thrilled and a bit surprised to hear the sounds of applause on their arrival back in the country.

It was so heartening to see the natural outburst of applause. After all, the war has been a problem from the beginning and the recriminations and blame assessments continue to escalate.

But through it all, from “mission accomplished” to the bloody civil unrest, our soldiers have been on the job. Whether they should be there is a question will be left to the politicians who sent them there, and to those insisting that they come home.

But on one Sunday afternoon, in the middle of a congested airport, it was thrilling and hopeful to see the spontaneity of the welcome. It was also fascinating to see that Americans can differentiate between political debates, and the people whose job it is to be trapped in the combat of an unpopular war.

We’ve come a long way in this country. Unlike the rage of the sixties, people can make a clear distinction between the wars we wage, the people who run them from their lofty heights, and the men and women with true grit who lived the consequences each and every day.

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Chaka Fattah is in. So is Michael Nutter. Tom Knox looks like he’s running. Dwight Evans should make a decision soon, along with John Dougherty, and Jonathan Saidel.

The big question mark is Bob Brady, the street savvy and charming Philadelphia congressman who is considering a run.

The Democratic primary will be so full that you’ll need a score card to keep track. But more than the names are the places that count, places like the streets and neighborhoods where, right now, as I write this, people are in fear for their lives.

To Chaka Fattah, Michael Nutter and all those people not announced including the Republicans waiting in the wings, I offer some free advice:

If you really care about the greateness of Philadelphia, take great care about the issue of crime. Crime is now the number one issue in Philadelphia. It has devastated neighborhoods, and transformed ordinary citizens to fearful Philadelphians in search of a cure. The man who becomes the next Mayor of Philadelphia will be the man who becomes the anti-crime crusader, the champion of safety, the leader of the battle to fight crime at its source.

There are two elements in the battle against crime : jobs and cops. The city must serve as a champion in the business of business, developing jobs through education and opportunity. The second element is hiring more cops. There is a small police presence in a city hard-pressed by violent crime,

In the new era of Philadelphia life, big ideas will be bigger than high rises. Economizing the budget to make room for a bigger police presence will be critical. Already, the crime surge is beginning to affect the heart of the business district.

So, gentlemen (no women have aoplied yet), start your engines and put the ideas before the people. This will be an election about safety.

Good ideas from smart people will be the biggest factor in who becomes the next Mayor of Philadelphia.

It was only a small item in a national newspaper. The founder of USA Today, Al Nueharth, was suggesting that President Bush might try and ask Vice President Cheney to leave office.

While this is highly unlikely, there may be something to Nueharth’s column. The Veep will be losing most of his hard line influence as the President tries to recover from the election defeat. It would also give Mr. Bush the opportunity to deflect from his lame duck status by shifting focus to new blood in his administration and at the same time, giving his party a slight chance in the 2008 elections.

Some choices mentioned in the article: Secretary of State Rice, Rudy Guliani, or even John McCain.

The scenario is a bit unrealistic. But it is the first time I’ve seen it in print.

On the Bush watch: I was surprised that the President used the comparison of Vietnam to Iraq, suggesting again that we need to give our Iraq effort more time to succeed. Vietnam was a 13 year military effort by the United States that left 54,000 Americans dead. Is he suggesting that we stay in Iraq that long? The President seems to be insinuating that we lost our patience in Vietnam. That is simply not true.

As Iraq descends into the abyss of civil war, I wonder where the Generals are. Their voices have dimmed in recent weeks. At this point, with Iraq falling apart , posing an even higher risk to our troops, what are the Generals doing to safeguard our men and women in that nation?  The Baker report on Iraq is due in a month. In the interim, it is vital that the generals keep up the pressure on the White House to safeguard our forces. A month is a long time in a dangerous place like Iraq.

The Pelosi Push— The defeat of John Murtha to become House Majority Leader is a “so what” on a slow news day. Nancy Pelosi’s support of the Pa. Congressman is hardly a crushing defeat for the Speaker-elect. After all, she WAS elected unanimously as the next Speaker. Murtha will be appropriations chairman. It doesn’t get more powerful than that.

Trent Lott— The election of Trent Lott to be Senate Majority Whip is a classic comeback story. Singed by his segregationlist remarks, the Mississippi lawmaker spent four years in the trenches. His comeback, after a mistake of epic proportions, is a good example that persistence pays off. Rick Santorum should take note of Lott’s return.

Jonathan Saidel — The former City Controller is opening campaign offices at a quick pace. He and other mayoral hopefuls in Philadelphia are excited by a Philadelphia Tribune poll that shows Congressman Chaka Fattah is the favorite of one third of black voters. Some political insiders cite the early poll as a sign that the battle is wide open. But Fattah is the frontrunner.
The Presidency — Although it is not scientific, take a look at the KYW Newsradio poll on candidates for President. Just click on the icon to the right. With several thousand voters already participating, Rudy Guliani is the frontrunner with 28 percent of the vote. John McCain running second with 23. Hillary Clinton is at 21. Only fourteen months are left till Iowa and New Hampshire.

It’s About Time – Mayor John Streets campaign against truancy is a powerful move. With 40 percent of the Philadelphia public school students out of school on some days it is apparent that this is a good step.

OJ — The new book “If I Did It” should have been titled, “Why I Did It.” My hope is that the book winds up in the bargain books section in a few weeks. The TV show should be avoided. Watch Desperate Housewives instead that Sunday night, or even Voice of Reason. (A little bit of self promotion never hurts).

State Treasurer – Who will Ed Rendell nominate to fill the Bob Casey vacancy? Someone with no political ambition will be chosen. State lawmakers will only approve someone who has no ambition to seek a full four year term in 2008.

Winter Weather Predictions  – All the stations are featuring them. but what a waste of time. The fact is that no meteorologist with any savvy would dare to forecast an entire winter. The Hurricane experts forecast a horrible season. We hardly had a ripple.

The Flyers – Things are tough. But I have a theory. The Flyers always start strong and end with a thud. This year, they are starting out miserably. So maybe this will be a turnabout. Optimism has always been my strong suit.

Have a good start to the weekend.

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The Philadelphia Congressman has been telling fellow members of Congress that he will announce for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Philadelphia during a scheduled Philadelphia event on Saturday.

Fattah denies that he is waiting for the Democratic House Caucus in meeting in Washington today before making his announcement. The theory is that he wants to see what committee assignments he might get before jumping into the race.

I now believe that the speculation is false.

First of all, Fattah doesn’t have to leave office as a Congressman to run for Mayor. So he does not have to jeopardize his current office to take the risk of running.

He has picked Saturday for two reasons. The first is that it will make the Sunday newspapers. The second is that it helps his wife avoid being part of a newscast that reports the news of his candidacy. It would be a little touchy for the station to broadcast the news of his announcement on a Friday when she is working.

The anchor woman who could become Philadelphia’s First Lady, does not work on Saturdays. Renee Chenault-Fattah, the anchor, has already said she will remain on the air if he runs, but only on one program, at 11 o’clock.

Her continued presence while he is a candidate will motivate other candidates to blast the TV station for keeping her on the air. They will say that it gives Fattah an unfair advantage. But they have nothing to base their arguments on.

The fact is that she has every right to her own career. There is no way to deny her that. Her movement to only one program will blunt the cries of “foul” from the other candidates. But she was an anchor before he was a congressman. No one can deny her right to work. The fact is also clear that the station must do everything to distance her from any stories on the campaign for Mayor.
That is why Chaka Fattah, barring a sudden change of mind, will announce on Saturday, when his wife has a day off.

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