The Larry Kane Report

I’m headed to Washington to witness what may be the most uncomfortable environment yet for a President to deliver a State of the Union Address.

First of all, as the President prepared to speak to Congress and the nation, members of his own party are abandoning him daily on the plan to add troops in Iraq. And that is why the President will use everything he has at his disposal to once again argue his case. The greatest danger is that the ongoing war effort, with all of its frustrations and continued sacrifice, may have already swallowed up the final two years of his term in office.

Already the dissent over his leadership has caused a negative reaction to a new healthcare proposal. His idea: provide tax decuctions to those who purchase their own health insurance. But it comes with a price. Those individuals who spend extra to get the most expensive plans, would be taxed on insurance that goes over a certain amount. The plan is designed to offer incentives for those people who are uninsured to sign up for insurance. The plan is worth debating but it is unlikely that it will get a fair hearing in the Congress.

The President will also call for an extension of his tax cuts due to expire in 2010. That, in itself, is just for show. President Bush will not be in office in 2010. Congress will either delay action on this, or vote to rescind the cuts.

Where the President can make inroads is in his demeanor. Often cited as stubborn and not responsive to the public, Mr. Bush can go a long way in trying to resurrect confidence in him by being more conciliatory. Will he? History suggests not, but time is running out on his chances to permanently and positively influence the American way of life.

A final note. Although he will never use the words “global warming”, the President will make a concession to big business leaders by urging a faster transition to alternative fuels.

The most interesting part of the night are the firsts - the first woman Speaker to introduce a President, and the first time he has spoken to a Congress controlled by Democrats, a change in leadership that was brought about by his difficulties.

I’ll give you my impressions tomorrow.

You can give me yours.

Comments(0)

John Timoney, former Philadelphia Police Commissioner, was back in Philadelphia Friday to get a haircut and to join me for a special look at the new crime wave in America on my CN 8 broadcast VOICE OF REASON.

Naturally, I asked him the question: “Would you return as Philadelphia Police Commissioner?” I asked the question twice. Twice he answered, “I love my job in Miami.” When I asked the question a third time, the smooth and professional Timoney, smiling broadly, replied, “Do you have any other questions.”

Timoney is Police Chief of Miami, which was once the poster city for crime in America. He has done well, stabllizing a very difficult situation. A few weeks ago, Philadelphia mayoral candidate Dwight Evans said that if elected, he would try to bring Timoney back to Philadelphia.

In the program,  Timoney agreed with U.S, Attorney Patrick Meehan and famed criminologist Larry Sherman, that getting guns off the streets was a priority in curbing the dramatic increase in crime in Philadelphia and other cities. Timoney. Meehan and Sherman seemed to concur that voluntary programs for handgun surrender seem to work.

These guys are hardliners, but not so much that they would ignore the fact that most gun crime occurs in economically depressed areas, and that hope can be as strong a weapon as force.
But they also lament the fact that police departments, like the one in Philadelphia, have had manpower reduced by as much 40 percent.

To this reporter it is a simple situation: more cops equals more vigilance equals fewer crimes.

Attacking the social ills is key. But in the meantime, and until Mayors and lawmakers truly seek solutions to job losses and marginal education policies, we need more police on the streets of Philadelphia.

Tomorrow: A preview of the State of the Union.

Comments(0)

Good news for good people.

That always makes you feel good. Gail Shister’s column highlighting the part-time return of Lisa Thomas-Laury to the Channel Six news staff was a heartening piece of news. Lisa has been sidelined for over three years by a rare neurological problem. The fact that she is back doing special reporting is a major milestone in her attempt to triumph over this medical challenge.

It is also good news for the viewers and for WPVI.

Lisa Thomas-Laury is the class act of Philadelphia anchors. Over the years, I have been so impressed by her anchoring work. But even more than that, Lisa has never succumbed to the ego driven holier-than-thou attitude that has marked the careers of some broadcast journalists in this town. She has been a beacon in public service campaigns for the needy and the challenged.

With Lisa Thomas-Laury, what you see is what you get.

I’m very happy she is coming back. When health permits, she should return to the anchor chair, where she belongs.

ON A POLITICAL NOTE:

Congratulations to South Jersey Democratic Congressman Rob Andrews. Andrews just got a plum assignment -
chairman of the Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions .

This puts Andrews on the front line of the major discussions ahead on curing the health insurance mess.

Comments(5)

You talk about a revolution? Things are happening so fast in our world that it is hard to keep track.

First, China. China , according to military sources at CNN, used a missile to shoot down a satellite. This could pose a threat to American military intelligence missiles. And you thought Star Wars was a movie. This is serious business and could bring on a war of tension with the Chinese regime.

John Kerry made some news. And this time he did not embarrass himself. The ex presidentiall contender called for an investigation of government reports that American jet fighters, “retired” by our government, were sold as surplus to Iran. If it all comes together, this will be a huge story, considering that Iran’s President said that his country is ready for a showdown on its plans for a nuclear program.

The new Democratic House decided yesterday to hose down big oil and its enormous profits by imposing 15 billion dollars in taxes that were handed to the oil companies as a sweetheart tax break by the Bush administration. It’s payback time, isn’t it?

There’s even more on the docket. Mayor Street is angry at Mayoral candidates suggesting that he has not been a leader in the war against crime. They are correct. But instead of responding to the criticism, the Mayor pulled off his usual dodge - suggesting that his administration has done a lot of great things to fight crime. There have been some initiatives, but Mr. Mayor: Last year Philadelphia had over 400 murders. New York City, with six times the population, had over 500.  IS SOMETHING WRONG HERE?

AND THAT BRINGS ME TO A PROGRAM ALERT. JOHN TIMONEY IS BACK. THE FORMER TOP COP IN PHILADELPHIA, WHO HAS REDUCED CRIME DRASTICALLY AS MIAMI POLICE CHIEF. WILL JOIN ME SUNDAY NIGHT AT 9:30 ON CN 8, THE COMCAST NETWORK. TIMONEY WILL GATHER WITH U.S. ATTORNEY PAT MEEHAN AND CRIME EXPERT LARRY SHERMAN TO CONFRONT THE NEW WAVE OF CRIME IN AMERICA.

Comments(0)

I will be in Washington Tuesday to watch the State of the Union Address, report back to KYW Newsradio, and prepare a special series of programs for my VOICE OF REASON show on Comcast Network CN 8.

I’m hoping for feedback. Watch the speech. Write your comments. This is the first State of the Union before the new Democratic controlled Congress.

Let me know what you think.

Comments(0)