The Larry Kane Report

As we first reported here two days ago, the knives are being sharpened in the Philadelphia Mayor’s race. Tom Knox, with his millions in ads, has helped himself to a lead in the battle, but he’s also had a free ride, his money allowing him to set the agenda. Reliable sources report to us that at least two of the other campaigns have been doing exhaustive research into Knox’s rise to millionaire status, with an eye toward his dealings with government. This is very general information, but the campaigns are committed to, as one insider reports, “Taking down Tom Knox.

Knox has been very cool and collected about the contest, but the thickness of his political skin will be tested in the weeks ahead. How he reacts to any possible attacks on his history will tell you a lot about the man.

Supporters of Bob Brady are especially angry at Knox and Dwight Evans for joining forces to try and boot Brady from the ballot. Brady’s campaign has already called Knox an “elitist” and you can expect more attacks.
Of the five, I know four well, but Knox is still a mystery. He seems quiet and introverted but also very sure that he will win. To this point, his message has resonated, but it has gone unchallenged.

If there are, indeed , challenges to the claims of his commercials, or questions about any aspect of his record, the tone of his response will tell you more about him then you have learned so far.

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The question is: What is President Bush afraid of and why is he afraid? That’s the only really important question that surfaces from the odd developments at the White House. The White House has agreed to allow Karl Rove to meet with Senators over his role in the firing of the eight U.S. Attorneys, but not under oath. If ever there was an appearance of impropriety, this is it. And this is not just a White House problem with Democrats. Republicans are fully involved in the outrage over the conflicting emails and buck passing in this controversy.

In this current crisis, there is the real possibility that a few of the axed U.S. Attorneys may have been fired because they were not aggresive enough in prosecuting Democrats, or were too tough on Republicans. If they were pressured by the White House to indict people for political reasons, there is a possibility that the law was broken.

The President calling this a “fishing expedition” by partisans is a reminder of President Nixon’s early arguments against the Watergate investigation. It is unfortunate because President Bush entered office with the idea of cleaning up the White House.

If the Senate tries issues subpoenas, as it should today, and the White House fights the legal effort, it will bring on a constitutional crisis. It will also bring on new doubts about the integrity of the administration. The President really can’t afford that.

One thing is clear - the Attorney General will be leaving soon. It may be one way to defuse the crisis. But its also clear that the Congress has lost faith in him.

This entire affair will get alot nastier before it cools down.
I never thought I would see this again. But is is a deja vu moment, as they say.

An investigation of alleged illegality. A Congress demanding answers. A White House fighting an open investigation.

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The Democratic battle for Mayor will get tougher soon. Negative ads will start to hit the airwaves. Here’s why. Almost every poll taken has Tom Knox in the 20’s , Chaka Fattah a few points behind, and Bob Brady, Michael Nutter and Dwight Evans in the teens. With the margin of error four or five pounts in all these polls, the best analysts I talk to agree that it may be a photo finish. You still have 20 to 25 percent of voters undecided.A move by just a few points either way can change the course of this battle in days. So far there has been no defining issue, and in that vacuum, personality will inevitably become a target in the final weeks.

My view is that there are so many undecided, and so few points separating the leader from the bottom of the pack, that anything can happen. If Tom Knox dropped 7 points, Chakah Fattah gains a few, Brady surges, and Evans and Nutter move up a few points, this race could be almost tied!

There are four debates coming up. Michael Nutter has not unleashed his ads. Brady seems to have some momentum, and Fattah, with a huge war chest, will fight to the end. Evans can never be ruled out.

So far it has been tame and civil. You can bet on it - this contest will get hot and fast.

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The military commander of America’s armed forces declared last week that homosexuality was immoral. I wrote about ,it questioning the wisdom of Joint Chiefs Chair Peter Pace to make an announcement, which , in effect, was a shot at gay members of the armed forces. I stand by my contention that General Pace diminished his role as a leader when he made those public comments. He should get together with nasty Ann Coulter and they can form a mutual hate association.

This country has no room for bigots at the top.

For those of you who feel that he is entitled to his opinion, I offer this answer: He can say anything he wants, but when he uses his uniform pulpit to issue such a small-minded declaration, he is out of line, as they used to say in basic training.

In our society, you can define marriage. You have a right to dislike anyone for their point of view. But it is dangerous to brand a segment of our society as immoral, especially when your own defense department has been immoral in its exaggerated claims (early on) of great success in Iraq. At least, in the military truth-telling department, General Pace is candid and honest, a departure from Generals Casey and Franks, who bamboozled us for years.

No one cares about the sexuality of the men and women fighting the hard war in Iraq. Returning coffins are not separated by sexual preference.

I’m sure those of us who have traditional marriages and relationships are not looked at as “immoral” or unusual, by those with same sex partners. Who are we to judge? Furthermore, who is General Peter Pace to judge what is moral and what is not?

Please keep the comments coming. They are disturbing. inspirational, and sometimes brilliant. They reflect our society as a whole.

To General Pace: Keep working hard, but be careful of who you call immoral, especially in a town like Washington.

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The Dwight Evans-Tom Knox legal action to get Bob Brady off the Philadelphia Mayoral ballot is more than just interesting - it is fascinating.

The two joined forces to go to court and try to get Brady out of the race, charging that he failed to list his city pension on his filing disclosure form. Lawyers offer two legal arguments, that the information should have been filed and that there was no requirement for it.

But beyond the legal argument, members of the political community finds it unusual that the two candidates have banded together. Chaka Fattah and Michael Nutter did not join in the effort. So what’s the Evans-Knox alliance all about? Is it a sign of strength or a sign of fear? Whatever it is, no one I talked to can remember anything similar happening in a local election.

Were they trying to save legal costs, or do they have a real alliance? The fact is that two want the same thing - to be the Mayor. They also want Brady’s voters. It only takes one to file a challenge. Their alliance on this appears most unusual to this reporter.
In Philadelphia poltics, after all, anything is possible.

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