The Larry Kane Report

As many of you know, I have an obsession with politics. It’s the sport I love to watch and report about. Every so often, I battle this addiction by turning my attention to sports. This year, I find the colossal debate over the Philadelphia Eagles as an extraordinary social phenomenon, sparked by this other obsession by Philadelphia sports fans – that somehow the teams in this town can’t bring them a championship.

This fact, that we haven’t had a parade since 1983, overlooks the reality that we have been in three World Series since 1980, having won back in 1980, and that we have very competitive teams, some of the time. It also plays into the face of the thrills the Eagles have provided the last seven years, except for the current one, or the simple fact that the Phillies had an incredible year. And then there are the two Most Valuable Player Awards. Add to that the fact that no current Phillies are on the steroid list, and we are in pretty good shape. As far as Lenny Dykstra, we always knew that there was potential for anything.

So now we come to the present. This current meeting of the shared Temple of Doom is fueled by some sports journalists who seem as deprived as the fans, complaining and whining every day about the poor Eagles. These men and women, the sports writers, have the best jobs in journalism. I know this first-hand. Writing and reporting on sports is the fantasy job of all journalists. Imagine getting paid to watch games, and write about them.

Now that I have irritated all the hard working sports reporters in this town, it is time to talk about what is really going on.

What is going on is that a talented and sometimes lucky coach, Andy Reid, is being blamed for everything, from dropped passes to interceptions. Some people are also taking shots at him for his family crises. And they have no idea what he may be going through. This week it will be Andy Reid. Next week the target will be Donovan McNabb, who has yet to figure out that in the world of Philadelphia sports, the most dedicated fans in the nation are also the most critical.

After all, sports takes you away from all that ails you: your budget, your job, the jerks that you meet in life, and the unfairness of it all.

The fact is that the Eagles have won 5 games and lost 8. Teams lose, even in Philadelphia. That is a lousy record in any town. But in the Philadelphia area, it is a cavernous valley of gloom and doom. Right now Andy Reid is the culprit.

But let’s face it. We have made Jeffrey Lurie a gazillionaire, but, in reality, it is just a game. And you don’t play it unless you’re in to point spreads. We really should get over it, or put together countdown calendars for the beginning of the Phillies season.

This Temple of Doom should close down. Give Andy a break. He may be stubborn and loyal, but so are we. He’s like us in many ways.

Of course, if he is 5 and 8 at this time next year, I will change my mind and insist that we throw the guy out.

Patience in the Temple of Doom is a virtue, but not forever.

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The father of Megan Kanka, the child raped and murdered by a sex offender, is livid. Megan Kanka was the reason Megan’s law became a nationwide staple. He’s angry because Megan’s killer will cheat death. And that’s because the New Jersey legislature has voted to abolish the death penalty, and Governor Corzine will sign the bill. This makes New Jersey the first state in the nation to wipe out the death penalty in decades. A state commission had reported that the death penalty was outdated and unnecessary. Don’t you love commissions?

Without personally taking a view on that subject, it would be difficult to sell the idea of killing the death penalty to people whose loved ones died a violent death at the hands of a maniac, people like Marilyn Flax, whose husband Irving was killed in 1989. She says it is hard for her to handle the fact that the killer, John Martini Sr., will live on. She says that the killer lives while her ” innocent, loving, adoring husband lies in a grave.”

Flax says she believes the system has “spit on her.”

The New Jersey lawmakers gutlessly made their choice after the election, hoping that in several years, proponents of the death penalty may walk away from the issue and forget. Ironically, opinion surveys show New Jersey voters favor the death penalty.

There could be consequences.

And now, a question? Is the following how we do justice in America?

How about George Mitchell’s report on steroid use in baseball. Bud Selig, the baseball commissioner hired Mitchell, the former Senator Majority leader, to conduct the investigation. I’m sure he did a great and honorable job. But he has indicted, without a court, many baseball players who may have NO ARENA to fight these accusations. Among those named, Roger Clemens, and the Phillies ex favorite Lenny Dykstra. There were many others. Mitchell says he invited the players to talk and defend themselves, but they declined.

But here’s a thought. Dykstra is now a stock picker of note and decent reputation. Is he taking steroids or mind altering drugs? Should we suspect his honesty in stock picking? Does he or Clemens or the many others named have a chance to clear their names? At least, Barry Bonds is going to court to try and prove his innocence.

Mitchell is a director of the Boston Red Sox with a financial interest in the club. No current Red Sox players were named.

Mitchell also missed the main target, the Baseball Commissioner.

Should Bud Selig, who presided over the big home run days of the pumped-up steroiders, be forced to quit? He probably should. He watched his sport flame out in one giant burst of substance abuse, and let it happen. And then he hired a prominent Senator to do the dirty work he should have done years ago.

Why was Bud Selig not investigated? The world is chastising Barry Bonds, Sosa, and all the other big hitters. But Selig, who watched it all, gets a pass.

This is all one big kangaroo court.

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The last GOP debate was enough to make you crawl into bed and snooze. It was more than a snoozer. It was unconscious. Really. I thought with all the rapid movement of Mike Huckabee , everybody would go on the attack. Only Romney made some moves, but even there, it was polite. The big surprise was Rudy Guiliani proposing a 15 percent cut in health care spending, and blasting away at what he calls “nanny government.” That may haunt him if he wins the nomination.

I thought the Democrats have had some boring debates, but this one could send you away very fast.

What shocks me about ALL the candidates for President, with the exception of Joe Biden, is the fact that no one takes risks. Everything is the same, muddled, neutral and careful answers, spiced a little bit with humor. The Presidency requires risk taking. At least Barack Obama has a new sense of cooperation and idealism. That label of American Dreamer is what makes him so attractive to millions of people.

More and more. most candidates sound like the establishment. Americans have long believed that both parties are really the same, that change is not going to happen. The Democrats in Congress are proving them right. They walk on egg shells and are so careful it makes you want to scream. Joe Biden is the exception, and so is Bill Richardson, at times.

I think Obama stands out because he has a sincerity about him that is missing from most politicians. Of course, Jimmy Carter did and you see where that got us.

So we ramble on and hope for the best, once again wondering whether we will select the best of the worst. or tragically, the worst of the worst.

By the way, if you haven’t tuned into this political show yet. do so at your own risk and at your children’s risk. This is serious business and it is more than just the economy – it is lives lost, lives saved, and how we face the danger ahead.

Tune in. Although the debates have been yawns, the race is too important to pass up.

I remember my high school buddies in the early sixties who had no interest in the news.

And then came Vietnam.

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Although I’ve been obsessed with Campaign 08 (I just can’t help it), my thoughts are also turning to the dilemma facing my favorite non-news TV show, Fox’s “24.” First of all, star Kiefer Sutherland is in the clinker for DUI stuff, serious violations. And the writer’s strike continues. This means that “24″ may become “12″ , as in hours, by the time the season is over.

The writer’s strike means that January will be a month of prime time refuse, mostly reality shows, unless of course you watch my colleagues on CN 8 (plug!) or get fixated on CNN’s election coverage, or video on demand, or actually read a book. Even if the writer’s strike is settled soon, January fare on the networks will be mostly reality junk. It is already too late to get stuff produced. If you like that reality stuff, God bless you!

But there is a problem here, a big one. Networks, the four big ones, are dramatically losing their market share. The network owned newscasts in our town have a total of 20 rating points between them at 11. Years ago, Channel 6 alone had 20 rating points at 11 o’clock.

Why is this important to you? As 11 o’clock ratings diminish, the local stations resort to weather scare and sensational tactics to try gain a larger piece of a smaller pie. If the prime time turns into a sewer of reality programs, the lead in shows to the news will have less ratings. Therefore there will be less and less viewers watching local news at 11. The programs will suffer and so will their quality.

I promise you: If prime time ratings decline, every minor snowfall or rain shower will be turned into a “major weather development” in January. Just last week, the bow tie man at Ten and the new mom at Channel 6 issued dire warnings about a dusting of snow. The only forecaster who doesn’t seem to fall for the weather distortion game is the fantastic Kathy Orr on Channel 3, but I’m sure that she, too, is under pressure.

It’s a vicious cycle. The prime time mess will soon lead to boredom, which will lead to lower ratings and desperate News Directors who will be under pressure.

These are issues as we get ready for a January to remember, or forget.

Of course, there ARE many good books to read, internet sites to visit, and TV suspense on the nights of January 3, the Iowa Caucuses, and January 8, the New Hampshire Primary.

As you know, the state of local TV News is not my problem anymore. It used to be. But I worry about responsibility and the future of local news. I really worry about it.

I also worry about Jack Bauer of “24.” Will he save the nation in 2008? Or will he remain in jail watching a TV that features a 12-hour marathon of the “Biggest Loser” on NBC?

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Cut out the four letter words and the attacks on ethic groups. If you want to write these words, and denigrate your identity with words that attack anyone’s ethnic pride, find another website, because I’ve had it with this bias and profanity.

Having said that, I am absolutely thrilled with the tension and edge of the recent postings, especially your responses on the Faulkner tragedy and the family’s quest for the truth, and yesterday’s column on how the parking enforcers are going to kill business in Center City.

Keep the comments flowing, but kill the racist stuff. Strike a line through it. Leave that stuff in the dark recesses of your mind. You know who I’m talking to.

NOW, some news.

The latest CBS Survey from KYW Newsradio shows a near miracle. Mike Huckabee is now at 21 percent nationwide, with Rudy Guiliani at 22. Huckabee is UP from 7 percent. Mitt Romney moves up to 16. Republicans are confused, changing, looking for something. Fred Thompson is in single digits, and so is the respected John McCain.

On the Dems side: Clinton still ahead with 44, Obama at 27. Clinton’s lead is at 17, down from 28 points in October. On the Oprah factor: do you think people will follow her lead in South Carolina and Iowa? I wonder if her glow will rub off on Obama. It’s not like she’s recommending books.

For red state followers, this poll has bad news. The President’s approval rating is at 28 percent, and 59 percent of respondents say the war is going badly.

As we switch to deep blue (For Democrats), the survey shows that….

GET THIS!– Congress’s approval rating is 21 percent. The DEMS should think about new leadership in 2009. With a President having so much trouble, and the DEMS looking even worse, it appears that many of you are ready for a change. Any ideas??

Some insider reports from Washington.

Look for the U.S. Attorney General to seek his own special prosecutor in the investigation of missing CIA interrogation tapes.

Watch for a surprise move by Senate Democrats to revive legislation for troop pullbacks from Iraq in time for the November elections.

FINALLY, Congress may launch a new investigation into the five thousand people sickened by 9/11 fumes in New York. Few have received help – many are unemployed.

Goodbye for now. And keep it clean.

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