The Larry Kane Report

First, a note on Jeremiah Wright. He has betrayed Barack Obama by sticking it to him in national settings, like the National Press Club. Wright seems like he’s on a one-man crusade to really hurt Obama’s campaign. Six weeks after Obama distanced himself, but offered faint praise for the fiery Pastor, Wright has expressed his gratitude by more emotional and controversial attacks, including some nasty references to Obama. It is obvious now that the Reverend is more interested in gratifying his ego than trying to keep out of the news and therefore assist Obama in fighting the racial polarization that Wright stands for.

Next step for Wright - an alliance the with the current king of anti-semitism, the 39th President Jimmy Carter. They would make a perfect wrecking crew for the chances of people of different backgrounds trying to understand each other. Jeremiah Wright is a sad case of power gone wrong, and the use of public power to help divide people, rather than bring them together.

Obama’s repudiation of Wright is welcomed.

Meantime, Hillary Clinton, who needs to take the high road, still has not condemned the GOP commercials in North Carolina that are linking Wright to Obama. They are racist in nature, and should be condemned by one and all.

John McCain condemns the commercials but at the same time has attacked Obama for knowing Wright in the first place.

The net result of all of this: a chance for Obama to stand tall during a time of trouble, much like Clinton did during her down days after the Bosnia flap and her early losing days in the primaries,

It is a pity that race has reared its ugly head in this campaign, primarily because of the ex-Pastor who may be remembered as the disciiple of division.

Comments(52)

You’ve read it. You’ve heard it. Now maybe you know that those in the business of political analysis ( this reporter included ) may be clueless about what voters are feeling.

Many of the national writers and broadcasters have been pushing hard on the concept that the Democrats are beating each other up so much that victory may be elusive against John McCain. That is apparently not the case in Pennsylvania, where several national polling organizations report that both Obama and Clinton would, if the election were held right now, crush John McCain. Similar polls have Obama beating McCain in battleground states like Minnesota and Colorado, and Clinton close to beating him in those states.

We’ve got a real problem in this business: someone strikes a theme and everybody seems to follow.

Well, I’ll strike a theme. The people are generally more perceptive than the people who bring them the news. Recent “herd mentality” reports include the all out destruction of the Democratic party by the campaign so far. True, in the end, the Democrats may get beaten badly by how the campaign actually ends. The true nature of Bill, Hillary and Barack will be tested by that. But right now, the Democrats are hardly fractured.

Second evidence of “herd mentality” - the notion that Obama has to get in the gutter to win, notably by Time Columnist Joe Klein. If Obama wants to be high minded, so be it. If the Clinton’s want to get down and dirty, they are doing it on their tab. Frankly, if Obama doesn’t want to strike back, he could lose the primary battle. If Clinton seeks to continue to be combative, her negatives will climb, and she will be in peril.

The problem  with us is that we think our advice is perfect, because we are so smart. Maybe both of them are smarter than us.

In the meantime, the new herd mantra is, “the race is close.” The other is “Obama has lost his groove” The third is, “Bill is a problem.” On that one, I agree.

Final question: has anyone in the traveling press corps asked Hillary Clinton how she feels about the commercials sponsored by the GOP in North Carolina, touting Reverend Wright’s speeches and attacking Obama for knowing him.

Now that would be smart questioning.

Comments(32)

Got a lot on my mind.

If there is any doubt that Syria was trying to build nukes to terrorize the Middle East, that doubt has been erased by U.S. findings. This is not a fake WMD deal here. The U.S. and Israel have uncovered the mess. Syria is like Iran without fingerprints, a murderous regime that has survived by killing its enemies and growing and dealing drugs. We should warn Syria, as seriously as warn Iran, and let them both know, along with the puppet regime in North Korea, that freedom loving countries will stop he production of nuclear weapons.

That brings me to Jimmy Carter, again. The Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. calls President Carter a bigot. He is correct. Anyone meeting with Hamas gives a blessing to murder of innocents, and in turn, turns a deaf ear to the constant reality that as Israel gives up more land, Hamas terrorists keep sending missiles to kill civilians. The wanton killing of civilians, with no military strategy whatsoever, is what we call genocide. It is a pity that Mr. Carter is destroying his legacy.

TO CAMPAIGN 08….

Advice to Hillary: Keep Chelsea on the campaign trail. Restrict President Bill to written statements, approved by you, or Ed Rendell. The President’s suggestion that Barack was playing the race card was fascinating, especially when Mr. Clinton still denied saying it even after the tape was played showing that he did. This is not good. It is also not good for people to believe that your campaign can’t control Bill. Fix this. Also, keep up the belly laugh. It is funny and real. (How could anybody fake a laugh like that?)

Advice to Barack: Your attacks on John McCain are the best way to win the nomination. They are also performed with grace and class. Your respect for the Senator is obvious, and plays well. You can be a little more specific on your plans for Iran and Osama Bin Laden. Details are good, especially after Hillary threw in her nuke retaliation threat against Iran. As far as blue collar voters, they have voted for Repubicans for years. One good way to win them over is to down a couple of shots of bourbon in Indiana. That will play well in the booze belt in Kentucky WAIT–Somebody already did that…right?

Advice To John McCain - Come to Pennsylvania. People like people who come here. Bring Tom Ridge out more to speak for you. Although the extreeeeeem, and I mean extreeeeem right wing thinks Tom Ridge is a socialist, he is probably the most respected Republican outside of Arlen Specter in Pa. So, let Governor Ridge do his thing. But most of all, come to Pennsylvania.

Final item: AIR. Congress should pass a law forbidding service stations to charge money to use air pumps to fill up your tires. Isn’t it bad enough that we are paying $3.50 or more for a gallon of gas?  Now we have to pay 50 cents more for AIR. Air should be free.!!!

Comments(42)

Pennsylvania is over, and now the focus shifts to Indiana and North Carolina. In a a year of high drama and non-stop excitement, every state seems a must win for Hillary Clinton who impressively won the Keystone state in a contest accentuated by vicious campaign tactics by both sides.

Clinton was also the first Presidential candidate to insert 9/11 in the campaign, not the Rudy G. take on 9/11 but the insinuation that she can stand up to the monster. The commercial,  featuring Osama Bin Lade ,in the final hours of the hotly disputed contest, has already been taken on by the New York Times, among others. I look at it this way: all is fair in love and politics. But if you are going to dish it out, get ready for “incoming.” Don’t be surprised if the Obama camp starts rehashing the Clinton years, the good, the average, and the ugly. On Monday, Bill Clinton, in an actual radio station recording, said that the Obama campaign had played the race card against him. Later he denied that, and got dissed off at a reporter who reminded him that he actually said it.

My advice to Senator Clinton. Keep Bill in the backdrop. He is dangerous to the success of your campaign.

To Obama, a message: Don’t complain about debate questions or anything as ridiculous as Curious George asking you about lapel pins. Stay on message, and remember that the best way to get even with interviewers is to keep silent. Curious George, sho may have stepped over the line, will only notice when you restrict your appearances to Face The Nation!

A final note. Now that Hillary has brought Osama Bin Laden into her commercials, I have a thought. Why not send the globe-trottiing, self-serving Former President Jimmy Carter to the mountainous region of Pakistan to find Osama  and talk him into surrendering. Mr. Carter, who has become ornery in his twilight years, might actually get Bin Laden to give up. Carter has a sensitive side. He likes to meet murderous terrorists, like the Hamas killers, even though his government asked him not to. The 39th President would have gone crazy if some goofy ex-President defied his wishes. But now, we might have an opportunity. Carter can’t see the difference between natural-born killers who were given land for peace, and responded with missiles. So now we should send him to search for Bin Laden, and bring him back, alive.

Comments(44)

This hard-fought battle between Barack and Hillary has not exactly seen a lot of profiles in courage. Let’s face it. Ed Rendell was a lock to endorse Hillary. The Rendell-Clinton alliance has gone on for years and there is tremendous mutual respect.

Michael Nutter is a different story. The new Mayor, glowing in the bask of victory and extolling the virtues of some fresh air in City Hall, chose the hard path in this election. Nutter has always been a man of great independence. So it was really no surprise that he passed on the first African-American to really have a chance to be President, and instead, chose Hillary Clinton. Nutter, along with many politicians, is proof positive that independence is a healthy thing.

And so it is for the public officials far and wide in this epic race who have taken the road to supporting a candidate, not based on color, but on their view of the characteristics that would make a great President.

Bill Richardson is also a man of courage. Verbally attacked publicly and privately by the Clintons, the Governor of New Mexico sought out the person he thought was the best choice. His endorsement of Barack Obama was a major moment. So was Bob Casey’s endorsement. The Senator’s blessing of Obama resonated throughout the state.

Courage in politics is a rare commodity. But, there is a little of it, here and there.

Whatever your choice for President, you have to respect the choices of others, some of whom stuck by their guns under tremendous duress.

Some other notes. James Carville says the center of Pa. is like Alabama. Carville is wrong. He quite often is. His attack on Bill Richardson was classless and clueless. I go back a long way with Carville whose profane attack on me on the morning after Governor Bob Casey’s win in 1986 led Mrs. Casey to ask him to leave the room. Carville is smart. But he is a bully. He went on the four-letter word attack because he was unhappy that I got the first interview with the new Governor. So, over pancakes and coffee, he let his petulant self go. I’m sure he has mellowed over the years, but his attack dog politics is ugly,

A surprise this week. I was surprised that John McCain tried to make hay over Obama’s serving on a board with a former Weather Underground conspirator. Since Obama was 8 years old when the attacks were committed, the usually classy McCain wasn’t during his interview by curious George on ABC. That is the same George obsessed with whether Obama wears flag lapel pins.

Comments(33)