The Larry Kane Report

Here we have gasoline inching to $4.00 per gallon. Americans are being squeezed out of normal everyday opportunities to travel, enjoy, and do the things that are necessary in life. Retail operations are suffering and there is no question by any economic standards that the price of oil is causing our economic woes. Despite this obvious dilemma, the three Presidential candidates have said little about the missing issue in the room = federal and state support for comfortable and safe MASS TRANSIT.

Have you been on Septa lately, especially the regional rails.? You’ll find that the trains are packed and that people are learning quickly that traveling by public transit is a sharp and wise alternative to paying a small fortune to drive cars. Obviously, we need our cars. but we also need a long range vision that will help us unchain ourselves from the imprisonment of foreign oil. Where are the answers from the candidates?

NUTTER POLL –

The Inquirer reports that an internal campaign poll shows Mayor Nutter with a wide favorable rating. No surprise there. The man conducts himself in public with a sense of command, and an appearance that the powers of the office have not affected his ability to see things clearly. As I’ve said for years, communication is the beginning of understanding, especially in the world of government and politics.

RENDELL FOR VP?-

Although it seems improbable, the idea of an Obama - Rendell ticket is not far fetched. As the WEEKLY STANDARD magazine mentioned last week, the concept of selecting a Clinton supporter who has shined recently on the national scene is not out of the realm of possibility. When Obama goes over the top, Rendell will join forces with him immediately. He is the Governor of a crucial state. He now has a national name. Watch this one.

“NASTY NOTES “–A FRIENDLY REMINDER

I’m getting very tired of having to delete hateful entries on the blog. Be as cutting edge as you want, but end the religious and racial slurs, or find another place to deposit your hate. Attack me all you want, and by all means, lay it all out. But there will be no tolerance for hatred on this site.

Comments(86)

The game is Smear or No Smear! It is an old game with some new twists. If you would like to contribute to “Smear Or No Smear”, by all means send your thoughts. Here’s my version.

What price victory? Good question. John McCain says that Hamas wants Barack Obama to win. Smear. This is surprising to me, considering McCain’s obsession with ethics. C’mon Senator, you can do better than that. Your record says that you can. And the crocodile tears over the anti-Obama ad in North Carolina? They didn’t work. Consult your good friend Tom Ridge for a lesson in ethical public behavior.

Rush Limbaugh keeps pounding out Obama;s middle name - Hussein. No Smear. But close to one. In the old days the FCC used to suspend broadcast licenses for this kind of innuendo. But, sadly,  Limbaugh has every right to promote bigotry. Too bad. He’s a great and entertaining talent.

Pastor Wright attacks America, Pastor Wright questions the reasons for 9/11. The Pastor (from Germantown by the way), is an outstanding orator who proved that his ego was more important than spirituality and his alleged friendship with Obama when he erupted again on the way to the North Carolina and Indiana Primaries. No Smear. Gets bad grades in “loving mankind” department.

Hillary Clinton insinuates that whites are abandoning Barack Obama - says she can get white votes. No Smear. But she won’t be getting a brotherhood award from the NAACP. That’s for sure.

President Clinton says about his wife (earlier in the campaign) “”We can’t be a new story, I’m sorry. I can’t make her younger, taller, male.” The remark was obviously taken out of context, but for that and the comment that Obama played the race card against him, the 42nd President gets a smear by word association. Wow. These campaigns really take their toll.

THE GOOD NEWS -

A nod to Chelsea Clinton. Classy, determined and a super advocate for her Mom.

Kudos to John Kerry. 04 runnerup becomes powerful addition to Obama team.

A grade “A” to Terry McCauliffe, Clinton’s national campaign manager, for a sense of humor and a bright personality that takes some of the negatives out of the contest. We need more laughter these days.

Best broadcast analysts ( this reporter excluded) are: Bob Schieffer - a true great and always to the point. Tim Russert. Donna Brazile at CNN -attitude with a sense of humor. John King at CNN. This guy knows more about local political trends than the locals do. Chris Matthews. The fact that Chris invited me to appear on Hardball with him, twice, does not impact my opinion.

Thanks for reading, and please avoid smears on the blog. We will, without hesitation, delete them.

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They serve everyday. They drive through the neighborhoods, keeping the peace and allowing all Philadelphians to pursue their happiness. Sometimes, there are neighborhood squabbles, lost dogs. injured people, accidents, flat tires, and petty theft. Most of the time they walk the fragile tightrope between law and disorder, peace and danger, and in some cases, life and death.

Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski had been doing this job for 12 years, and like the other 6000 members of the Philadelphia Police Department, doing it very well. The married father of three was a man respected by his peers and the people he served. He died on duty last Saturday morning responding to a bank robbery, cut down by a ruthless assassin carrying an assault weapon that could penetrate the armor of a tank.

There are two stories that emerge from this murder.

One: although there is a deep respect for their work, it always takes a tragedy to awaken the majority of the people to the extraordinary service and professionalism of the Phila. Police Department. It’s not that people disrespect the Police. It is just easy to take the work of individual police officers for granted.

Two: Although they are not directly responsible, the lawmakers in Pa. who block special gun control legislation for Philadelphia, should be ashamed that their inaction allows these kinds of weapons to fall into the wrong hands. Gun control is a pressing issue in America. In Pennsylvania, it is time that the voters turned out lawmakers who have no compassion  for the murder rate and the potential for danger in big cities.

In the aftermath of this murder, we once again reaffirm our appreciation and respect for the men and women who protect us, wherever they are, with an understanding of the sacrifices they make, and a deep sense of grief and concern for the family of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, and the thousands of men and women who served with him.

I have seen up close the dangers that Police Officers face. It is a job that requires courage and compassion, and an understanding that the danger on the doorstep can be fatal, and have a lasting impact on a young family. The courage that officers display should only be matched by the courage of some gutless legislators to stand up to weapons manufacturers, and do the right thing for the people of Philadelphia.

Comments(60)

First the bad news, for John McCain and Republicans. Most polls show over 72 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. The last times we saw results like that were 1976, when Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford, 1980, when Jimmy Carter was defeated, and 1992 when Bill Clinton ousted George Bush. This is not hopeful. And it’s also the first time that the Republicans, getting a free ride right now on the Clinton-Obama fight, have had some discouraging news.

Now, on to the Democrats. There are three scenarios for the end of the Democratic slug-fest, at least from this perspective. If Barack Obama wins Indiana and North Carolina, the fight could end within days, with pressure from the party brass and super delegates to bring it to a conclusion. The second scenario: The two split the states. In that case, the battle will go on to the final primary on June 3. The most controversial scenario: Hillary Clinton wins both elections Tuesday. That will guarantee that the battle will most likely last through the summer and go directly to the Democratic Convention in Denver, which is a nightmare situation for the Democrats. This coming Tuesday will be another Super Tuesday.

GAS PAINS — A subject for state and local investigators. And this is a must. Are local gas stations pumping up the price before the market dictates? The fluctuations are too dramatic, and the differences in price from one station to another are STRANGE! LOCAL TV STATIONS SHOULD START CHECKING THIS OUT IMMEDIATELY. Also, why are some stations suddenly “out” of regular gas, forcing drivers to pay premium prices?

Congratulations to President Bush for the solace offered to consumers in his brief and exasperated White House remarks. His solution for gasoline prices: not to pressure his Saudi friends to ease up, or to jawbone the oil industry. No, his suggestion is to open up the Alaskan oil reserves. Now, that is really visionary thinking. His oil friends in Midland Texas are crying about this consumer crisis all the way to the bank.

And you wonder why over 70 pct of Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction

FINAL ITEM — With gasoline prices so high, why haven’t we heard more from the Presidential hopefuls on getting more bucks for Mass Transit??

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Of all the switch-overs in this crazy nominating race, none is more significant than the crossover of Joe Andrew, former Democratic National Chairman, appointed by President Bill Clinton. The most important aspect of his move to Obama were the comments that came with it - his impassioned plea for other Super Delegates to follow the lead and embrace Obama.

Andrew, one of the first to endorse Clinton last year, and an Indiana native, used as his rationale the need to end the political bloodletting and unify the Democratic Party. His nod to Obama follows a similar move from a key Indiana Congressman a few days ago.

When the book is written on this one, the Joe Andrew defection might be viewed as a turning point. His move could bring on a minor wave of commitments from other Super Delegates.

Other political notes: Obama has changed his media strategy, by appearing on morning shows and late night shows like Letterman, Other candidates, especially Clinton, have learned that appearing on these shows can show their personal side to voters. I even saw a tape of Michelle and Barack Obama on the Rachael Ray show.

Hillary Clinton has been curiously low key this week. There is very little bravado on the stump. Is she morphing into a kinder, gentler candidate. And Bill? Where is he. He has also been very quiet.

John McCain’s campaign is starting to realize that will haved to run against W. He’s already mocked Mission Accomplished back in 2003, and will continue to find ways to separate himself from the President. The war has not gone well in the last month. McCain needs space between himself and the White House.

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