The Larry Kane Report

WHAT’S THE BUZZ –

The Buzz Bissinger piece on Ed Rendell in Sunday’s Inky missed the point. Actually, it missed several points. While he was looking for the “next thing” for the Pennsylvania Governor, the Buzz forgot something. Rendell is one of the most marketable Democratic communicators in the nation. Rendell could have a lucrative career in Television, as an analyst for any one of the cable news operations.

Buzz also forecasts that there will be no place for Rendell in the Obama White House. Not so fast! Although the two do not maintain a cozy relationship, the President has discovered that there is little cabinet talent on the Democratic front. Did you watch his Homeland Security Secretary in action after the Christmas bombing attempt? Did you see the fumbling transportation secretary on the Toyota recall?

Who am I to argue with a writing giant like Buzz Bissinger?  But to tell you the truth: don’t think that Rendell is going to some sort of retirement. Don’t cry for Ed. He’ll be just fine.

GAME CHANGE—

The book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin is as good as it gets for a solid accounting of the political intrigue of the 2008 election. I’m especially fascinating by the author’s detailed accounts of the Bill and Hillary Clinton inner circle, and the suggestions that Bill’s personal life remained a problem before and during the campaign. This is a tremendous book that reads like a fiction thriller, but, as we know, it all happened. “Game Change” is the book you need to read.

TEE OFF PARTY –

Members of the so called Tea Party of the Republican right showed up at the state party’s coronation of Attorney General Tom Corbett for Governor and Pat Toomey for Senate. The Tea Party wing is volatile and also appealing to many Republican populists. As I see it, Corbett appears to be the frontrunner for Governor, but if the extreme right fights his election, it may give the Democrats a real chance.
It is such an irony that the anticipated Republican victories in many races might be lost by extreme forces in the Grand Old Party.

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On the pothole patrol. If you think February is rough, wait until April when you’ll be riding through and over the biggest potholes in history. Highway experts tell me that the massive use of salt along with over 76 inches of snow will give us a new record in giant potholes. This is another big time problem from our strange and wondrous winter.

Governor Who? Recent surveys show that with the exception of Republican Tom Corbett, few Pennsylvanians know anything about the many candidates for Governor. Corbett is better known because he’s been the Pa. Attorney General for over five years. Dan Onorato is known in the Pittsburgh area, but the suspected Democratic frontrunner has a lot of work to do. Of course,  party leaders are hoping that the less you know, the more they’ll have a chance to control this election. That, in itself, is a great reason to find out more about the candidates.

He’s controversial. He’s tough. He played 58  minutes on both sides of the ball when the Eagles beat Green Bay in 1960 for the NFC Championship. Chuck Bednarik, known as Concrete Charlie, joins me on Voice of Reason at 9:30 tonight on the Comcast Network. The show, marking the golden anniversary of that game, also features top-notch sports journalists Ray Didinger and Stan Hochman, along with the writer of a new book on Bednarik, who is considered the greatest Eagle player of all time. Incidentally, that win by the Eagles in 1960 was the only playoff game lost by legendary coach Vince Lombardi.

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Did I miss this one? I was about as naive as some of our diplomats. It was about ten days ago when I noted that the Iranian crackpot Ahmedinejad had agreed to have his uranium enriched in other countries. I felt it was a direct reaction to U.S. installation of anti-missile batteries to protect our allies in the Middle East. Now, the fiery leader has already taken back his offer. He addressed a rally marking the Iranian revolution by declaring that Iran is now a “nuclear state”. While he was speaking, bloody henchmen of the regime were beating up dissident leaders.

It’s sad to say but time is running out on peaceful options, including sanctions, to deal with the most dangerous regime on the planet. Watch for a tougher stand, and very shortly, from the Obama White House.

SPEAKING OF CRACKPOTS

This one is hard to believe. A serious candidate for the Republican nomination for Texas Governor, Debra Medina, may cease to be a serious candidate any minute now. On Glenn Beck’s radio show, she refused to disavow conspiracy theories that our government may have been behind the 9/11 attacks. These are her words.

“I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard. There are some very good arguments, and I think the American people have not seen all of the evidence there, so I have not taken a position on that.”

Beck dissed her at the end of the show. Good move Glenn.

This woman is running for Governor of Texas. It was just 10 years ago that a Governor of Texas was elected President. After this freakish statement, there appears little chance that Ms. Medina will have that  same opportunity.

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Communication, they say, is the beginning of understanding. In that respect, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter shined in his role as Commander of the snow-fighting troops of the region. His regular and “live” updates on radio and TV kept a sense of calm and order in a day that paralyzed the region. It was one of his finest hours. I’ve always been fascinated by the prowess of government leaders who value communication. Nutter seems to have found his groove.

A NEW REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE

In what some consider a surprise, Dee Adcock, a Montgo businessman , beat back the Republican party establishment to win the party’s endorsement to run against Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz. Adcock is low key in an Eisenhower kind of style. Although soft spoken, and definitely an underdog to the three termer Schwartz, watch for Adcock to run an aggressive race. Adcock, we are told, is determined to convince his party leadership that winning, often abandoned recently by the county GOP, is possible. Another certainty: Congresswoman Schwartz runs hard and tough. It will be a rugged battle

BEATLES SHOW

A little clarification on my Ticket To Ride shows every weekend in March at the Franklin Institute. The show is not an exhibit, but a “live” show, mixed with my intimate stories of life with the Beatles, some remarkable inside history, and memorable video, pictures and some recently-discovered audio. Remember that the 5 o’clock Saturday show is designed for families with younger children. The shows at eight p.m. Friday and Saturdays are for teenagers and adults. Hope to see you there.

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ICE STATION PHILADELPHIA-

After this.
After this, a three inch snowfall will become a minor event.
Philadelphia and eastern Pa. may bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Newspapers may stop printing during major snowstorms. What’s the use? You may never find the papers anyway,  buried under two feet of snow.

After this.
You may have to “reserve” basic food supplies at your favorite market.
Schools may take summer break in July.
There could be a major local baby boom in November.

RINGO TAKES A WALK OF FAME -

Long overdue, Ringo Starr got his place in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I say long overdue because the full impact of Ringo’s role with the Beatles has never been fully appreciated. I know. I was there.

Ringo was part of the glue that held the Beatles together. He was (is) a great drummer, and was key to the Beatles early success. His stage presence was incredible. It’s easy to forget how important the drummer was in completing the fab foursome. It’s also easy to forget the role that Ringo played in resurrecting the careers of so many artists in the 20 years since he began the All-Starr-Tour.

EAGLES 50th-

For those of you planning ahead, there’s quite a show Sunday night at 9:30 on the Comcast Network. I’ll be hosting a Voice of Reason broadcast, saluting the 50th anniversary of the Eagles championship victory over the Green Bay Packers. Our guests include Chuck Bednarik, Ray Didinger, Stan Hochman, and the author of a book on Chuck’s life. For those of you too young to remember, Chuck, considered the greatest Eagle of all time, played 58 minutes of the game, as center on offense and linebacker on defense.

The show cannot be cancelled by snow. It has already been recorded.

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