The Larry Kane Report

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MIDDLE EAST CRISIS

For the most part, many Americans ignore overseas crises. Japan is an exception. Recent polling, in fact, shows only about 35 percent of Americans focusing on the Libyan conflict. The problem is worsening, by the day. Syria, that troublemaker of a nation, is getting more unstable by the hour. That could be a major setback to its sponsor, the terrorist government of Iran. If President Assad goes, who takes his place? One thing is fairly certain, Assad doesn’t have a clue. Firing on your own people is political suicide. More troubling is the rage in Jordan, America’s strongest Arab ally in the region. The King has been a moderating force, and not an autocratic tyrant and killer like Assad and Gaddafi. Jordan could fall into the hands of militants. The thing about diplomacy is that it is sometimes a guessing game. Right now it is like walking blindfolded. The uncertainty and the outcome could affect America for years to come.

FERRARO -

Geraldine Ferraro was rare – a precedent setting woman who was not afraid to speak out. She rarely filtered her comments, and  as the first major party female to run for Veep, brought to the campaign a candor rarely seen in politics. She could not save the train wreck that was Walter Mondale’s campaign in 1984, but she brought energy to the campaign and vitality to the election process. The national press, as a whole, treated her differently. There was a definite imbalance in the scrutiny she received, which begs the question: was it because she was a woman, or because she was a person of higher-than-usual skills?

EXPOSURE -

Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen should save some money and get group therapy for their ego-centered abuses of drugs and life. My problem with theme is quite selfish. I wish they would go away some where. The media’s obsession with them is driving important news off the front pages – stories like (again) the deepening crisis in the Middle East,

Libya -

When I first started writing about the need to backup strong words with strong allied action, most of my friends and associates accused me of war-mongering. That didn’t bother me, although they were well intentioned. But I knew, from history’s fault lines, that speaking strongly and walking away from acting strongly, would embolden the butcher of Tripoli. In some ways, the delay in allied action allowed the White House to form an incredible diplomatic alliance to generate military action, which started this weekend. In another way, you wonder how much easier it would have been and how many lives would have been saved, if the decisions were made without delay

But we have another story. Defense Secretary Gates has said that we will hand off the lead on the Libya mission in a few days. Once again,  as he did a few weeks ago, he repeated that it would be a strain on the military to handle the job for a lengthy period.  Joint Chiefs Chair Mullen was even more negative, suggesting Gaddafi may stay in power. All this may be true, but…

I have a question. If you were Gaddafi, what would you make of the public comments from Gates and Mullen? Would you believe, as you did two weeks ago when Gates publicly denounced a no-fly zone, that you could again get away with murder? This entire sequence of events has had a familiar path: Strong words from Hillary Clinton. Strong words from the President. Cautions from the Pentagon. So I ask you: Who speaks for the United States government? Why are we telegraphing our plans?

There is only one Commander-In-Chief.

This is the age of stupid. An aide to Haley Barbour, the Republican Presidential hopeful with an affection for the era of segregation, was fired for joking about the tragedy in Japan. Gilbert Gottfried, voice of the Aflac duck, was fired for tweeting jokes about the earthquake and nuclear disaster. A state official in Pennsylvania compared opponents of natural gas drilling to Nazi propagandists.

And the list goes on. America is filled with some  misguided, and obviously misdirected people.

Mike Huckabee blows it twice in a week. He talks about Barack Obama growing up in Kenya, a mistake of course, and then he blames the news media for reporting it.

The head of State Department press rails against his own administration with public comments about alleged mistreatment of the accused traitor who leaked all those cables. He got fired.

This is the age of inappropriate. We are setting horrible examples for future generations.

Get this: In the last three months, a total of 11 people associated with political campaigns have had to walk away because they put their foot in their mouth.

Is it just the need for attention? Or have we spawned an era of people with no feelings for anyone?

LIBYA MYSTERY

It appears now that Gaddafi may soon massacre thousands in the East of Libya. What happened to all of our strong talk that he “must leave?” Have we given up on our original position that he is a possible war criminal.? What will happen is he is victorious and decides to “cleanse” his cities? The bigger question is whether our words mean anything these days. If we are going to talk tough, will be back it up with allied action? It probably is much too late anyway.

The Corbett budget is impressive for its austerity, but it also guarantees massive tax increases. The one billion dollar cut in education funding will pass down to local school districts which most likely be forced to increase property taxes. Cuts in other programs might not cause tax increases, but instead foster more private sector fund-raising. You have to wish the new Governor well, but you might also know that if there are tax increases at the local level, and there will be, the Governor will probably be blamed. That, is of course, political dynamite. On the other hand, an imbalanced budget would have forced statewide taxes to go up. It is true, the Governor has put spending in line, but in the end, unless school boards drastically reduce levels of education, the taxes in Pa. will go up, just from a different taxing power.

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?

Gaddafi is now in total massacre mode. The entire world has condemned him, save for the lunatic in Venezuela.  We have called for him to leave. If he wins this battle, which he might, Libya will see a genocide the likes we have not seen, well, in a few years. What we waiting for? The President must do the right think in conjunction with other nations. Failure to act will hurt his credibility as well as the nations. has time run out? This could get even uglier if the allies do not act. I’m usually a man of caution, but this appearance of softness could be devastating to the United States.

LINDSAY LOHAN, CHARLEY SHEEN – GUV WALKER

Hollywood’s worst are making news.  This is the era of gluttonous and animal behavior from real people. Lohan should go to jail for violating parole. Sheen should find an island somewhere far way and live there. Maybe Sheen should go to Wisconsin and join the other carnival act, which is exactly what Governor Walker’s act really is.

It’s time for butcher Gaddafi to go. The United States must swiftly organize an alliance of nations to form a no-fly zone over Libya, arm the rebels and get the monster out. The justification is clear: Libya’s involvement in the 1988 downing of Pan Am 103;  the dictator’s continual murders and torture of his own people; the world watching with trepidation as the US and its allies sit on the sidelines with mixed messages.

Mixed messages?  The President, in the strongest terms yet, has demanded the dictator leave, and said all options, including the military option, are on the table. So he finally backed up Secretary of State Clinton who has said this all along. But there’s a problem. Secretary of Defense Gates keeps saying  that a military option is not realistic, and Generals have spoken out against a no fly zone. The President has to make it clear that idle press commentary by generals, contradicting his “all options are on the table” philosophy, has to stop. Secretary Gates should air his opposition in private, not in the press.

I’m sorry to see this little game going on. There is only one Commander-In-Chief and American government should have a singular voice at this moment.

Can you imagine what Gaddafi is thinking? The more we wait, the more we and our allies delay, the more brazen and emboldened he will become in the killing fields of Tripoli, and the rest of his country.

This is more than about Gaddafi. This is about our responsibility to lead, or be part of responsible leadership.

What are we waiting for?

SHAME IN THE UPPER MIDWEST

Governor Scott Walker  of Wisconsin is doing more for American unions than anybody has in decades. His attempt to erase collective bargaining has awakened not only union workers, but millions of middle class Americans. Walker’s war against unions is opposed by more than two-thirds of Americans. Do you know why? Because his actions threaten all Americans who are striving for a better life.

Walker is shaming the Republican party. If this keeps up, you’ll see a backlash against Republicans that could reverse so many of their gains by the time of the elections in November 2012.