The Larry Kane Report

“Chicken” is a dangerous game to play when you are dealing with the lives of millions, maybe billions of people, but therein lays the story of the fanatical forces on both sides that are trying desperately to prove who has the bigger ego. There is one certainty – even a default by the U.S. Government for one week, or one day would send the world into an economic tailspin.

Right now, for better or worse, the Democrats are prepared to let the Republicans take the blame for a financial meltdown if the debt ceiling is raised. The more radical Republicans are willing to risk a default and a world economic crisis to destroy Barack Obama’s chances of getting re-elected. The Democrats demand some tax increases, which they know will be rejected. The Democrats in Congress are actually willing to let this go to the brink just to wreck Republican chances next year. This is a fantastic game of real leadership, isn’t it?

They are playing chicken with your economy and your family! The only good news is that Joe Biden is trying to reach a compromise. Now, I know that a lot of my fellow journalists enjoying poking fun at the Veep, but his negotiating powers, honed from almost 40 years in the Senate, are legendary.

Let’s hope Biden or someone else can knock some sense into the leadership of both parties, before it is too late. “Too late” is only 36 days way.

BACHMANN

All of a sudden, Michele Bachmann, is in a tie with Mitt Romney in the first poll for the Iowa caucuses. Bachmann is flying on the wings of a fantastic debate performance a few weeks ago. But if she is serious about seeking her party’s nomination, she is going to have to dump the Tea Party overboard, and fast. The radical elements of the Tea Party may indeed win the battle by electing a super conservative, but in the end will lose the election. Americans will not elect anyone on the fringe. It has never happened and never will. That goes for fringe LEFT and fringe Right. So we’ll see how Minnesota Michele takes advantage of her “surge.” She may surprise lots of people. She already has.

The Congresswoman has already diminished Sarah Palin, who has learned that if you don’t run, you can’t really play the game.

Were is your 17 billion dollars?

Good question. The Iraqis and the CIA are trying to figure out what happened to the vanishing money, sent by cash to rebuild the country. Imagine having a problem with your checkbook. You can’t find where you spent some money? So you track it down. In this case the Iraqi government is trying to track down 17 billion dollars. And the nerve? The Iraqis blame “institutions” of the United States government for allowing the money to vanish.

What is about our relationship with Iraq that can’t pass the smell test?

NEW WORDS IN THE NEWS -

“Big Soda” is one of the newest, used by Mayor Michael Nutter to describe the beverage industry’s attempt to stop the soda tax. Big Soda was designed by the Mayor to compare to other “bigs”, like big tobacco.

The question is: will some activists now use similar expressions. For example, if you’re a non-sugar activist, will you now describe manufacturers of cookies as “Big Baking“?. Will “Big Beer?” come under attack?  Probably not in this town. What about local favorites like cheese steak companies. Will the cholesterol police call them “Big Meat” or “Big Cheese?” Watch out! Here comes Joey Vento.

And then, the hint of danger could arise if people rise up and start attacking “Big Taxers.” That could be the nastiest rub of all.

GREAT IDEAS -

Philly.Com is promoting great ideas for Philadelphia. Here’s one. Get a few great cops to patrol I-95 and the Schuylkill X-Ways. Raging maniacs can kill people with a car as fast as a speeding bullet. Makes you want to quite driving. If you are one of those people who  tail gates , passes in the wrong lane, and wants to go to prison, then you are a certified donkey if you know what I mean.

I am perplexed by the financial crisis in the Philadelphia schools, and the options to deal with it. Once again, taxes are the only option – soda tax or property tax increases. The fact is that with one of the highest wage taxes in the nation, Philadelphians are already heavily burdened by taxes. Yet, they have been cheated by a marginal school system for decades. Fire units are now severely restricted by budget cuts, along with a police department that is stretched to the limits.

The soda tax, as its called, is just another example of not being able to find creative solutions. Other cities have faced similar situations, and most have gone line by line through their budgets, seeking creative ways to cut without hurting the wider population. Perhaps instead of trying for a soda tax or property tax increase, the city government should try and replace the administration at the schools. The Superintendent has embarrassed the mayor by not communicating with him. Our sources say she is looking, in hopes of getting out soon. Superintendent Ackerman is not accessible, and seems more concerned with territory than with teaching children. I would like to think it would be different, but Ackerman refuses all requests for interviews. So the truth is she never explains her side.  The truth is when you live in a vacuum, you pay a price, and the superintendent works in a vacuum. Hopefully, she will learn the art of communications when she moves on.

In the meantime, the Mayor, well-intentioned as he fights for the kids of Philadelphia, would be wise to get control of the School Reform Commission back to the city. Our sources report that the Pa. Department of Education desperately wants to see a change in the schools leadership. Perhaps then, the Governor has no more excuses to cut school aid by such a large margin. In effect, the “budget cutting” has really just passed on the burden to cities. Maybe a change in the leadership will allow Governor Corbett to ride in as a hero to save the schools.

With all the news surrounding us. one item is not getting much attention.

The battle is on in San Francisco. Both sides are waging a debate that will end at the ballot box in November. A proposition would ban circumcision for males 18 and under in the City by the Bay. The legislation has angered the Jewish and Muslim faithful to which the surgical procedure is sacred, and central to beliefs.

But wait a minute! The campaign has turned ugly. Opponents of circumcision have published a comic book called “Foreskin Man”, with parodies of the practice. The comic book is not so comic. The images in the book clearly mirror the anti-Semitic and disgraceful images of Jews emerging from Hitler’s killing machine in the 1930′s.

Russell Crowe, the actor, suddenly became enamored of the fight to stop circumcision. Crowe, who occasionally makes an ass of himself in public displays of arrogance and alcohol abuse, started tweeting in favor of ending the practice, but later apologized in deference to religious rights. Thank you Russell. Your wisdom is beyond compare.

Watch this story in San Francisco. It could open the way for more stupid and hate-filled campaigns to curb religious freedoms.

THE WEINER WATCH -

Anthony Weiner, who released pictures of his crotch (and maybe more) on the internet says he won’t resign which shows you how selfish this Congressman really is. As long as Weiner stays on, his Democratic party will have a serious distraction from its efforts on key issues. Most Republican who have been caught with their pants down, have left immediately. Politics is a liar’s game, but when you get caught red-handed, it is difficult to hold on.

Anthony Weiner’s career in Congress may be over shortly. His fellow Dems will abandon him as fast as they can. He might hang on for a while, but the utter stupidity of what he did makes him a candidate for class clown. I saw the Congressman speak in late March at the Congressional Correspondent’s dinner. He was funny, but most of his jokes were based on the meaning of his name. Now, his namesake is the unfunny hit of Twitter. How a Congressman could even think of doing something that ridiculous in this modern world, is something I can’t fathom.

SCHOOLS SHOWDOWN

The private struggle between Mayor Nutter and Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman is worse than ever. Ackerman stiffed the Mayor, a day after he called for some tax increases, by not advising him early enough that she had found enough money, borrowing from other funds, to keep all day kindergarten going. She made the Mayor look bad. He is not happy about that. Ms. Ackerman has little or no sophistication in the art of communications. She is also in a bunker, refusing almost all requests for interviews. Her regime runs in a very scared way. Whistle blowers, brave enough to expose financial problems and questionable contracts, are either demoted or fired. We’ve received reliable info that the Superintendent is looking elsewhere. Considering the angst between most of the power structure and Ms. Ackerman, that could be a wise thing. Our sources say she is looking to leave in the fall. These sources are most reliable.