TRUMP CAN TALK, BUT CAN HE LEAD????
Donald J. Trump (Photo: CNN)
Donald Trump’s comments about Muslims are still giving him some international and national static. Most Republican candidates and leaders have decried Trump. But Trump’s defenders say that it wasn’t a blanket statement, that the Muslim ban would only exist if the government or Congress could take a pause and figure things out. Okay here’s what he needs to figure out.
How do you keep a Muslim out? Is there a religious test? How do you profile nd get it right? How long will it take to get it right?
See Trump’s rhetoric doesn’t scare me. Hell I studied the career of Huey Long for a thesis at King’s. I lived through Lester Maddox and George Wallace. His big talk is something we’ve heard before. But this time the climate of the country is behind him.
Here are the two bad parts to this comment.
1. It feeds into the stupidity and visceral ignorance of the majority of voters in America. Talk and interact with various regions in the U.S. and you’ll be amazed at the abject narrow mindedness and hate. These are his supporters. Mostly.
2. These supporters and Trump have no idea how government works. Other business people have tried to run the government like a business and faced challenges. Milton Shapp a Democratic Governor in the 70s had issues even with his own party. The current Governor Tom Wolf has not been able to “reason” with a recalcitrant GOP legislature. Trump needs to know that if he is elected, the Legislative process will strangle him.
That’s what’s scary about the comments. That people believe them and that he thinks he’ll be able to do these things by fiat.
Presidential giants like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan had to work with a Congress. Voters will ask the question, “Does Trump have those skills?”
CRUZ’ IOWA SUPPORT
Senator Ted Cruz hit the Iowa Trifecta" by gaining the endorsement of Bob Vander Plaats, president of The Family Leader. Before that, he had earned the support of Congressman Steve King and syndicated radio host Steve Deace.
A DEMOCRATIC AG HOPEFUL FROM THE WEST
Stephen Zappala Junior. (Photo: WTAE.com)
As the year ends, political jockeying begins for the statewide races. The one with the biggest target is that of Attorney General. With the current occupant under fire, there are people on both sides of the aisle lining up to take Kathleen Kane’s place. On the GOP side, Sen. John Rafferty and Rep. Todd Stephens., two state lawmakers are poised to make a run. This week word came from the AP that Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. is interested in the job. Zappala, the son of a former Pennsylvania Supreme Court chief justice, and has been a DA in Alleghany County the last 17 years. He enjoys enhanced name recognition from his 17-year tenure as chief law enforcement officer of the state's second-largest county.
He’ll face off (at least for now) against Democratic Jack Stollsteimer, a Delaware County lawyer and former prosecutor, and Pittsburgh lawyer David Fawcett, who served as an Allegheny county councilman. Zappalla has more recognition and certainly a bigger base but it will be interesting to see where Kathleen Kane will end up in this equation.
The State GOP had held this office since it became elective in 1980 but that string was broken by Kane in 2012. It’s hard to say if any Democrat might recover from this term by the current AG, no matter who heads the top of the ticket in ’16.
AND ABOUT..... MS. KANE
"The General". (Photo: truthaboutkathleenkane.com)
She will be answering questions on January 12th at a public hearing. The Senate unanimously voted to use a provision from the 18th century that might remove her from office. Known as “direct removal”, the action can bring the AG’s tenure to an end. The hearing is critical because the constitution says removal of an official can only take place “after due notice and full hearing.”
Kane can either appear in person, have attorneys present her case, submit a statement or provide an affidavit to give an official response.
If Kane appears it will be a dramatic scene in the first month of what should have been her re-election year. (Citizen’s Voice, LuLac).
There are reports that a film documentary on the travails of the AG will be put together by former Philadelphia Mayoral candidate Sam Katz. Katz plans to call it, what else, "The Kane Mutiny".
MEDIA MATTERS
FRANK STANLEY DIES
The late Frank Stanley. (Photo: LuLac archives).
Frank Stanley died the other day and even though I never worked for him like many of my radio and TV friends, he was part of my life. As a kid who was experimenting with Country and Western music in the 60s I heard Stanley on WGBI Radio in the 60s and 70s. My friend Dave Cosmo noted that Frank started WMJW radio (92.1) in the early 70's. DeCosmo had trained him in radio in 1963 when both were at WNAK. His goal had always been to have his own station. Rob Neyhard, Bob Reynolds, and Dave Bienias were all part of our award winning news staff when DeCosmo served as Frank's Assistant Manager and News Director.
Stanley sold WMJW sometime around 1990. He moved to Texas where he did some weather reporting for a television station until his retirement. Frank was also a member of my wedding party in 1969.
Other employees who worked there were the late Joe Talmon, Frank Cerretta, Frank Chabalo and Brian Gregory.
I remember when WMJW went on the air. You have to understand that at that time the only frequencies of note were WYZZ, 92.3 FM, WBRE FM, WGBI FM and WEJL FM. WWDL was on the air for only a few years and WVIA FM had started as April of '73. A new FM station was big but when he got Dave DeCosmo to man his news department, that was covered by the local newspapers as a big coup. For years WMJW's News Department was one o the most competitive. It was a time in local radio where each station had a News Department and actually sent people out to cover stories on a daily basis.
Frank was a radio guy. It was in his blood. He’ll be missed. Here’s his obit from the other day.
Francis "Frank Stanley" Koscielski, 73, of LaBlanca, Texas and formerly of Plains Township, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015 in Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg, Texas. Born in Plains Township, he was the son of the late Stanley and Veronica (Urban) Koscielski. Frank founded WMJW, 92.1, Nanticoke, and owned it until 1987. Previous to WMJW Frank had also worked at WGBI on air and at WNAK as an announcer and station manager. Frank later moved to Texas and was a Winter Texan TV reporter for KRGV-TV for a number of years. After retiring from TV, Frank enjoyed spending time with his many friends in Texas. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased in death by his sisters, Stella Kane (1975), and Sister Mary Nunciata (2004).Surviving are his nephews, David Kane and his wife, Cathy, Allentown; Ralph Kane, Schnecksville; nieces Therese Kollar and her husband, George, Hunlock Creek; and Celeste Madtes and her husband, Barry, Alburtis.(Citizen's Voice).
THE IRREULARS
Event: The Irregulars Christmas Breakfast
Date: Saturday, December 12th
Presenter: Mr. Frank Galicki, Superintendent of Schools, Ret., Dallas Area School District, and current Acting Superintendent of Schools Tunkhannock Area School District
Topic: Education: Is it a right or a privilege?
Time: 9:00 A.M. (Doors open at 8:30)
Place: The Lakeside Skillet, Pole 279, Hwy 415, Harveys Lake
Cost: $13.00 per person
BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM
This week's guest is Maggie O'Brien, Regional Manager for Make-A-Wish, PA/WV. You'll hear the program Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on NEPA Sports Radio-The Game 1400/1440 am and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River
ECTV
ECTV Live co-hosts David DeCosmo and Rusty Fender welcome Joann Arduino of Scranton Ballet Theater to the program during the week of December 14th to outline plans for the annual free presentation of the Nutcracker at Marywood University.
SUNDAY MAGAZINE
This Week on Sunday Magazine
Brian Hughes speaks with Jean Baptiste, owner of the Manhattan Bistro in Wilkes barre about the impact of the ISIS attacks in Paris, and his restaurant's first year in business in Wilkes Barre.
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Derrick Bang about the classic Charlie Brown Christmas Special.
And Brian speaks with Dr. David Magnano about eating healthier during the holidays.
Sunday Magazine, Sunday mornings at 5am on NASH-FM, 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on 97.9X and Sports Radio 590, WARM and 6:25am on Magic 93.
SUE HENRY’S SPECIAL EDITION
Tune in to Sue Henry's "Special Edition" this week as Sue recaps the week's news. Special Edition is heard Saturdays and Sunday on these Entercom stations, WILK FM Saturday at 2pm Sunday at 6 am on Froggy 101 Sunday at 7 am on The Sports Hub 102.3 Sunday at 7 am on K R Z 98.5 Sunday at noon on WILK FM 103.1.
BUDDY RUMCHEK
Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:40 and 8:40 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”
KAREL ON THE STREET
Tune in Wednesdays on WILK Radio for Karel on the Street. Hear some of the funniest and heartwarming comments on the issues of the day on Webster and Nancy with Karel Zubris.
BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP!!!!!
The Doo-Wop Sock Hop can be heard every Sunday night from 6P to 9P on “105 The River (104.9 FM) Host is the incomparable Bobby V. www.105theriver.net
www.doowopsockhop.net
1965
Our 1965 logo
The Catholic–Orthodox Joint Declaration of 1965 is read out simultaneously at a public meeting of the Second Vatican Council in Rome and at a special ceremony in Istanb…..on December 8th, A lunar eclipse takes place….. A Charlie Brown Christmas, the first Peanuts television special, debuts on CBS, quickly becoming an annual tradition.....In Pennsylvania Democrats start planning for the 1966 Gubernatorial election. Party leaders start to favor a young State Senator from Scranton, Robert P. Casey…..in Luzerne County Commissioners Wideman, Goss and Post hammer out a budget agreement and fifty years ago this week the number one song in America and LuLac land was “A Taste of Honey” an instrumental by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Plus Herb had great album covers!
Another tune that was making noise especially on WARM, WBAX and WILK was Barry Young’s Dean Martin like rendition of this song.
SINATRA @ 100 COUNTDOWN
At the age of 49 in 1965 (he turned 50 on the 12th) Frank Sinatra had a hit album called “The September of My Years” Here is one of his biggest hits.