Racism
When Lord Acton wrote that power corrupts, he could have had Lori Lightfoot in mind. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, no, she is not a supporting character on a zany teen TV series carried by some obscure cable network. She is actually the mayor of Chicago, she
Larry Krasner
In the end, it wasn’t even close. In the end, as usually is the case, the incumbent had the advantage. In the end, incumbent progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner beat his traditional liberal challenger, Carlos Vega, by a 2-1 margin in a predictably low turnout race. The turnout was
Israel
The current turmoil in the Middle East is, as usual, a Goddamn shame, and some Americans, including Leftist Jews such as Bernie Sanders (not a practicing Jew) are urging the U.S. to take an “evenhanded approach” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To which I reply — why? Create an equivalency between
Elections
The spotlight is on Philadelphia Democrats on Tuesday, with former star prosecutor Carlos Vega making a strong move to dethrone former defense attorney Larry Krasner as district attorney, an office he has no business holding. Krasner is salt in the sugar bowl. The prime directive of the D.A. is
MOVE
There’s the right way, the wrong way, and the Philadelphia way. Health Commissioner Tom Farley got fired for giving the order in 2017 that human remains — bone fragments, mostly — of victims of the May 13, 1985, MOVE disaster should be cremated. This did not seem to be out of
MOVE
Goodbye, Dr. Tom Farley, we hardly knew ye. Philadelphia’s bland, soft-spoken Health Commissioner was fired when Philadelphia’s famously woke Jim Kenney learned that Farley had made a mistake, a terrible mistake, but one that actually hurt no one physically, but did hurt some feelings. Wait! I want to
Politics
It is very rare, in Philadelphia, for a district attorney’s race to catch fire. It has this year and the outcome is of national interest. Why? Because far-left Democratic incumbent Larry Krasner, 60, is one of “George’s Boys” — a clutch of D.A.’s (not all male), who
Uncategorized
Most political endorsements, to repeat John Nance Garner’s infamous quote about the vice presidency, are “not worth a bucket of warm piss.” Ed Rendell’s is different. He surprised everyone Tuesday with his endorsement of Carlos Vega for district attorney. Why is it different? The majority of Philadelphia, friend
Uncategorized
Are you watching “Mare of Easttown,” the new HBO limited series on Sunday night? I was — until episode 4. I’m a writer, and although my forte is nonfiction, I know when fiction writers are just pulling it out of their ass. And “Mare’s” writers already have hit the
Immigration
The COVID-19 tragedy in India, the world’s largest democracy, has me thinking about Indians, or Indian-Americans. But first — India desperately needs help. Hopefully, the U.S. will do more. For individuals, this article contains a list of non-profits providing aid. My first far eastern Indian friend (I had a
Uncategorized
The job of the district attorney is to protect the public, prosecute the accused and administer justice. Larry Krasner has failed on the first two, and has a questionable record on the third. He should be fired. By his own omission during his last campaign, protecting the public and prosecuting
Sports
The Kentucky Derby over the weekend took me back to 1994, to my first (and last) win as a jockey at the Cherry Hill race track (R.I.P.) To be precise, as I learned at the time, I was a driver, not a jockey. I wasn’t on the