The Canessa Commentary
By KEVIN CANESSA Jr.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
It’s been a pretty slow news
cycle this week, so here’s one of those hodgepodge editions of The Canessa
Commentary.
• Former Republican South
Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who
resigned after an affair, is planning on running for Congress — for a seat he
once held. Looks pretty clear the GOP hasn’t really learned from the election
of 2012.
• U.S. Rep Phil Gingrey,
R-Ga., said recently the comments
made by Todd Akin, that a woman
rarely gets pregnant from “legitimate rape,” were “partly true.” Gingery is a
former OB-GYN. Let’s just say I wouldn’t want my daughter — if I had one —
going to this OB-GYN.
Isn’t it bad enough one
person believes this? And now there are two?
Hell, what I am thinking —
there are probably thousands of RWNJs (Right Wing Nut Jobs) who believe it.
• Gov. Chris Christie,
R-N.J., gave one of the most
lackluster State of the State addresses I’ve ever heard. He recapped exactly
what we already knew — that New Jersey was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, and
that the federal government continues to be slow in coming through with aid.
What Christie didn’t say was what he’d do to get the funds quicker, how the state would aid cities and people affected by the storm — or anything else for that matter, like lowering one of the nation’s largest unemployment rates.
He’s been great on the
national scene. He’s been wonderful standing up for the people who were hurt
most by the storm. And quite frankly, I’ve never seen a Republican more willing
to stand up to the establishment — John Boehner, that is — than Christie.
But his address was meatless.
He offered no specifics. And in a state where people are hurting from the storm
and so much more, he truly failed when he had a tremendous opportunity to lead
and comfort.
• The NRA recently met with Vice-President Joe Biden, and the NRA says the meeting was “useless.”
I will never understand how,
in this nation, an organization that has 4 million members could have as much
clout and power as it does. Perhaps I am just naïve here. But in general
elections, if every NRA member
voted Republican — and let’s face it, they probably do — it still wouldn’t
matter.
And yet they’re still seen as
all-powerful and almighty.
And it’s not just the NRA.
There are tons of special-interested organizations in this country with smaller
memberships — the ACLU comes to
mind — that just have way too much clout and influence over policy.
Not holding my breath this
will change anytime soon.
• I’m a big fan of older TV
programs — started watching 1994 “ER”
episodes in 2009. So it won’t come as much of a surprise that I just started to
watch the old NBC show “Third Watch.”
I never realized it back in the day — I did watch the show from time to time
when it was new — but the show (some of the same production team) is basically
“ER” on the streets. Similar background music. Similar themes. Similar
terminology.
Regardless, the show is
tremendous — and if you’re ever looking to catch up on old shows, this is one,
for sure, to give a try.
• Speaking of TV shows, “The
Good Wife,” CBS Sundays, gets better
each week. Julianna Margulies is
incredible in the lead. But this season has been made even better by guest
appearances. First, it was Maura Tierney, who briefly worked with Margulies on “ER.” On-going, Michael J.
Fox defies the odds with his
Parkinson’s by playing an amazing role on the show. And Nathan “Joe” Lane, who went to the same high school as I did — St.
Peter’s Prep (he the class of ’74, I the class of ’92, and yes, his birth name
is Joseph — has been nothing short of stellar, as he often is in any role he
plays.
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| Nathan Lane, left, with Christine Baranski, in 'The Good Wife.' |
• As much as I was/am angry with the NHL, its players and its owners, I must admit to being excited for the start of the season. Though the schedule isn’t yet out, I’ve read the NJ Devils open on the “road” on Long Island against the Islanders on Jan. 19, and open at home on Jan. 22 against the despised Philadelphia Flyers.
After the first lockout, I
was at the first Devils game of
the 1994-95 season — in Hartford, Conn., against the Whalers. But it’ll take
free tickets for me to step into an NHL arena this year after the third lockout
in 17 years.
I’ll watch the games online
or on TV for sure — but no in-person games.
I’ll be very curious to see
what the attendance numbers are like across the league.
• Enjoy the rest of the
weekend. Should be a good Sunday of NFL football. Let me know who wins, eh?
