The LuLac Edition #638, Nov. 13th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: 13 QUESTIONS LOGO.

13 QUESTIONS

1. NOW THAT THIS ELECTION IS OVER, DO YOU FIND THIS THE MOST EXCITING FOR YOU?

WELL, IT’S BEEN A CRAZY YEAR FOR ME PERSONALLY. BUT I HAVE TO SAY COVERING THIS ELECTION AS A BLOGGER GAVE IT A NEW DIMENSION FOR ME. THIS YEAR WAS BOTH PREDICTABLE AND UNPREDICTABLE. THANK HEAVENS THERE WAS NO VIOLENCE LIKE 1968. WHILE THIS WAS A CLOSE SECOND, MY HEART STILL BELONGS TO 1968 AS THE MOST INTERESTING ELECTION OF MY LIFE.

2. ANY THOUGHTS ON A BI PARTISAN CABINET?

IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. SHOWS THAT A LEADER IS INCLUSIVE. I HOPE OBAMA CAN FIND SOME GOPers OR EVEN A WAYWARD DEM LIKE JOE LIEBERMAN WHO CAN ADD DEPTH TO HIS TEAM. KEEPING GATES AT DEFENSE MIGHT BE A GOOD START IF HE CAN COME TO TERMS WITH HIM ON IRAQ.

3. SEEDED RYE OR NOT?

SEEDED.

4. BEST NETWORK COVERAGE ON ELECTION NIGHT?

NBC AND CBS. ON THE CABLE, I THOUGHT CNN DID A GREAT JOB AS WELL AS FOX. AND PCN DID A NICE JOB TOO COVERING STATEWIDE RACES.

5. CAN SARAH PALIN MAKE A COMEBACK IN 2012?

SURE. I DON’T THINK SHE EVER WENT ANYWHERE BUT SHE CAN REBUILD SOME OF THE CHINKS IN HER IMAGE. REMEMBER, NIXON CAME BACK FROM 1960 SO ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. AMERICA IS THE LAND OF SECOND CHANCES UNLESS YOU’RE O.J.

6. ANY THOUGHTS ON CONGRESSMAN KANJORSKI’S WIN?

HE CERTAINLY HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HELPING HIM. LACKAWANNA COUNTY REALLY CAME THROUGH FOR HIM AND I REALLY THINK WHEN HIS SEAT WAS RE-DISTRICTED, ONE WOULD THINK THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. THE GUY CAMPAIGNED HARD AND DESERVES TO WORK WITH THE NEW DEM MAJORITY AND PRESIDENT. I STILL THINK HE SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE DEBATES BECAUSE THE MAN HAS AN EXCELLENT COMMAND OF HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS AND OPERATES. HE DOESN’T APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT GOVERNMENT CAN PROVIDE TO ITS CITIZENS IF IT’S RUN CORRECTLY.

7. YOUR SERIES ON 1968 IS GREAT. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SONG FROM THAT YEAR?

THERE ARE TOO MANY THAT I LIKE FROM THAT YEAR BUT I REALLY AM PARTIAL TO “MaCARTHUR PARK” AND “THIS GUY’S IN LOVE”. AND THEN THERE’S “HEY JUDE”. SEE WHAT I MEAN, TOO MANY TO PICK.

8. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FOR NEWS NOW THAT ELECTION 2008 HAS COME AND GONE?

YOU KIDDING ME? THIS IS AFTER ALL LUZERNE AND LACKAWANNA COUNTIES!

9. WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT ONE OF YOUR GIRLS LORI SAUNDERS CAME OUT FOR OBAMA?

VERY MUCH SO. I ALWAYS PEGGED HER FOR AN UNCLE JOE/SAM DRUCKER FISCAL CONSERVATIVE.

10. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT NEPA BEING THE EPICENTER OF NATIONAL PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS?

WE WERE IN THE WILDERNESS FOR SO LONG THAT IT’S KIND OF NICE. IT ACTUALLY STARTED IN 2000 THEN BUILT IN 2004. GROWING UP, I REMEMBER THIS AREA SOMETIMES HAD TO BEG TO GET PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO VISIT MORE THAN ONCE.

11. THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS HAD SOME ARTICLES ON THIS WEEK COMPARING THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN TO BOBBY KENNEDY’S. IS THAT A TRUE REPRESENTATION?

I READ THE ARTICLES AND THERE ARE VALID COMPARISONS. BUT THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS THAT RFK’S CAMPAIGN WAS UNORGANIZED AND THROWN TOGETHER ON THE FLY. THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN WAS ORGANIZED AT EVERY TURN. KENNEDY HIMSELF WAS NOT VERY WELL SCRIPTED ON THE STUMP AND HE CERTAINLY WAS MORE PASSIONATE THAN OBAMA ON THE ISSUES HE CARED ABOUT. KENNEDY AT TIMES WENT OFF THE RESERVATION HAVING HIS AIDES SCRAMBLING TO PICK UP THE PIECES. BUT HE DIDN’T CARE, HE JUST SPOKE HIS MIND. OBAMA DID THE SAME THING BUT WAS MORE CAREFUL WITH HIS WORDS AND PRONOUNCEMENTS.

12. HOW COME WYOU TV DIDN’T ASK YOU TO BE ON THEIR ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE?

ELECTION NIGHT IS TRADITIONALLY THE BUSIEST TIME IN A NEWSROOM. I’VE BEEN THERE. WYOU HAD A STABLE OF EXPERTS TO HANDLE THE CHORES OF COMMENTING ON THE ELECTION PLUS THEIR EXCELLENT TEAM OF REPORTERS. IF YOU SAW THE COVERAGE, YOU’D SEE THERE ISN’T A GREAT DEAL OF TIME FOR LOCAL INSERTS FROM THE NETWORK. TIME IS SHORT DURING THIS SPECIAL BROADCAST AND THE BIG STORY WAS THE PRESIDENCY. WYOU TV HAD ENOUGH EXPERTS ON TO CARRY THE MESSAGE THAT NIGHT. THAT ALL SAID, IT WAS GREAT BEING ON DURING THE ELECTION CYCLE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE DEBATES. THE STAFF THERE IS GREAT AND IT WAS AN HONOR TO BE ON THEIR INTERACTIVE SHOW DURING THE PRIMARIES AND THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE GENERAL. AND NOT TO SOUND BIASED HERE, BUT I RATHER ENJOYED SITTING IN MY LIVING ROOM IN MY SWEATS WATCHING WYOU AND WBRE TV DO THE BEST LOCAL COVERAGE OF THIS ELECTION. BY FAR, BOTH STATIONS EXCELLED WITH THE LATEST AND MOST RELEVANT COVERAGE.

13. HOW CAN PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA BEST USE HIS VICE PRESIDENT IN THE COMING ADMINISTRATION?

LET HIM HANDLE THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA IN BOTH HOUSES. HAVE HIM BE ALMOST LIKE THE PRESIDENT’S ENFORCER AND LOBBYIST AT THE SAME TIME. MAKE SURE FIEFDOMS ARE KEPT TO A MINIMUM AND THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS WILL BE THE SUCCESS OF WHAT THIS PRESIDENT PROPOSES.