Checking the Balance

Stanley Cup round-up and other fun links

A couple of random links before the hockey.

• A Cumberland County man was arrested twice for DUI on the same night.

A Cumberland County man who was twice charged with drunken driving on the same night should have known better, a Middlesex Township police officer said.

Officer Andrew Wolfe said he warned Ralph Deringer, 54, of Silver Spring Township., not to drive again after he arrested Derringer on the first DUI just before midnight Tuesday.

He said he stopped Deringer the first time after seeing Deringer's car swerving on the Harrisburg Pike.

Deringer refused a blood-alcohol test, earning an automatic driver's license suspension. He was taken to the booking center at the county prison to be processed on the DUI charge, Wolfe said.

He said Deringer called a cab and told booking officers he was going home. Instead, Wolfe said, Deringer went to his car and drove off.

"He had told me he was going back to get his car," Wolfe said. "I told him if he did I'd arrest him. I didn't really think he'd do it, though."

Just before 2 a.m., Wolfe said he again stopped Deringer, who was still intoxicated, on Harrisburg Pike and charged him with the second DUI.

Of course, the main person to blame here is Deringer, but I think some of the blame should be shared with the cops who arrested him.  If someone gets arrested for a DUI, aren't they supposed to be held overnight?  Isn't the car impounded?  This is completely unacceptable. 

• The conflict between the NFL Network and Comcast has come to a head and it looks like Comcast customers are going to miss out on the eight games shown exclusively on the NFL's channel.

The Associated Press and other media nationally are reporting that without a last-minute agreement, Thursday will be the last day for Comcast cable-TV customers to view the 24-hour NFL Network.

Comcast and the National Football League are in a court battle over how the nation's largest cable provider carries the network. Their agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

Comcast says in a statement it is willing to carry the channel under the present terms while the litigation goes on, but the NFL hasn't accepted the offer.

NFL Network spokesman Dennis Johnson told The Philadelphia Inquirer the network is willing to talk but as of now will no longer be available to Comcast at midnight.

Comcast wants the channel in a $7-a-month sports package, like channels such as the NHL Network and NBA TV currently are.

The NFL wants it available at no extra charge like, say, ESPN's networks such as TNT, TBS and MLB Network, along with Comcast SportsNet and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

Columnist Jim Willliams for the Washington Examiner wrote Tuesday that the NFL Network contends that because of the eight regular-season games it airs, it deverves to be on the more accessible extended basic.

Of course, the only people really suffering because of this are fans of the NFL.   This proves It's always about the bottom line and never about the people who you're serving. 

Tonight's schedule

9 p.m. (4) Chicago Blackhawks at (3) Vancouver Canucks, Game 1 

A look at the complete second round schedule: (from NHL.com)

A realistic view of the aftermath

TIME magazine reports Pennsylvania Democrats are reserving their judgment when it comes to Sen. Arlen Specter.

Still, while refusing to speculate on whether he or anyone else would challenge Specter in the Democratic primary, Sestak sounded a curiously cautious note in welcoming him, saying voters need to understand why the longtime Republican chose to switch at this particular moment. "If he were not running for re-election, would he have done this change? In short, is it worth any cost to hold on to one's job? Those questions need to be assessed by the citizenry," he told TIME.

State representative Josh Shapiro, who had been close to announcing a run for the Senate seat but backed off on Tuesday, echoed Sestak's point that Specter would need to demonstrate that he is representing the interests of Pennsylvanians, who strongly supported Barack Obama in the 2008 election. The test for Specter, he said, will be to "make sure the Obama agenda is acted upon and not stifled."

I completely agree.  Specter said numerous times that he wouldn't run as a Democrat, but a mere week after preliminary polls show that Pat Toomey is cruising, Specter decides to make the change. 

Pennsylvanian voters need to make sure the Democratic Specter didn't just make this change to keep his political career alive and that he truly has Pennsylvania's best interests as his top priority. 

Stanley Cup round-up (the Rodney Dangerfield edition)

Before I get to the recaps from last night and the second round match-ups, I need to berate ESPN for their horrible coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs and their greed. 

This was what ESPN's home page looked like this morning:
 

Talk about absolutely no respect for the NHL.  Last night, there were two extremely close Game 7's played (we'll get to them in a second), yet ESPN decided to pimp they're own product.  ESPN has made it clear they no longer care about good sports coverage; all they care about is the bottom line.  For example, yesterday, if you were lucky enough to go to ESPN.com, the first item on their home page was a giant ad.  The ad even knocked the headlines off of ESPN.  In other words, in order to see the day's biggest stories you had to scroll down.  I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but this would be like the New York Times having an ad taking up the entire front-page, above-fold space.

Anyway, let's go to the hockey.

Eastern Conference

• Capitals 2, Rangers 1 (WAS win series 4-3)-  The future Hall-of-Famer did it again.  The Capitals' Sergei Fedorov scored with about five minutes left in the third to send the Caps onto the second round.  The Rangers can thank goalie Henrik Lundqvist for almost willing them to the next round.  I have a feeling that Ranger's coach John Torterella will be able to address his team's lack of offense this offseason and lead the Ranger's deep into the playoffs next year. 
• Hurricanes 4, Devils 3 (CAR wins series 4-3)-  New Jersey was 81 seconds away from having a match-up with the Captials in the next round.  A short 49 seconds later, they were scrambling to force overtime.  Eric Staal the series clinching goal with 32 seconds left in the third to send the Hurricanes to Boston.  This was an absolute head shaker.  I'm still shocked that the Canes found a way to win.  Cam Ward is clearly one of the top netminders in the leagues. 

Second round match-ups
Western Conference
(2) Detroit Red WIngs vs (7) Anaheim Ducks (Series starts on Friday at 7 p.m. in Detroit)-  I fully expect the Wings to dominate this series.  The Wings went 3-1 (the loss coming in OT) against the Ducks during the regular season.  Detroit is fully rested and tough to beat at home.  I expect the Wings to win in five.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs (4) Chicago Blackhawks (Series starts on Thursday at 9 p.m. in Vancouver)-  This series has seven games written all over it.  I expect this to be an extremely physical, low scoring series with goaltender Roberto Luongo and Nikolai Khabibulin shining throughout.  These two teams split their four regular season meetings.  The Canucks will be tough to beat at home in a Game 7, so I'm going with them.

Eastern Conference
(1) Boston Bruins vs (6) Carolina Hurricanes (Series starts Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Boston)-  The Bruins better take this sixth-seeded Carolina team seriously or they'll be the next ones shaking their heads.  Carolina is on such a roll, that it's tough to pick against them.  Still, Boston has been one of the most consistent teams in hockey, they're well rested and they have home-ice advantage.  I'm sure a lot of people will be picking the Bruins in five or six, but I think that Carolina will force another do-or-die Game 7 before finally bowing out.

(2) Washington Capitals vs (4) Pittsburgh Penguins (Series starts Saturday at 1 p.m. in Washington)-   NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's praying finally paid off, as he has three of his most marketable players going at it in one playoff series.  And I know there will be hockey fans annoyed with the amount of attention paid to this series, but they must understand that this exposure is necessary for the greater good of the game.  The Capitals dominated their four regular season match-ups with the Pens, winning three and losing the other in a shootout.  But, I think the regular season is an inaccurate representation of this Penguins team.  It's safe to say the stars will be filling the score sheet for both teams in this series, however, I think it comes down to the goaltending (it always does in the later rounds of the playoffs).  Which means Washington better be worried.  Penguins in six. 

The Showstopper

It seems like there is media coverage everytime Sen. Arlen Specter speaks, so the amount of attention his most recent announcement has been given should come as no surprise.  For those of you who haven't heard, Specter decided to become a Democrat.

A few links to round-up Specter's decision:

• PA2010 attempts to figure out what happens now.
• The Bulletin takes a look at Specter's political career.
• The Patriot News reports that this morning Specter was welcomed to the Democratic party by President Barack Obama at the White House.
• John Micek has all of the other handy Specter links and adds his two cents.

More to come...

Stanley Cup round-up

Western Conference

• Blackhawks 4, Flames 1 (CHI wins series 4-2)-  The remaining teams in the Western Conference's playoff picture should be scared of the Blackhawks.  Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin has led a team to the Cup before and it looks like he's focused on doing it again.  The Blackhawks had 12 different players score at least one goal in this series, which shows terrific scoring depth.  Most importantly, by winning last night in Calgary, this Chicago team believes that they can win on the road, which is usually the toughest task for a young team.  I expect their series against the Vancouver Canucks to be an instant classic.
• Ducks 4, Sharks 1 (ANA wins series 4-2)-  The Sharks were expected to make a deep run in the playoffs this year, but like most other years, they just weren't up for the challenge.  Although the Ducks dominated this series, don't expect them to continue their winning ways against the Detroit Red Wings next round. 

Tonight's schedule (A hockey fan's heaven)

• 7 p.m. (7) New York Rangers at (2) Washington Capitals, Game 7 (Series tied 3-3)
• 7:30 p.m. (6) Carolina Hurricanes at (3) New Jersey Devils, Game 7 (Series tied 3-3)

Getting into mid-season form

 PA2010 has a short piece in which Sen. Arlen Specter addresses his weak preliminary poll numbers.

Appearing on NPR’s Talk of the Nation Monday, Senator Arlen Specter acknowledged the political challenges confronting him, but said he had survived before and would again.

“It is true that the polls are bleak,” he said during an appearance focused on his recent moves to curb presidential powers.

“I’ve overcome challenges before, and I’m working on a game plan,” Specter said.

Specter should be concerned with the preliminary poll numbers; just not that concerned.   The Senator has overcome tough opponents before, so he should have an optimistic outlook for the upcoming election. 

With that said, all good things come to an end, so maybe this will be the election that puts Specter out of a job.

On a side note; if you ever wanted to get up-close and personal with Specter, John Micek has the videos on his Capitol Ideas blog.

Update:  This piece was written before Arlen Specter announced his plans to run as a Democrat.

In an amazing bit of political drama, Pennsylvania senior Sen. Arlen Specter will switch parties for his 2010 re-election campaign and run as a Democrat. Specter, 79, released a statement today on his campaign Web site.

The announcement comes after weeks of polling and punditry that showed Specter trailing GOP primary challenger Pat Toomey among Pennsylvania Republicans.

"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary," said Specter in a statement. "I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."

"Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

President Barack Obama called Specter this morning and welcomed him to the party.

Previously, Specter said he would not consider a run with the Democrats, so this comes as a surprise. 

This move makes Specter the unquestionable Democratic favorite for the Senate and I wouldn't be surprised if the Dems arranged something so he would run unopposed.  Although it remains early in this election cycle, I think it's safe to say the race for Senator is between Specter and the GOP's Pat Toomey.

More to come on this race...

Account-ability or accountability?

The Allegheny Times reports on Rep. Jim Christiana's plan for a Web site which would allow Pennsylvanians to review all government spending.

State Rep. Jim Christiana said Monday that if state spending and contracts were easily available for public review, authorities or media might have discovered the questionable practices at Beaver Initiative for Growth much sooner.

To remedy that lapse in oversight, Christiana, R-15, Beaver, joined with House Republican Leader Sam Smith, R-66, Punxsutawney, on Monday to unveil a bill that would create a Web site where Pennsylvanians could monitor the spending of state departments and agencies, as well as vendor and contract information.

“This is a must-do for Pennsylvania,” Christiana said of PennWATCH, the Pennsylvania Web Accountability Transparency and Contract Hub. “Every politician in Harrisburg will be accountable for every dollar, and I think that’s exactly what we need.”

Christiana said he would expect bipartisan support for the bill, which could be introduced next week. Residents would be able to research the Web site by vendor, county, agency and fiscal year.

Information on spending is available on the Internet, Christiana said, but it’s spread over many Web sites and frequently not easily found.

With the amount of corruption in Pennsylvania, this is a necessity.  By making all of the spending information easily accessible, we'll be able to nip most corruption in the bud; you know, until the corrupt politicians find a new way to funnel money into their own interests. 

It's about time we start to hold our public servants accountable for the taxpayer money they use.

Rat scented cologne

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explores some interesting records related to Rep. Bill DeWeese and Bonusgate.

When Bill DeWeese was House Democratic leader in 2002, he gave his Harrisburg aides $1,000 or $2,000 bonuses.

Six of the recipients contributed identical or nearly identical amounts to Mr. DeWeese's re-election and the House Democratic Campaign Committee that year or in 2003, records show.

Nine other recipients that year made lesser contributions to the two committees.

The bonuses and contributions came to light in the discovery phase of a criminal investigation into allegations that the House Democratic caucus used tax dollars to subsidize campaigns.

Two recipients of the 2002 bonuses told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that they did not recall being instructed or pressured to donate money to the campaign committees.

But the fact that 15 of the 16 bonus recipients also were contributors illustrates the close relationship between government service and political activity -- the sort of behavior that also figures in what is known as the Bonusgate investigation.

For example, staffer Susan Germanio received a $1,000 bonus. Months later, she gave $500 to her boss's campaign and $500 to the House Democratic Campaign Committee, which was controlled by Mr. DeWeese and former Whip Mike Veon, who represented Beaver County.

So, we are supposed to believe that this whole thing is one-giant coincidence...

I guess the old saying of "if it smells like a rat, looks likes a rat, it's probably a rat" needs to be changed to "if it smells like a rat, looks like a rat, it's probably a rat, unless someone decided to wear some rat scented cologne."

I hear that this is DeWeese's preferred brand...

Stanely Cup round-up

Western Conference

What we know: The Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings are on to the second round after sweeping their first round opponents.

The remaining pieces: So far, the Chicago/Calgary series has seen the home team win every game.  This isn't good news for the Flames.  Tonight, they take on the Blackhawks in Calgary, but if they win tonight they'll be playing Game 7 in Chicago on Wednesday.

The Anaheim Ducks have certainly outplayed the Sharks when you look at the series as a whole, but what have they done for us lately?  They lost Game 5.  The Sharks won the President's trophy and have a decent shot of winning this series if they can force a Game 7 in San Jose by winning tonight in Anaheim. 

Eastern Conference

What we know: The Boston Bruins await their next opponent after sweeping the Montreal Canadiens.   The Pittsburgh Penguins had a miraculous win in Game 6 to finish off their cross-state rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, and await their opponent for the second round.

The remaining pieces:  Tomorrow night is a hockey fans dream; two Game 7's.  The Capitals have gotten hot and reeled off two straight victories to force a Game 7 against the New York Rangers in Washington.  The Rangers should probably start making tee times for later in the week.

The most competitive series of the first round; Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils, is also heading to a Game 7.  So far, the team's have alternated wins through the first six games and if this trend continues, the Devils will be advancing to second round.  This game has overtime written all over it...

Tonight's schedule

• 9:30 p.m. (4) Chicago Blackhawks at (5) Calgary Flames, Game 6 (CHI leads 3-2)
• 10:30 p.m. (1) San Jose Sharks at (8) Anaheim Ducks, Game 6 (ANA leads 3-2)

Teach'em while they're young

Instead of rushing a new law, which would make it a primary offense (to all Pennsylvanians) to use a handheld cell-phone while driving, Majority Leader Todd Eachus has a better idea.  The following letter was taken from the Hazletown Standard Speaker.

Editor,

Since the day our first son was born, my wife, Ellen, and I have known the pride and joy that comes with being parents. Today, with three sons, we also are all too familiar with the fear that comes with knowing we can’t always protect our children from every danger. We felt it the first time they rode their bicycles without training wheels, or the first time they took a hit on the football field.

But I felt that fear most strongly when our sons received their driver’s licenses. I could only hope that they were wise and cautious enough to realize that a car is not a toy, and roads can be very dangerous places. But hope provides little comfort to a concerned parent.

That’s why, in my new role as majority leader of the state House of Representatives, I have made the safety of our young people one of my top legislative priorities. In fact, we are poised to pass House Bill 67, our “Safe Driver Bill,” this week.

The “Safe Driver Bill” would make common-sense changes to our laws that pertain to “junior drivers,” those under the age of 18, who have passed the necessary state requirements to receive a driver’s license. Under our proposal, junior drivers will be prohibited from driving a car with more than one passenger under the age of 18. The bill would also require teens under the age of 18 to complete 65 hours of practical driving experience – including at least 10 hours of night-time driving and five hours of inclement-weather driving – to obtain their junior driver’s license.

Perhaps one of the most important components of this bill would prohibit junior drivers from using a cell phone, whether it is hand-held or hands-free, while driving. We all agree that cell phones can be a distraction on the road. For our least experienced drivers, cell phones can be more than just a distraction while driving – they could be deadly. Our emergency first responders – police, fire departments and EMTs – have responded to far too many tragedies involving teen drivers – not just here in the Hazleton area, but all across Pennsylvania. This bill eliminates cell phones and texting as a distraction from junior drivers, making them that much safer.

This bill also has the full support of AAA Mid-Atlantic, which notes that teens between 16 and 19 are four times more likely to die in a car crash than their parents. AAA also noted that there were 1,056 fatalities in crashes involving 16- or 17-year-old drivers in Pennsylvania over the past 10 years. These are frightening statistics.

I hope that by taking steps such as these – and by continuing to gain valuable input from parents and families – we will help to protect our youngest drivers while they are on the road. And in doing so, we will have brought some peace of mind to their parents.

Rep. Todd Eachus,

Majority Leader,

Pennsylvania House

of Representatives

I think this is a tremendous step toward making driving safer because it focuses on the fundamental problem; eliminating bad habits.

It seems like getting a driver's license in Pennsylvania is extremely simple; too simple.  Bill 67 should make it so young drivers are actually prepared to operate their vehicles in any condition or circumstance.

Plus, this bill addresses the current flavor-of-the-month cause; driving while using a cell phone.  The idea behind making it illegal for teenagers to use any form of cellular device while driving is to promote good habits.  It's simple psychology; if teens start learning to drive under these conditions, then everything (most of) they learn will stick with them for the rest of their lives.  In other words, this bill is designed to prevent bad driving habits from developing.

This, in conjunction with making it a secondary offense for non-junior drivers to operate a handheld cellphone while driving, should make PA's roads a lot safer.