Five years before his death last July at age 95, civil rights icon Rev. C. T. Vivian was strolling the halls of Macomb High School in the Illinois town where he spent most of his younger years. “I would never have been who I was if not for Macomb, Illinois,” he told an audience during […]
Doug Kamholz
Posted inOpinion
What will become of Trumpism?
A few years after serving as Bill Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore was a guest on “The Daily Show” back when Jon Stewart sat behind the desk. As Gore reviewed his environmental work, the host was sincerely impressed. Stewart said perhaps he was able to get more done now than if he had won the […]
Posted inOpinion
Another take on the injustice of looting
The LOOTING. Oh, the looting! It begins with a wrongful invasion. Then there is wanton taking. Later, always, comes some tragic aftermath. We’ve all read about powerful gangs barging in where they had no right to be, eager to grab all they could and escape to turn a profit on their booty. Rivalries among these […]
Posted inOpinion
He walked again. This time the victim was America.
Scoot down the bench, ladies, and make room for one more. You know how it goes and how it feels. He walked again, all the while calling his accusers contriving liars. It’s not for lack of trying. Here are the last 15 seconds of Democrats’ 21-plus hours pressing for the president’s impeachment from the well […]
Posted inOpinion
The year of the woman in politics
It seems there’s a whole bunch of serious women making a serious leap this election year, giving new meaning to the phrase “a march on Washington.” Most political pundits declare this midterm season The Year of the Woman. That title was coined in 1992. It was minted after Anita Hill’s ungracious grilling by the Senate […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A decent, progressive Republican
An old boss of mine died earlier this month. Former Representative John B. Anderson was really more political mentor than boss. I am glad and proud to say that. John B, as he was commonly known around the 16th Congressional District of northern Illinois, was a Republican. So was the house where I grew up. […]
Posted inOpinion
Hurricanes blow in hypocrisy
At hurricane force even this White House can see which way the wind blows. So of course Washington cobbled debt-ceiling relief with disaster relief. Every Democrat in Congress saw the needs and voted accordingly. On the majority Republican side, a mash-up of these two issues did free members loudly opposed to deficit spending to vote […]
Posted inOpinion
Good words
Rob Eure recalls his first visit to Springfield. He wasstanding in a line of tourists outside Abraham Lincoln’s house, but he knew he’d bring a new view of the Confederacy back home to old Virginia. Eure says something similar happened last year when he spent several months in Africa and Eastern Europe. As a Knight […]
Posted inOpinion
Unequal time
Over the last month, local news has bristled with nasty swipes at any and all who publicly opposed the war with Iraq. There’s a sad, wide gulf between the two groups who have followed the event most closely, who track every bootstep and weep for each life lost on the battlefield. Despite reporters’ shorthand, nobody […]
Posted inOpinion
Strange embedded fellows
Welcome to what NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw calls “the greatest televised event of the history of humankind.” The Iraq war has become a place where journalists and politics make strange embedded fellows. When networks go wall-to-wall with any story, they move fast to brand their coverage. It gets a catchy name, dramatic music, and flashy […]
