Rich Miller

Finding a replacement for Jack Ryan has turned into an “opportunist playground,” a top Republican official grouses. Each time somebody floats his or her own name and then “withdraws,” the media paints it as yet another disaster for the state party, the clearly annoyed official complains. Case in point: the decision last week by state […]

I never thought Mike Ditka would actually run for the U.S. Senate. But I really, really wanted him to. Hey, I know he might not have been a great senator. He’s too obnoxious, too impatient. But there are plenty of lousy senators, mainly because so many professional politicians don’t have even a hint of spine. […]

The scandal of the year is not about Jack Ryan’s sex life. It’s about an obscure little state board that appears to have gotten completely out of hand. For years, rumors of corruption have swirled around the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. As it turns out, those rumors may have been true. The scandal broke […]

Slowly but surely, the legislature is being replaced by five guys in a back room. It’s old news that the four legislative leaders and the governor have hijacked the budget process. For years now, the governor, the House speaker, the Senate president, and the two minority leaders have met behind closed doors to hammer out […]

You might think Jack Ryan was forced out of the U.S. Senate race because the media found out that his ex-wife had alleged that he dragged her to kinky-sex clubs on two continents. Tabloid television programs, right-wing pundits, and Republican insiders from Washington, D.C., emphasized the sex, either to sell their stories or defend Ryan […]

In a spectacular reversal of fortune, the Chicago Tribune reported last week that Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s job approval rating has dropped to just 40 percent. In February, a Tribune poll had Blagojevich’s approval rating at 55 percent. The numbers add up to some real trouble for the governor. For over a year, political insiders have […]

The latest scandal to hit the powerful Illinois Department of Central Management Services revolves around a lucrative contract to manage health-care costs for tens of thousands of state workers and their families. Health Alliance has handled that task for downstate employees for more than 20 years, and just about everybody has been happy with its […]

Part of me cheered when Gov. Rod Blagojevich took a shot at Chicago Mayor Richard Daley last week. In case you hadn’t heard, Daley last week announced that he wanted a huge land-based, city-owned casino. Twenty-four hours later, Blagojevich said no way. I live in Chicago, and I’ve come to believe that it’s a little […]

There’s always a soap opera in progress at the Illinois statehouse, but this year’s version is a bit crazier than usual. • House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Democrat, is killing off Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proposals left and right. Madigan’s strongest supporters so far are two Republicans: Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson and state Treasurer […]

The concept of “racial slippage” is back, and it’s being misapplied to Illinois. The term describes a situation of minority candidates’ doing worse on Election Day than the polls predict. According to the theory, some white voters lie to pollsters and tell them they support a black candidate because they are embarrassed to admit that […]

This was supposed to be a quiet year at the Statehouse. The Democrats have some vulnerable incumbents, particularly in the House. The fewer problems and the less controversy, the better for incumbents. At least, that’s what just about everybody figured. But then last week, House Speaker Michael Madigan surprised the state’s political world and whacked […]