A fascinating month-long political standoff may finally be coming to a close in Kankakee County. The trouble started when Gov. Rod Blagojevich promised state Rep. Phil Novak (D-Bradley) a seat on the Illinois Pollution Control Board. Rep. Novak, who has specialized in environmental and utility issues during a House career that has spanned three decades, […]
Rich Miller
Posted inOpinion
What I did on vacation
I can only take so much of Illinois politics before I begin to go a little crazy. Don’t get me wrong, Illinois politics is my life. I truly enjoy my job. But, eventually, the bickering, the corruption, the pettiness starts to infect my soul and I gotta stop for a while. The last real vacation […]
Posted inOpinion
Roadside attraction
I spent much of my childhood on a farm in rural Iroquois County. One of my most pointless chores was mowing the ditches. It was dangerous work. The mower–or the tractor, depending on the ditch–could tip over while you were negotiating the steep inclines. I heard lots of harrowing stories about farmers (my granddad included) […]
Posted inOpinion
Dueling Democrats
Let’s continue our examination of U.S. Senate candidates. This time, the Democrats: • Dan Hynes. Obviously the man to beat. State Comptroller Hynes has lined up big-time labor support, he has the backing of most county chairmen, and he has put together a good organization. He’s already won two statewide elections by wide margins. So […]
Posted inOpinion
The lighter side of Tikrit
TIKRIT, IRAQ – Tikrit is Saddam Hussein’s hometown. The place was showered with goodies while he was running Iraq, so its residents have been more than a little reluctant to praise their new masters. Throughout the city, the walls are covered with graffiti, most of it lauding the former dictator: “Down with Americans, We love […]
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Wrong moves, right moves
FALLUJAH, IRAQ – “Ego Buster” was painted clearly on the side of an American tank that rumbled past the Fallujah police headquarters. Below the tank’s name, its crew had painted a motto: “1-2 to the head.” The tank was part of a convoy of heavily armored U.S. infantry vehicles patrolling Fallujah, while a handful of […]
Posted inOpinion
Republican roundup
This seems like a good time to rate our various U.S. Senate candidates. Let’s start with the Republicans. • Jack Ryan. A handsome multimillionaire with three Ivy League degrees, he quit his career as an investment banker and went to work as a teacher in an inner-city school. This guy could catch fire. He’s putting […]
Posted inOpinion
Grim realities
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Fadia was crying when we arrived, but she quickly explained that it wasn’t serious. The teenager was hungry and had a stomachache. The pain would soon pass, she said, as tears welled up in her red and swollen eyes. Her family’s home–in a tiny, poverty-stricken Christian ghetto in Baghdad–was one of my […]
Posted inOpinion
Groveling for 50 bucks per month
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – The line sometimes stretches a mile long. Former soldiers and employees of the Iraqi Army, 400,000 in all, are paid a $50- per-month “pension” by the occupying forces. The only catch is, they have to stand in line to get the money. The lines in Baghdad are the worst. There is only […]
Posted inOpinion
Prisoners of war
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – The American soldiers smashed through 68-year-old Ali Ahmed’s door at 2:30 in the morning. According to Ali, the Americans roughed up one of his four sons, then handcuffed everyone except his wife and 12-year-old boy. The soldiers ransacked their tiny apartment, took what little money they had, and finally hauled Ali and […]
Posted inOpinion
Did the governor tee-off on a 14-year-old girl?
One of the most peculiar stories to come out of the Illinois State Fair concerned an animal-doping controversy. The story was actually about a costly mistake by the parents of a 4-H Club member, but it quickly turned into some bad publicity for Rod Blagojevich. Representative Shane Cultra (R-Onarga) even demanded an apology from the […]
Posted inOpinion
How the governor swore off video games
Even with everyone focused on “the worst fiscal crisis in the state’s history,” Governor Rod Blagojevich continues to be obsessed with his public image. Some state employees were required to monitor local TV news broadcasts for any mention of Blagojevich, until bad publicity forced the governor to reconsider the practice this week. In one instance, […]
