He won't make it official until shortly after the Labor Day weekend, but state Sen. Dan Rutherford, the Pontiac Republican, is running for his party's nomination for secretary of state.

On those rare occasions when I go to a movie, the experience reminds me why I rarely go to movies anymore.

It was a virtual love-in Thursday at the Illinois Terminal in Champaign when Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama stopped by to answer questions at a town meeting. Even the anti-war protestors, who criticized Obama for not arranging the withdrawal of America

Three Nights in August: Strategy, Heartbreak and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager -- Buzz Bissinger

Former President Bill Clinton remains one of the most maddening and brilliant politicians of his time, so it's no surprise that histories of his administration already are popping up.

In response to accusations that I have not made any contributions to my web log for a few weeks, I plead guilty but with an explanation. I've been on the DL. Am better now and will be back at you with offerings I hope readers find of interest.

A Sunday article in The Chicago Tribune should have the political junkies foaming at the mouth. "Governor's ratings tank," screams the Tribune headline.

The New York Times Book Review had a couple of especially interesting, to me, selections over the weekend.

Given the problems President Bush is having selling his plans for Social Security, it's becoming increasingly clear that we'll be stuck with a bad program for a long time.

New University of Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman paid me a surprise visit this week, one motivated by an April 23 News-Gazette column reference I made to him.