Michael M. Bates column

Michael M. Bates has written a weekly column of opinion — or nonsense, depending on your viewpoint — since 1985 for the (southwest suburban Chicago) Reporter Newspapers. Additionally, his articles have appeared in the Congressional Record, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Mensa Journal. He has been a guest on Milt Rosenberg's program on WGN Radio Chicago, the Bruce Elliott show on Baltimore's WBAL, the Jim Sumpter show on the USA Radio Network and the New Media Journal's Blog Radio. As a lad, Mike distributed Goldwater campaign literature and since then has steadily moved further to the Right. He is the author of "Right Angles and Other Obstinate Truths." In 2007, he won an Illinois Press Association award for Original Column.

Michael M. Bates

August 1, 2011

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is an intelligent, insightful man. An example of that came recently when he was asked why he won't hire clerks who have . . .

Michael M. Bates

July 15, 2011

Talk about grim tidings on the debt ceiling. According to the Washington Post: "Yesterday a worried Treasury Secretary . . . sent a letter to (the) House . . .

Michael M. Bates

September 26, 2010

On September 26, 1960, Senator John Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon appeared in the first of what came to be called the Great Debates. How great they . . .

Michael M. Bates

September 20, 2010

It wasn't so long ago that the Grand Old Party was rapidly headed toward becoming the Grand Dead Party. Democratic victories in the House, the Senate, state . . .

Michael M. Bates

September 13, 2010

Glancing at a newspaper in the Age of Obama can be hazardous to your mental — if not physical — health. Unemployment is rising. For 18 straight months  . . .

Michael M. Bates

December 4, 2009

CNN's Sanchez Retracts His Claim of a 400 Percent Increase in Presidential Death Threats On August 28, CNN Newsroom anchor Rick Sanchez shared disturbing . . .

Michael M. Bates

November 22, 2009

When outrage erupted this week over a government panel's recommendation that women have fewer mammograms, health and human services secretary Kathleen Sebelius . . .

Michael M. Bates

August 20, 2009

"It's like déjà vu all over again," noted philosopher Yogi Berra is credited with saying. And so it is. A liberal Democratic president has his heart set . . .

Michael M. Bates

July 19, 2009

Just as the media — with the exception of Larry King — were finally getting over the passing of Michael Jackson came the news that former CBS newsman Walter . . .

Michael M. Bates

May 14, 2009

Cook County board president Todd Stroger has an almost $12,000 lien on his house for unpaid federal taxes. Illinois treasurer Alexi Giannoulias bought a $26,00 . . .

Michael M. Bates

April 12, 2009

If, as Oliver Wendell Holmes claimed, taxes are what we pay for a civilized society, we have become very civilized indeed. A difficulty is that our tax laws . . .

Michael M. Bates

April 7, 2009

Watching Barack Obama this past week was painful. The new president went out of his way to display his fresh style of leadership. It won rave reviews from . . .

Michael M. Bates

April 1, 2009

CNN's Roland Martin is hosting Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull for the next eight weeks. On Monday's program, Martin clearly demonstrated he's going to have . . .

Michael M. Bates

February 2, 2009

The Reporter, a suburban Chicago newspaper, included on its commentary page last week this editorial announcement: "The Reporter newspaper regrets to inform . . .

Michael M. Bates

January 21, 2009

It's numbing. The adulation, the elation, the mirth, the idolatry, the reveling in every possible facet of Obamaness. And that's just the response of the . . .

Michael M. Bates

January 14, 2009

Plans are moving forward to complete the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. Known also as the Mob Museum, it will be an interactive . . .

Michael M. Bates

January 7, 2009

Senate majority leader Harry Reid can be such a tease. On Sunday, the Nevada Democrat suggested that Illinois Gov. Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris . . .

Michael M. Bates

December 30, 2008

2008 will be known as the year the United States set aside any pretense of free enterprise. A nation that had flourished with the concept of limited government . . .

Michael M. Bates

December 17, 2008

Our president-elect said in 2002: ". . . right now, my main focus is to make sure that we elect Rod Blagojevich as governor. . ." Obama's White House chief of . . .

Michael M. Bates

December 10, 2008

The head of NBC told an investor conference Monday that his network may have to cut back on its programming. "Can we continue to program 22 hours of prime-time . . .

Michael M. Bates

December 3, 2008

Raul Castro is, at 77, Fidel's kid brother. When Fidel's health forced him to take a break from full-time dictator duties, he installed baby brother as . . .

Michael M. Bates

November 19, 2008

Mrs. Clinton assumed full taunting mode in a January Democratic presidential candidate debate. She aggressively battled "bad" Republican ideas, she told Obama, . . .

Michael M. Bates

November 12, 2008

Author J. M. Barrie gave literature Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up. Government, by encouraging people to not assume the responsibilities of . . .

Michael M. Bates

November 5, 2008

Castro this week described Obama as "more intelligent, cultured and levelheaded than his Republican adversary." The American people agreed. So let the finger . . .