I never really wanted an intern. I'm sort of a lone wolf who prefers to work alone. But a longtime friend of mine, Jim Nowlan, pretty much demanded that I take on one of his prized students, Paul Richardson, as an intern this legislative session. I resisted at first, but eventually met with Paul and was impressed.

It may be no surprise to some, but new polling shows Barack Obama is doing better with hardcore Illinois primary voters than Hillary Clinton is doing with voters in her own home state of New York. Also, voters are split over whether Obama should be more critical of Chicago corruption, and the Republican presidential primary appears wide-open here.

I was probably more surprised than anyone when I was invited to tag along on Governor Rod Blagojevich's road trip last week. The governor toured the state to push his universal-health-insurance plan and his gross-receipts tax on business. I was on the bus with him for three days, and we talked for hours.

Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie usually hangs back and lets others make news. Since getting the number-two job in the House Democratic caucus in 1997, she hasn't been known for being way out front on major issues. And as far as I can remember, she's never once publicly criticized Governor Rod Blagojevich.