Mike Gallagher
Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005

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  Well, as Jack Nicholson as the crazed killer in the classic movie "The Shining" once said: "I'm baaack!" (At least I THINK it was him...)

My reason for the extended absence is pretty simple: I have been completing work on my first book, "Surrounded by Idiots – Fighting Liberal Lunacy in America." I found that trying to write original work for a book while churning out a column for NewsMax got to be too complicated for me. I couldn't remember what I was writing for the book, and what I put in the column was winding up in the book – or was it? You get the picture.

But after months of labor, the task is complete. And I'm ready to resume my steady routine here at one of America's great news and opinion sites on the Web.

Incidentally, I'm delighted to report that my editor at William Morrow (the publisher) seems to really like the book. I'm awfully proud of it. When someone suggested that I actually write one, I was practically dragged, kicking and screaming, into the fray. I guess my ego is fragile enough that I wasn't sure I had it in me.

And I was bound and determined to do it myself. No ghost writer or collaborator for me. I did hire a "book doctor," a former newspaper reporter named Alice McQuillan, who did a fantastic job in helping to "doctor" up the project – working on sentence structure, flow, some research, etc. But I can proudly and truly say that this book, scheduled to be published in June or July, is my work.

I hope you like it. Some of the chapters include: "Thank you, Janet Jackson," "The Day I Killed a Cow ... er, Steer," "Why Does It Always Have to Be About Race?," "Liberal Loons to the Left of Me," "The Miraculous 2004 Election," and "There's Still Reason To Hope." It even includes a chapter about my 70-pound weight loss, which I've managed to maintain for over a year now.

So somehow, some way, I'll soon be able to add "published author" to my resume. Incidentally, if you'd like to pre-order a personally signed first edition copy, which will be sent at publication time, you can do so at my Web site, www.mikeonline.com.

My work on radio and TV continues. The radio show recently cleared its 204th unique affiliate, and Fox News Channel continues to use me as a contributor and guest host. My wife and I continue to argue politics while loving each other very much, and our four sons are doing just swell.

Oh, and the dogs are great, too.

So now that I've re-established myself, it's time to get back to work here at NewsMax.

Hope you're ready, 'cause I've got a lot to say, as usual.

Boy, it is good to be back.

Mike Gallagher's national radio show is syndicated by Salem Radio Network with offices and studios in the Dallas area and New York City.

Editor's note: