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By Bob Kerr
Journal Staff Writer

This column is the latest illustration of the incredible leeway I'm allowed here.

Writing about the captured Saddam Hussein doesn't really fit under the heading of local column, and it is not the kind of thing I can possibly do on a regular basis. The columns on the woman who embezzled from Citizens Bank to feed her gambling habit and the nurse who jumped into the river to save a drowning woman are, I think, much better examples of what I'm supposed to be doing.

But occasionally I think there is some value in showing my colors. For one thing, it draws some incredibly heartfelt response -- such as the anonymous letter written in response to this column which expressed disappointment that I had not been blown away in Vietnam and the hope that I would soon be hit by a truck. At least somebody's reading.

I was struck right away by the derelict image of Saddam coming out of the hole and I have always been fascinated by how willing political leaders are to assume a military identity for which they have absolutely no credentials. So I just took off. It's fun. And it's the only way I ever win the writing award. This is one of those columns that definitely resonates more in the newsroom than among the majority of our readers.

I have received some suggested corrections on the expression ``All Hat, No Cowboy.'' Some people say it's supposed to be ``All Hat, No Cattle.'' Others say it's supposed to be ``All Hat, No Ranch'' or ``All Hat, No Herd.'' It's a real cutting-edge issue. I think any version serves the purpose.

There was no reporting involved here, no human contact. I am probably far too preoccupied with George Bush and the war and I have to keep it in check. But it's great to vent once in the while, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity.