In a year marked by devastating natural disasters, those of us stationed in the Statehouse had a front row seat to view many political catastrophes.

Following is a month-by-month review of some of the conflicts we witnessed in 2005

January

U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood announced he was exploring a run for governor. The Peoria Republican scrapped his bid in August when it looked like former Gov. Jim Edgar might enter the race. Edgar didn't and LaHood is now watching on the sidelines.

February

A plan by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to boost cigarette taxes by 75-cents a pack as a way to pay for state construction projects was snuffed out by his staunchest legislative ally, Senate President Emil Jones.

March

State Sen. John Bradley, D-Marion, floated legislation to eliminate riverboat gambling. The proposal would have blown a $707 million hole in the state budget. The House OK'd the proposal, but it sank in the Senate.

One lawmaker played martyr for the gaming industry.

"Rosa Parks was the mother of the civil rights movement," said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, whose district includes the Casino Rock Island riverboat. "Parks, a seamstress from Montgomery, Ala., refused to give up her seat to a person of power. Like Rosa, my community refuses to ride in the back of the bus."

Because, you know, preserving riverboat gambling is a lot like ending hundreds of years of social inequality.

April

Auditor General William Holland blasted the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, saying the agency couldn't prove it saved $620 million through a much ballyhooed streamlined purchasing program. At the same time, Holland noted that CMS did reimburse politically connected contractors for items such as an ice bucket, bags of candy, a victory dinner and parking at a Chicago Bulls game.

May

Federal subpoenas rained down on the Blagojevich administration, just in time for him to begin ramping up his re-election effort. The subpoenas suggest that campaign contributions paved the way for lucrative state contracts.

June

After preaching about the evils of pork-barrel politics, the governor acknowledged that he agreed to millions of dollars in special projects in order to win votes for his plan to raid state employee pension funds. Among the spending is $300,000 for Chicago to play host to an electronic music festival.

July

It came to light that Blagojevich and Democrat leaders secretly inserted $10 million into the state budget for controversial embryonic stem cell research. The clandestine maneuver came after lawmakers blocked a proposal during the normal session. This angered Republicans and pro-life Democrats, who would not have likely supported the budget item.

Blagojevich told reporters: "While we are forced to live in a democracy with several branches of government, sometimes in a democracy the process is frustratingly slow."

August

In town for the State Fair, top state leaders said they won't support a temporary repeal of the state's sales tax on gas to provide motorists with relief from rising fuel prices. At the same time, the governor quietly approved a deal with United Parcel Service to exempt the giant shipper from paying $100,000 in gasoline taxes.

September

As hurricanes pummeled the Gulf Coast, federal prosecutors were getting ready to beat up on former Gov. George Ryan, who went on trial for corruption in Chicago. He is the fourth chief executive in 40 years to face charges.

October

Hoping to provide all kids with health insurance - as well as box Republicans into a corner - the governor launched an all-out public relations push designed to force lawmakers into approving his plan to offer health insurance to every child in Illinois. The plan is OK'd despite the absence of details about how the program will be funded.

November

The governor's crusade to keep violent and sexually explicit video games away from children was shot down by a federal judge. While the governor plans an appeal, a similar proposal in California recently was found unconstitutional. A federal judge has also agreed to an injunction against a Michigan law.

December

And finally, the year closed with little-known former Chicago Alderman Edwin Eisendrath jumping into the Democratic primary for governor, a move that will force Blagojevich to tap some of his mega-giant campaign fund as the two careen toward a showdown at the polls in March.