Michael J. Palecek sums up his life thus: "I have been to federal prison and the O'Brien County Fair." His jail experience stems from his peaceful anti-war protests at the Offutt Air Base near Omaha. In his communications career he has worked as a weekly newspaper reporter and award-winning editor-publisher in Minnesota. The people of Iowa's Fifth Congressional District selected him as their candidate for the U.S. House on the Democrat ticket in 2000 with a campaign fund of just $6,000. Mike's first book, KGB, was recently published by AmErica House, Baltimore.