Reporting on politics, “The Chicago Way.”

The Illinois Senate race is shaping up to be a high-profile and influential campaign that will have national implications. Not only because Illinois is the most populated state in the mid-west, but also because the seat up for grabs is President Obama’s former seat. If Republican candidate Rep. Mark Kirk, were to win the seat it would be seen as an enormous PR loss for the White House.


The Democratic nominee, Alexi Giannoulias has been under fire because of the failiure of Broadway Bank and his direct connection to it. Believe it or not, there are suspicions of corruption, incompetence and graft with regard to a Democrat in Chicago. Go figure!

Obviously, this is such a damaging story for Giannoulias that Rep. Kirk has been able to gain some serious traction in the race by continuing to focus on the issue. That’s what a politician does when engaged in a tough campaign (Sen. John McCain’s Presidential campaign notwithstanding).

Now we have the spectacle of one of the major local stations in Chicago threatening not to cover the campaign if the Republican continues to discuss the most damaging aspect of his opponent’s record. Is this the role of an FCC licensed station, entrusted with the role of serving the public interest in relation to a free-flow of information for the citizenry? Maybe in Chicago it is.

REPORTER: Channel 2’s made a decision. We’re really not going to cover the Senate race, if it’s consistently only in your terms, is about Broadway Bank. The bank’s been taken over by the government, Alexi’s been pilloried. Tell me, what is your campaign going forward? What are the issues you are going to tell the voters why they should vote for you?