CBS 2 Chicago reporter tells Mark Kirk to lay off Broadway Bank

In my many years of living in the Chicago area, the best political reporter I've seen is Mike Flannery, who reported on the blow-by-blow machinations of Illinois politicians for 30 years on CBS 2 Chicago.

Two months ago, Flannery switched to Fox 32.

He's already being missed. Here's what CBS 2 reporter Ed Marshall told Mark Kirk recently.

Channel 2 has made the decision we're really not going to cover the [Illinois] Senate race if it consistently only, on your terms, is about Broadway Bank.

Alexi's been pilloried.

Well, boo hoo hoo for Alexi. The then-30 year-old Giannoulias used his stint at Broadway as his sole qualification to serve as Illinois treasurer in 2006.

It's a legitimate issue, and Kirk of late has been focusing on the economy, including a plan to turn around economically-depressed Rockford, so it's unfair to say that it's "All Broadway, all the time" for the Republican Senate candidate.

Oh, the photograph. Channel 2 thought enough of the Broadway Bank story to station its van--I took the photo--in front of its North Side headquarters on the afternoon the bank collapsed. I guess Broadway Bank is an important story. Six other banks were closed that day in Illinois--did CBS 2 send reporters to cover those financial failures?

Related post:

Mark Kirk's agenda for Rockford

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