'He's positioned to win'

Mark Kirk, the Republican congressman representing the North Shore of Illinois, stands a strong chance at winning the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama, explains Thom Serafin in this appearance on Fox Chicago News.

Kirk, a five-term congressman, on Monday announced his Republican bid for the Senate seat currently held by Roland Burris, a Democrat who does not plan to seek election to the seat to which disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed him.

“His chances are excellent,” Serafin says of Kirk. “He’s positioned to win. He just needs to be able to run through this primary without too much conservative opposition.”

Serafin notes that Kirk has sided with liberals on certain social issues. In a primary election, Kirk potentially could face strong criticism from the GOP’s right wing for this stance. But for now, Serafin says that Kirk appears strong heading into the primary.

"Right now, based on what national polls are showing, Republicans are making headway into this off-year election,” Serafin says, noting that as a rule the party of the president tends to suffer in non-presidential elections.

Kirk was one of a few Republicans who sided with Democrats in voting for cap-and-trade legislation to regulate carbon emissions. Critics say the legislation, backed by Obama, will lead to increased energy costs.

Serafin says he was perplexed by Kirk’s vote on cap-and-trade. He notes that nearly half of GOP primary voters are in downstate Illinois. In southern Illinois, a region whose economy historically depended on work associated with coal mining, Serafin says that Kirk will have much explaining to do.

Still, the GOP establishment is behind Kirk.

“He’s got a lot of the big shots,” Serafin says. “He’s got a lot of the organization Republicans with him.”

'I Will Miss His Inspiration'

When John Callaway asked me a question, I knew I was in for a strong, riveting conversation and that I had better be prepared with good answers.

He was famous for asking tough questions of his subjects on Chicago Tonight. But his true gift was his uncanny ability to manage the conversation through to the end, probing and provoking with thoughtful, pointed follow-up questions that cut through the nonsense and drove his television viewers straight to the heart of the story.

Callaway didn’t lean on a script for his line of questions as, unfortunately, is too often the case with journalists of today. Instead, he developed his own considerable knowledge of each topic through extensive reading and background research.

He took ownership of the topic, and when it came time for a conversation on the air he took his sources through the story – not the other way around. Yet, he had no agenda and he was consummate gentleman.

I’ll always be grateful for the time he took to join me, as a young reporter-turned-public-relations-entrepreneur, and some of the city’s finest journalists for occasional lunch at Eli’s steakhouse. Beside the likes of Irv Kupcinet, Steve Neal, Ray Coffey and Ben Bentley, Callaway would set his gaze on me and ask about the latest news in Chicago or Illinois politics.

He challenged me and he inspired me to learn more. Amidst all that talent, he wanted to know what I thought. He’d ask questions, and then he’d ask some more.

I will miss his inspiration. The city will miss his passion for insight. And his family will miss his devotion.

Thom Serafin