The Daily Illini proudly describes itself as “an open forum to educate, inform and enliven.” However, even the paper’s news articles take the position of the editors’ political ideologies.

Recently the federal government listed a high ranking Illinois public official as “Public Official A,” who promised to give bids for investment banking, legal representation and contracts to consultants working on the Teachers’ Pension Fund if the companies could give campaign contributions to this official. It is under investigation as to whom the elected official and his partners in crime are, but a number of newspapers and official sources are reporting that it may be Governor Rod Blagojevich and campaign associates Chris Kelly and Antoin Tony Rezko.

While the DI should not come out and blame Blagojevich, it should inform their readers of this scandal. After all, it would only be following such media outlets as the Washington Post (Sept. 16), the Chicago Sun Times (Sept. 16, Sept. 18), the New York Times (Sept. 17), and Chicago’s WLS (Sept. 15) to name a few. As I recall, the DI was quick to point out their displeasure towards former Champaign County States Attorney John Piland when there was no proof that he took any wrong actions. All the DI would have to do is look to these other media outlets for information. The Washington Post’s article was by the AP.

The Daily Illini chooses to inform the population of students about issues when they fit into their political ideology. Governor Blagojevich determines what money (or lack of money) the University receives. As Governor, he should be under the greatest scrutiny of all Illinois’ elected officials. It’s time the Daily Illini inform its readers of what is going on outside of this small campus and outside their editors’ even smaller political mindsets.

Jacob Vial

sophomore in Business