Progress Illinois

Back in June, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp made a $1 million contribution to the Republican Governors Association via its News America Holdings political action committee.  The New York Times described it as "one of the biggest [political donations] ever given by a media organization." News Corp explained the decision to Yahoo's Upshot this way: "[O]rganizations like the RGA, which have a pro-business agenda, support our priorities at this most critical time for our economy."  (Illinois Republican Congressmen Peter Roskam and John Shimkus have also received contributions from the PAC this cycle.)

Looking forward, some of that $1 million will most likely make its way to the Illinois' governors race, where the RGA has already run ads slamming incumbent Pat Quinn.  Which raises a question for Fox Chicago (and other affiliates across the country): When covering the local gubernatorial races, will they disclose that their parent company is backing the Republican ticket? 

So far, Fox Chicago has responded online by posting a News Corp. press release on the donation.  Meanwhile, Fox News Channel has been silent on the issue.

On last night's 9 p.m. broadcast, Fox Chicago featured an interview with Illinois Minutemen Project Director Rosanna Pulido.  At one point in the discussion, anchor Jeff Goldblatt highlighted a press conference yesterday in which local religous leaders denounced Arizona's draconian new immigration law.  After watching a clip of Father Larry Dowling saying that the legislation "has its roots in white supremacist ideology," Pulido responded: "It's name-calling. What the left only knows how to do is name-call."  Watch it (full video here):

It's kind of amazing to hear Pulido decry "name-calling" considering that, in comments posted to the right-wing Free Republic website under the pseudonym "chicagolady," she called gays "fudge packers" and repeatedly referred to Barack Obama as "Osama."  And while we're on the topic of white supremacy, she once described Mexicans as the new "Klu Klux Klan with a tan."

Why this woman gets airtime on our local network stations is beyond me.