My interview with a Senate candidate

Alexi Giannoulias (Image via Wikipedia)

Despite its all-night study sessions and coffee/power bar diets during finals week, I’ll admit that college life has its perks. And for a political junkie like me, foremost among these perks is the parade of politicians and candidates who visit colleges every year, looking to entice that ever-elusive holy grail: the youth vote.

This year didn’t disappoint. Tom Daschle stopped by my campus mid-semester for a little chat about  health care, and just last month, the much-buzzed about Alexi Giannoulias, a Democratic candidate to running fill the senate seat once filled by Barack Obama and soon to be vacated by controversial appointee Roland Burris, did the same.

Mind you, “much-buzzed about” doesn’t imply that coverage has always been positive. Giannoulias does enjoy widespread support from Chicago’s Greek community, and gained a crucial endorsement from Barack Obama (his former hoops partner) in his campaign for State Treasurer in 2006 that was credited with helping him clinch the office. However, as a must-read article in this week’s Chicago Reader explains, his current Senate campaign has “inspired little excitement in the White House” from whom he has yet to gain an endorsement, and Giannoulias’ campaign continues to be weighed down by allegations that his family’s Broadway Bank lent money to people linked to organized crime. (And I bet the campaign was none too pleased at this “special investigation” from Fox News’ Sean Hannity).

Linked here is what Giannoulias told me in an interview after his speech to my peers, including his view of Illinois politics in the wake of Blagojevich’s indictment, and what Illinois politicians–Democrats in particular–need to do to regain the public’s trust. Here’s a snippet:

Pay-to-play politics and scandal and corruption have been a bipartisan disgrace here in Illinois. But when you look at what’s taken place over the past few years, people are disgusted, disheartened or less inclined to vote. … I think it’s a concern regardless of whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican. It’s something you should be concerned about if you’re running for office.

via The Phoenix – Senate candidate Giannoulias speaks on post-Blago politics .

Check out the full article for this candidate’s opinion on Senate Republicans, and what he would put on his agenda if elected. (And as a tip to my fellow political junkies out there, yearning for speeches and close-up Q&A sessions with pols and candidates, try crashing your local college. I swear, it totally works.)