Political Quotes

“August 20 will be the end of an era in Chicago as WLS 890 AM political reporter Bill Cameron puts his microphone down after a 51-year career on the radio. Bill is the ``Dean'' of Chicago political reporters, joining the city hall beat in 1970 and covering all the major stories in Chicago since that time. The announcement of his pending retirement brought praise for Bill's legendary career, with one colleague calling him a ``walking encyclopedia of political knowledge.'' When asked by a fellow reporter how he had survived his first 50 years in the industry, Bill said he took inspiration in advice from Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks: ``Find something you love to do and stick with it.'' Stick with it; he certainly did. Bill earned the admiration of his peers for his ability to elicit honest answers from his interview subjects. Bill always finds a way to cut to the heart of an issue and deliver insightful reports for his listeners. Bill and I are both natives of East St. Louis, IL, though we never met until my Senate election and his Chicago beat brought us together. Bill's father Fred was a successful high school football coach, winning more than 100 games for the storied East St. Louis Flyers. Instead of following his father's footsteps into football, Bill chose broadcast journalism, earning a bachelor's degree at Indiana University. And we are all the better for it.…”