President Obama, Illinois politicians pay tribute to Carlos Hernandez Gomez

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: Tributes to Hernandez Gomez span White House to Statehouse : Posted by Rick Pearson and Monique Garcia at 12:45 p.m. : Tributes celebrating the life of CLTV political reporter Carlos Hernandez Gomez spanned the White House to the statehouse in Springfield today, a day after his death following a more than year-long battle with cancer at the age of 36. : �I was saddened to hear of the passing of Carlos Hernandez Gomez. Our paths first crossed when I was a State Senator. He was a throwback in the style of Chicago�s storied political reporters,� President Barack Obama said in a statement. : �He loved Chicago, and he relentlessly sought to tell its story with the commitment to truth and the insatiable curiosity that any good reporter has to have,� the president said. �I quickly learned that when you saw his sharp fedora in a crowd, hard questions were coming. But Carlos always played it straight. And I always enjoyed our interactions in Springfield, Chicago, or on the campaign trail.� : : : Obama called Hernandez Gomez �a role model to many and an integral part of the Chicago story he strived to tell.� He offered his thoughts and prayers to Hernandez Gomez� wife, WGN-TV reporter Randi Belisomo Hernandez, and his family. : Obama, as a state senator, U.S. senator and as president, was among several politicians whom Hernandez Gomez covered in a colorful career, rat-a-tatting questions rapid fire through several campaigns and news events. : Earlier today, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the chamber�s 2nd ranking Democrat, hailed Hernandez Gomez as a real professional whose �word�s good and they�re up on the news and they�re nice people to be with.� : �He's the kind of person that's a great credit to the profession and did a great job for people across Chicagoland and America to understand the real issues we face," Durbin said. : Gov. Pat Quinn called Hernandez Gomez �a man of great humor and commitment and dedication. So, losing Carlos is a loss for everybody in Illinois and our country." : Comptroller Dan Hynes, Quinn�s rival for next month�s Democratic nomination for governor, said Hernandez Gomez was �taken too early� and said his death was �a real loss for civic debate here in this city and state.� : Services for Hernandez Gomez, who covered politics for WBEZ-FM prior to joining CLTV, are pending.

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