An Eye For The Tie: Quinn's Fashion Choice Tips Off Reporter On Pension Bill

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Sun-Times' Scott Fornek's eye for fashion led to a bit of a scoop for the veteran political reporter and editor on Monday.

As the Chicago media waited for Gov. Pat Quinn to either sign or veto Chicago's pension reform bill, Fornek took notice of Quinn's neck tie.

It was purple.

The one Quinn apparently wears for bill signings, Fornek said in a tweet.

Looking through the CBS archives, Quinn has a few purple ties, but it is the one with navy stripes that Fornek noted was the "lucky" tie. He wore it when he announced Paul Vallas as his running mate (pictured above).

Fornek was right. Quinn signed the reform bill.

In April, lawmakers approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to help prop up the pension funds for city laborers and municipal workers.

In the digital age, the Sun-Times sage had a scoop of sorts for all of an hour.

In the digital age, that's a long time.

Fornek himself has been around for a long time.

And it's all those years of pounding the beat that helps hone that eye for the smallest detail.