GARCIA IN A DEED HEAT AS A RACE TO LAND THE PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE CITY'S DOWN GRADED CREDIT RATING TAKES PLACE, WE HAVE THE LATEST.

>> THIS POLL CONCLUDES THAT BOTH OF THEM ARE EVEN IN THE RUN OFFE SELECTION DESPITE EMANUEL'S HEFTY FINANCE ADVANTAGE AND POWER OF INCUMBENCY, IT SHOWS HE HAS 43% OF THE VOTE, GARCIA TRAILING WITH 38.5, 18.6 UNDESITED BUT THE CATCH IS THE POLESTER IS SAYING HISPANICS HAVE BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED BUT IF YOU ADJUST FOR THAT THE RACE IS ACTUALLY A DEAD HEAT, TOO CLOSE TO CALL.

THEY ALSO CORRECTLY PREDICTED THAT EMANUEL WOULD BE FORCED INTO A RUN OFF.

TODAY, HE SHRUGGED OFF QUESTIONS OF THIS NEW POLE AND STAYED ON HIS MESSAGE.

>> THIS IS A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO CANDIDATES AND TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE PERSEVERANCE AND PLANS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES HEAD-ON FOR THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND REGARDLESS OF ANY CAMPAIGN OR NOT SUPPORT, IT IS MOST IMPORTANTLY INCUMBENT UPON THE INDIVIDUALS THAT'S WHY I HAVE BEEN VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT MY IDEAS AND THE RECORD BUT ALSO ABOUT WHAT CHALLENGES OUR STATE FACES HEAD-ON.

>> MOODY'S DROPPED THE CREDIT RATING DOWN ANOTHER NOTCH, WHAT ARE THE POLITICAL AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS?

>> THEY DID DROP IT DOWN TO B. A.

2, WHICH IS TWO STEPS ABOVE JUNK BOND STATUS, IT SAYS THE FUTURE LOOKS WORSE.

THEY ARE CITING THE CITY'S TICKING PENSION TIME BOMB, THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK REFLECTS OUR EXPECTATION THAT THE CITY'S CREDIT QUALITY COULD WEAKEN AS UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIES GROW AND EXERT INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE CITY'S OPERATING BUDGET.

WE EXPECT SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIES EVEN IF THE CITY'S RECENT PENSION REFORMS SURVIVE AN ONGOING LEGAL CHALLENGE.

>> SO, PENSION REFORM OR NOT, THAT SYSTEM IS STILL UNSUSTAINABLE IN THE EYES OF MOODY.

>> CANDIDATE GARCIA, HE STAYED SILENT ABOUT HIS SPECIFIC PLANS TO SOLVE THE PENSION CRISIS AND HIS CAMPAIGN AS YOU KNOW HAS BEEN LARGELY FUNDED BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WHOSE MEMBERS WOULD BENEFIT FROM PENSION CHANGES AND I ASKED HIM IF HE COULD TACKLE THE CITY'S CRISIS IN LIGHT OF THE DOWN GRADE WITHOUT REFORMING PENSIONS?

>> IT'S GOING TO TAKE A HOST OF THINGS TO LOOK AT.

WE ARE STEPPING BACK TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF WHERE WE ARE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OPERATING BUDGET AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I WIN, WE'RE INHERITING A CHALLENGING SITUATION.

I CAN'T MAKE ANY SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE TRYING TO WRAP OUR HEADS AROUND IT AND WE ARE CONSULTING WITH THE FOREMOST EXPERTS IN MUNICIPAL FINANCE, IN PENSION QUESTIONS ALSO, SO WE ARE DOING OUR HOMEWORK.

OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T GOOD NEWS FOR THE CITY SOF CHICAGO BUT IT ALSO SPEAKS TO POOR STEWARDSHIP OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS.

>> MEANWHILE REPUBLICAN U.S.

SENATOR KIRK ISN'T MINCING WORDS, HE WEIGHED IN SAYING HE FELT CHICAGO COULD ONE DAY SHARE THE FATE OF BANKRUPT DETROIT IFE MA'AM UNIWELL IS NOT (^)E (^) RE-ELECTED.

>> THE COLLAPSE OF CHICAGO'S DEBT WHICH HAPPENED IN DETROIT, I THINK WE CAN FOLLOW (INAUDIBLE).

>> KIRK IS SAYING NONE OF THEM, MEANING THE CANDIDATES, OF COURSE THERE IS ONE OTHER CANDIDATE, HE REFUSED TO MENTION GARCIA BY NAME BUT IT WAS CLEAR WHO HE WAS ENDORSING AND KIRK WAS EMMANUEL, GARCIA AND THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE POLISH AMERICAN MUSEUM TODAY HONORING PULASKI DAY.

>> THE SITE OF THE OBAMA LIBRARY HAS ALSO MADE ITS WAY INTO THE CAMPAIGN, HOW SO.

>> THERE IS A NARRATIVE THE EMMANUEL IS PUSHING, THE STORY THAT JUST BROKE FROM THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, THEY CITE A SOURCE IN THE OBAMA FOUNDATION SAYING IF GARCIA WINS THEN THE LIBRARY IS LIKELY GOING TO NEW YORK, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

NOW, GARCIA HAS DRAWN FIRE FROM THEE MA'AM UNIWELL CAM PIN FOR SAYING HE WANTS THE LIBRARY IN CHICAGO, JUST NOT IN THE SOUTH SIDE PARK, HE AND OTHER PARK ADVOCATES BELIEVE YOU SHOULDN'T BUILD ON PARKS.

THE CHICAGO FORWARDPACK FURTHERED THE NARRATIVE, THAT'S THE ACTION COMMITTEE CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE MAYOR, THEY DID ROBO CALLS INSINUATING IF GARCIA GOT HIS WAY CHICAGO WOULD LOSE OUT TO NEW YORK.

THEY ALSO ASKED IF YOU SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO PUT THE LIBRARY IN THE SOUTH SIDE PARK?

THE HEAD OF THE COMMITTEE SAID 90% OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID YES.

SO, AMID ALL THIS INTENSE HEAT, GARCIA TODAY BACKED OFF OF HIS PREVIOUS STANCE.

>> I HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT IN UNWAIVING IN MY SUPPORT FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY TO COME TO CHICAGO.

IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE TWO SITES LEFT, A SOUTH AND WEST SIDE SITE, WHATEVER THE FINAL DECISION IS MADE, BY THE SELECTION COMMITTEE AND PRESIDENT OBAMA, I WILL SUPPORT.

>> EVEN IF -- >> YOU HEARD WHAT I SAID.

THERE ARE ONLY TWO SITE, THANK YOU.

>> IT'S HARD TO IGNORE RACE AS A SUB TEXT IN THE BACK AND FORTH ON THIS ISSUE.

BOTH CANDIDATES ARE COURTING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTE, IT IS SEEN AS BEING CRUCIAL TO WHOEVER WINS.

THEY TRIED TO GET THE ENDORSEMENT OF WILLIE WILSON, THE THIRD PLACE FINISHER WHO WON'T SAY WHO HE IS ENDORSING, AND TONY PREK WINK L WHO REITERATED HER POSITION HASN'T CHANGED, SHE IS NOT ENDORSING ANYBODY AT THIS POINT.

>> PARIS, THANK YOU.

>> UP NEXT, THE LATEST ON THE C. P. S. STANDARDIZED TEST BATTLES.