The Chicago Sun-Times front page that convinced the Chicago Tribune that it was falling behind in the race to denigrate Congressman Joe Walsh.

The Chicago Tribune does not like to be one-upped.

With its front page child support story on July 28m, 2011, the Chicago Sun-Times certainly one-upped the Tribune.

Walsh replied to the Sun-Times article with a statement that he was under attack because he was “the tip of the spear.”

That seems to be a reasonable characterization of Walsh’s taking on all sorts of subjects concerning President Barack Obama that others have shied away from.

Today, the Chicago Tribune fired back at the Sun-Times, which reported that the child support information was discovered by a reporter doing “a profile” on Walsh.

No profile has subsequently been printed in the Sun-Times.

So, the Tribune did one.

The Chicago Tribune tries to prove that it is not soft in opposition to President Barack Obama's most vocal critic.

The article undoubtedly seeks to be seen as the definitive piece of opposition research on Walsh.

This is Walsh’s reaction to the story:

“It’s unfortunate the Chicago Tribune has chosen to waste time and ink scrutinizing my driving record over the last 22 years rather than Washington’s unsustainable spending, which is driving the United States over a financial cliff.

“I have received speeding tickets, parking tickets and other motor vehicle citations over the last 22 years, but I’ve always admitted guilt when appropriate, received court supervision when available and paid my fines.”

Earlier he said, “The Chicago Tribune, like Washington, is out of touch with ordinary Americans.”

Not only was the story the most important one of the day for the Tribune, there was a complete additional page with lots and lots of details.

Here’s what page 11 looks like today:

That’s a lot of words.

Needless to say, the Chicago Tribune did not endorse Joe Walsh in 2010, picking Nancy Pelosi favorite Melissa Bean instead.

I’m not going out on a limb to predict neither the Tribune nor the Sun-Times will endorse Walsh in 2012.

Not in any primary and not in the general.