A daily paper's political correspondent has a tough gig. Write with too much authority, and cranky subscribers complain about a lack of objectivity. Write with too little assurance, and nonsense-spewing politicians and their handlers control the discussion. Steve Kraske, who has covered politics at The Kansas City Star since 1994, finds a balance between agitator and stenographer. Kraske also hosts the hourlong Up to Date weekdays on KCUR 89.3, on which he and his guests talk about more than just politics. Up to Date is a place to be heard. Russell Welsh, chairman and CEO of the Polsinelli Shughart law firm, appeared on the show the Monday after the firm's proposed headquarters on the Country Club Plaza became public and created a stir. "The response to this plan," Kraske began, "hasn't exactly been warm and cuddly, Russ. Are you surprised by it?" Welsh admitted that the intensity of the objections had caught him off guard, and he went on to make news and say the design of the building wasn't final.
