And then make up your own mind, because we won't tell you who to vote for.

Credit the paper for disclosure, though--"intervening to assist this newspaper refinance [sic] to survive the current economic downturn" is cited as one of Boston Mayor Tom Menino's noteworthy achievements.

Earlier: why the Banner didn't endorse in the mayoral prelim.

Back in July, when Boston Mayor Tom Menino arranged a $200,000 loan that allowed the endangered Bay State Banner to resume publication, Globe columnist Adrian Walker argued that the arrangment would dangerously diminish the Banner's editorial autonomy. "[I]ts independence is the only thing that makes the Banner worth saving, journalistically speaking," Walker wrote.

So I swung by Government Center this morning to check out the kick-off of Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon's joint campaign. I missed the start, but still caught some noteworthy details:

1. The turnout seemed low--about 70-80 people, I'd guess, with almost as many media members as campaign supporters/operatives.

2. When Flaherty was asked about his pledge to serve only two terms, his reply went something like this: "The people of Boston have my word--the same way they had the current mayor's word that he would only serve two terms."

Today's Globe editorial on the developing Boston mayor's race concludes thusly:

The pattern [i.e., the difficulty mayoral challengers have raising money and mounting serious challenges] promotes complacency. Voters should combat it by demanding that incumbents--in this case, Menino--submit to multiple debates with opponents.

The Herald's Hillary Chabot reports that--according to US Att'y Michael Sullivan--the corruption investigation that's already snagged state senator Dianne Wilkerson and Boston city councilor Chuck Turner won't be implicating the governor, Boston mayor Tom Menino, or any members of the state legislature. But Sullivan seems to leave the door open for more city councilors taking a hit.

Yesterday, in a nice recap of the debate between John Kerry and Ed O'Reilly, the Globe's Matt Viser wrote:

In his reelection campaign in 2004 [sic]*, Mayor Thomas M. Menino assiduously avoided debating his opponent, Maura A. Hennigan, although he agreed to face her in an hourlong lunch hosted by the Globe at the Locke-Ober restaurant.