40 Comments - Levois - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 9:05 am: It should be Bobbie Steele instead of John Daley. Especially if the interest is there to keep the office of County Board President, black. - Todd Jong Il aka Wumpus - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 9:21 am: That is too much power in the Daley family. How about the third brother run for Governor? Seriously folks, perhaps the county board should come up with a plan to sell off the future profits from the cigarrette taxes at net present value. That will shut Meeks up. How about a plan to sell off future value of property taxes? Meeks will buy it, trust me. - Schiznitz - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 9:22 am: These comments by black politicians are so racist its incredible. Imagine if a white politician said this “this seat needs to be retained by a white guy”. Also, what happens to Todd Stroger’s 8th Ward Aldermanic seat? Who gets that? Who is next in the line of royal succession? - Madison County Watcher - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 9:40 am: It’s called “Monarchy”…”Dynasty” is too kind a term for this kind of politics. - Conservative Republican - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 9:49 am: There is no June 31. The Trib correctly reported it as July 31st. - IVote - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 9:54 am: June 31? Kinda like “the 12th of never” isn’t it? - Johnny Smith - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 10:27 am: John Kass nails it. All of this talk of a monarchy in Cook County (and Illinois for that matter) really misses the point. Todd Stroger would not be the nominee to replace his Dad if Mayor Daley wasn’t up for re-election to his final term, for which filing begins in December. With the corruption trial of George Ryan and the current trial of four Daley confidants has put politics in a state of flux. The Sun Times is reporting today that Daley is losing his grip on the City Council. That never would have happened 5 years ago. So, in summary, the political establishment is afraid to do anything to enflame a sector of the political base in fear that the delicate balance will be irreparably altered. By the way, it was really the Lipinski’s that started this. Madigan and Hynes did not put their children up to replace themselves, they supported their kin for other offices, arguably, in Lisa’s case, a higher office than her Dad’s. Lipinski pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes in the midnight run he pulled. That scenario is more attuned to what John and Todd Stroger are up to. And, as I said in an earlier post, Tony Peraica will lose his bid for the county board presidency AND his district seat. - Prez of the FTPC - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 10:38 am: Ugh. A quick recap: The voters selected John Stroger over Forrest Claypool in the primary. With that comes all the right and privileges associated with being in that position. Insomuch, as is the plan, the current law allows the Committeemen select whom they please via a weighted vote to represent the party given that the nominee is unable or unwilling to do so. It is the case and makes sense that the WINNER of the primary have some say in the matter (ie, his opinion counting a bit more than, say, the loser - Forrest Claypool). The Board selects an interim Prez until the December swearing-in ceremony. AND THATS IT. So, first, stop trying the minimize the racism thing. Daley dynasty. Hynes dynasty. Madigan dynasty. Lipinski dynasty. Hell, you can even throw in the Jackson dynasty if you like (tell the truth - Junior wouldn’t be who he is if daddy wasn’t who daddy is). Talk all you want about the voters not being able to ‘pick’ Todd in the primary. Get out of here! Shall we have another primary to make you little racists happy? That would be…no. Voters still have a choice. They can always pick Peraica over Todd. And, like always, you get what you vote for. Period. President Peraica would have his victory iff’n the voters give it to him. But will they? I mean, damn the party allegiances. Who (amongst those of us who do not smoke the ‘other’ cigarettes) really wants Peraica over Stroger? There are some, to be sure, but, damn, why? Because he isn’t a Stroger? Get real. Tony hasn’t spent an iota of his time getting people to know who he is. Its negative, negative, negative all the time with him. You know, the same way Claypool did. And you see how well it worked out for him. So, to all your little racist rants about dynasties and Todd and Beavers and blahblahblah, I quote the gentleman from MASH and say: “Horse Hockey!” And as for TRICKY DICK Simple, er, Simpson…Well, in recent years, he asked Stroger, REPEATEDLY, to come and speak to his classes at U of I. Stroger kindly did so. Until the “Claypool Years,” Tricky Dick’s demeanor towards Stroger was kind and deferential. But, lo and behold, it was no longer cool to be Stroger’s friend when Gump, er, Claypool came to town (with David Axelrod giving him the hand-puppet treatment). Hey Dick! Please just go ‘way. Third rate banana republic? How about third rate political commentator? By the way, I find it ironic that the media, whether we are talking radio, tv or print, keep going to Claypool (who Stroger beat in the primary), Peraica (who pretty much hates Stroger and everything Stroger-ish), and Quigley (who chaired Claypool’s failed campaign) was their chief mouthpieces on this whole thing. Kinda stackin’ the deck, dontcha think? - Rich Miller - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 10:47 am: “Prez of the FTPC” criticizing this Stroger move would only be “racist” if nobody ever criticized the Madigan, Lipinski, Hynes moves. Everybody did. In Lisa’s case, it was almost the entire subject of her 2002 campaign, start to finish. It’s been a big issue in every race Dan Hynes has ever run. And Little Lip and his daddy have been excoriated in the press and continue to be to this very day. So, please, calm down a little. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 10:48 am: I’m pretty sure the Stroger family is lying again and that John Stroger is in no condition for a public appearance. Think about it. If he can’t meet with a single reporter or even most of his political allies, what’s the odds he can do a public appearance. Ever had an elderly relative debilitated by stroke. How did s/he bounce back? - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 10:50 am: The voters picked Stroger over Claypool because the Stroger family misled the public about the severity of Stroger’s stroke. Democracy is a sham if the voters don’t have accurate information. The Stroger family clearly believed that the truth would hurt Stroger’s chance at prevailing. - Captain America - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 11:05 am: There is nothing racist about supporting a better qualified African-American replacement than Todd Stroger - there ate several better qualified cnadidates to replace John Stroger. In fact, it appears to me that Tood Stroger is analagous to Eugene Sawyer in the City Council fight to succeed Mayor Washington. A relatively weak candidate is being put inot a position that he really isn'’t equipped to handle, paving the way for his defeat 4 years hence. - MAGGIE - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 11:13 am: Again I will ask. Where are the courts or the Board of Elections. Are we going to continue to let the sham happen by people who are only trying to feather their own nest. Someone needs to send over a court appointed official to find out if Stroger even knows who he is ? Is the man still alive ? The public must demand to see and hear Stroger now ! - Ashur Odishoo - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 11:24 am: Race arguments make no sense. Bobbie Steele and Danny Davis are also black. This is about Cook County backroom deals, more patronage without regard to merit. Good democrats should be concerned with putting the $3Billion County budget in Todd’s hands. He doesn’t have the experience or skill to effectively manage. There are 16 other Commissioners qualified to fill in, but the son gets the nod. Poor choice. - zatoichi - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 11:34 am: John Daley!? Thought he was playing several golf tournaments in Europe. Now he will find time to be interim President. The man is truely a community servant. - Anonymous - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 11:35 am: MAGGIE, you sound naive. The man is stepping down as board president. You must have recently moved to Illinois from Hicksville if you think the courts and the boards of elections will get involved. Besides, the courts don’t sit there thinking…”hmmm maybe we should go over and demand entrance to Stroger’s home and without any medical experience, size him up for old MAGGIE. Let’s go! I’m driving!” - MAGGIE - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 11:51 am: So you are saying we should just trust everyone. That Stroger is capable of making this decision. Your pretty funny and who’s naive ? - Limerick - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 11:56 am: The annointing of Johnny’s Boy Todd Is suspect, evil and odd. If the Mayor needs a Black, Why pick a Hack? The voters will give Tony the nod. - Thurlow Weed - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 12:34 pm: What about Peraica? - Bubs - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 12:47 pm: What a hoot. As if anyone cared about Todd’s “qualifications” for the job. He has been selected for one reason: he will follow orders and keep the contracts and money flowing to the Machine. John Daley & Co. will tell him what to do or say, and when to do or say it. Meeks is rumbling because the Jackson Clan wants control of the money flow for themnselves, so they are raising the “qualified” and “electable” issues, as if they really cared about that. All smokescreen. The issue is money, and lots of it. - ChicagoCynic - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 12:49 pm: The whole thing stinks. Mary Mitchell really nailed it yesterday (boy I never thought those words would come out of my keyboard). The black political establishment in this town has become a laughingstock. Political maturity as a community is NOT being able to be as corrupt as the white guys. But then again, other than Harold, it’s always been that way in this town. It’s only the go-along machine hacks that get the plumb jobs. From Cecil Partee to Eugene Sawyer to Roland Burris to John Stroger, the only difference between them and the white hacks is their color. That’s one reason why Barack is such a breath of fresh air. He didn’t come from the Daley machine but is instead a product of his own achievements. He’s a great politician and potentially a great leader who just happens to be black. You know, the old Martin Luther King thing about judging people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. They were probably the most important words he ever said and the most quickly ignored by his successors. And yet the biggest losers of all will be the taxpayers of Cook County who will have to put up with bloated bureaucracy and bogus contracts for the next four years. I just hope the voters are reminded of this every time they look at their “to the max” tax and fee increases. Maybe then we’ll get some outrage and some change. - ChicagoCynic - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 12:53 pm: Thurlow, I really, really wish Peraica was a viable alternative, but the guy is like a rabid dog. He has only one emotion, angry, and he can be very mean. He will not wear well with the voters. Plus once you actually start probing his views on issues (health care for the poor, abortion rights, etc), he’ll be easily dismantled. He’ll probably get a good 40%ish of the protest vote, but not much more. - bomber91 - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 12:54 pm: Sorry Rich, I couldn’t find the timing problem. I got distracted by your use of the word dynasty. I’ve been trying to figure out exactly who is the Joan Collins-like villian in this particular soap opera. - Ignatius J. Reily - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 12:57 pm: Reposted just to keep score. Not so confident about the Peraica loosing part anymore, but the prediction about the last stand (women, adolescents and old men) is looking pretty solid right now– May 10, 2006 on Illinoize At 11:48 PM, Ignatius J. Reily said… If history is prologue then what about this screenplay: Peraica will loose but Daley will have to mobilize all of his imperial guards to ward off the insurgency in the provinces. All tolled, the campaign to defeat Peraica, retributions against Daleyites in the GOP, a softened populace, insubordination amongst elected appointees, internal squabbling and mounting loses from Fitzgerald’s advances will prove to be insurmountable. In the end, a last stand defence by women, adolescent boys and old men will be overrun by opportunistic invasions of Hispanics and African Americans lead by 2 charismatic congressmen who will restore the republic. One from the north, the other from the south. - Slash - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 1:00 pm: “[Obama]…is instead a product of his own achievements” I wouldn’t go that far…. If: 1. Jack Ryan wasn’t a sex fiend *or* 2. Blair Hull wasn’t a wife beater there is a good chance we’d be saying ‘Obama who?’ instead of ‘Obama for PREZ! 2008!’ Obama is really really lucky things have gone his way. - Rich Miller - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 1:05 pm: Slash, in a better world, those two rich guys would have known they were doomed and never run at all. I assume Barack would have won handily then. Still, it’s too easy to play “what if” history. Let’s move on and get back to the topic at hand. - ChicagoCynic - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 1:12 pm: Slash, I totally disagree with you. Granted he was lucky that his Republican opponents imploded, but Barack wiped the machine preferred candidate (Dan Hynes), the self-funded mega-millionaire and the rest of a very qualified field right off the map with more than 50% of the statewide vote in a multi-candidate field where nobody was expected to get more than 35-40% (like Judy did in a similar situation). You may have forgotten that his victory in that primary was so overwhelming and completely unexpected. Nobody made Barack. He didn’t have the blessings of any machine or any big politicians. He did it on his own and ran a great campaign. Besides, you could always play that game with many races, ie. If: 1) Al Gore would have just let Clinton campaign in Arkansas, West Virginia or Tennessee, he would have been president *or* 2) The Supreme Court had honored the ruling of the State Supreme Court in a State matter there is a good change we’d be saying, what ever happened to that moron ex-governor of Texas instead of when are we getting out of the quagmire in Iraq…. - Bubs - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 1:37 pm: My life will be affected far more by the new County Board President than a freshman minority junior Senator, so could we stop flattering ourselves by slobbering over Barack Obama? - Bubs - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 1:44 pm: People are underestimating Peraica. If he can get TV ad money, watch out, particularly against Todd Stoger. I’m sure Republicans across Cook County are flocking to churches to light candles in hope the Democrats will pick Lil’ Toddie. - Uncle Slappy - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 2:06 pm: Now Meeks is at it (and of course not being blasted for it). WHY does the candidate have to be black??? Why is the press not only not criticizing this blatant racism, but engaging in it, themselves??? And, what has Bobbie Steele ever done to be called a “leader”??? She blindly followed John Stroger’s lead her entire career. Voting “yes” to everything Stroger proposes for 20 years doesn’t entitle you to the job. Using that argument, Carl Hansen is the most qualified for the longest tenure on the board. Of course, he ISN’T qualified, but then again, neither is Steele. While John Daley is admittedly in all likelihood the best qualified for the interim post, as noted, he IS the mayor’s brother, and he IS the son of King Richard I. So, how did he come about his experience on the board? Why, nepotism, of course! The time has come for this to stop! As many have argued, it should be Claypool. Claypool, however, cannot be controlled by the D ward bosses (and most especially not by his former liege lord, King Dick II). I’m angry. Most voters are angry. The press is angry. So Peraica, who’s stuck right in the middle of this cesspool and trying to keep his head up day after day in order not to drown in it, shouldn’t be angry? Well gee, if you see Peraica as a rabid dog, then Little Toddie is the guy for you! He is, after all, a “nice guy” by all accounts. Who gives a rat’s behind what a guy’s personality is like, so long as he does the right thing? Ever see anything other than a scowl on King Dick II’s face? Madigan’s? There’s a chance for reform, but we should “toss” it, because the alternative to Little Lord Toddie is always “angry”? Why not just go to the polling place and vote for the most physically attractive candidate, like many boobs do. For all I care, Peraica can act like someone pee’d in his Cheerios every day for 4 years, as long as he puts and end to this undemocratic, corrupt demogagory. So Slappy say, so it be! - ChicagoCynic - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 2:09 pm: Bubs, I wasn’t writing about his performance in office which has been fair. I was writing about his political victory and political profile which are undeniable. I’m sure Rich would be happy to set up another thread on another day to talk about Barack’s actual achievements or lack thereof. As for Peraica, have you ever actually seen him or heard him at length? I wish you were right but he practically froths at the mouth. And his political tin ear (having a press conference in front of Stroger’s house while challenging him to show his face) will continue to be a problem. And I AGREE with most of what he says about county gov’t and will probably vote for him. - ChicagoCynic - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 2:13 pm: Well Slappy that’s a nice idea, but unless you’re Dan Lipinski, you still have to get elected. In this county that’s a huge uphill battle for a Republican, even one that comes across well on TV. I’m not judging his ideas, I’m talking about the politics of election. Coming across as constantly angry for a first time candidate is a real problem. Always has been in the TV age. Always will be. - Just thought you would want to know - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 2:17 pm: The Stroger Press Conference has been delayed upon the famalies request… - Scat O'Itchy - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 3:57 pm: Here is what my crystal ball is saying: July polls prognostication: Todd Stroger: 53% Tony Perica: 33% Undecided: 14% August polls prognostication: Todd Stroger: 58% Tony Perica: 25% Undecided: 17% September polls prognostication: Todd Stroger: 70% Tony Perica: 13% Undecided: 17% October polls prognostication: Todd Stroger: 77% Tony Perica: 13% Undecided: 10% Election Day prognostication: Todd Stroger: 93% Tony Perica: 7% The moral of this story is: The more people see, hear, or read about Tony Peraica, his numbers will drop like a rock. He’ll lose a) the Board Presidency race; b) his own precinct; c) his 16th District seat to a new comer, Bill Gomolinski. I can already see the letter from former Rep. Eileen Lyons and Treasurer-elect Rodogno’s letter urging people to vote for Gomolinski to purge, once and for all, the 16th district of Tony’s vitriol. Is it me, or has Tony perfected the “dese, dems, and dose” vernacular of the 11th Ward? - ChicagoCynic - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 5:36 pm: Scat, you’re on crack. With these shenanigans, no way Tony gets less than 1/3 of the vote and could be as much as 45. Just won’t win. - Beckie O' Brien - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 5:36 pm: To scat o’itchy, how come your so sure that 2 Republicans would work to help elect Todd Stroger and and another Democratic Commissioner in the 16th district ? I guess it is true what the dailysouth town said about Maureen Murphy,Radagno,Lyons and Gorman, there democrats dressed in Republican clothing !! No wonder voters in Chicago and Cook County are never treated well, we are only asked to pay more taxes to feed the Hogs from the Deomcratic party! Hey Scat, I recommend you move back to Russia,Cuba or China or Iran, wherever your from prior to July the 4th,when we Americans celebrate our freedom and democracy and thank the men and women who sacrificed there lives for us to enjoy Democracy and the right to revolt against the Monarchy of suppression which is the Democratic Party of Cook with there Republican shills!! On this 4th of July all true Americans will chant,GO,TONY,GO!!! - beckie o'brien - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 5:54 pm: I have the best individuals to replace Stroger now, who would win in November and would be able to heal the wounds the Cook County Democrats have created: 1.Senator Iris Martinez from Chicago’s Northwest side,whose a women,hispanic and a big vote getter and can work with everyone involved and can walk right in and fix the budget and problems at the county, and also can attract the white liberals from the northshore,blacks from the west side and south side,white ethnics and the suburban vote. 2.James Houlihan - who can do the same things Martinez can do. 3.Mayor Don Stephans - a republican from Rosemont, who if allowed can make Cook County into another Rosemont. 4.Alderman Munoz - Great thinker and independent voice, who can also create and fix problems. 5.Alderman Flores - similar to Munoz and very capable. - Snidely Whiplash - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 6:27 pm: If that incompetent puppet’s succession is ratified by the voters of Cook County, they deserve to live in servitude for pepetuity. I sometimes think the Machine could run a woodchuck for major office and carry him 65%-35%. What does that say about the intelligence of the majority of Chicago voters? - Snidely Whiplash - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 6:43 pm: So, it seems Stroger has also resigned his board seat. Now, this gets interesting. The only way for Stroger’s little plan to come about to get Junior named as interim president is to appoint him to Daddy’s board seat, then orchestrate his election. That, or Beavers has to resign his aldermanic seat to take the District seat. Whatever they do, rest assured that it’ll be arrogant. - Snidely Whiplash - Friday, Jun 30, 06 @ 6:50 pm: The news stories about Bobbie Steele being “the only acceptable candidate” are just priceless. There’s “democracy” in action for you: it can only be the longest-serving black commissioner, qualifications be damned. If I went on TV and said, “The only acceptable candidate is a white guy”, I’d probably be charged with a hate crime. 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