68 Comments - Randall Sherman - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 6:43 am: The results of the race for Cook County Board President have to give one thought if voters in Chicago will ever heed the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when he called upon people to judge others on the conduct of their character rather than the color of their skin. The problem is that these voters have been abused and used by the powers-that-be for so long that they apparebtly do not know what honest and capable government is like. As a dedciated employee of the courts system of Cook County for more than 27 years and an officer of the Illinois Committee for Honest Government since its inception in 1986, I truly feel depressed this morning. It is difficult for me not to believe that I have wasted most of my adult life tilting at these political windmills after seeing the outcome of the Stroger-Peraica race. Best wishes to all Capitol Fax Blog readers, RANDALL SHERMAN Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois Committee for Honest Government Chicago - On the Money - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 6:44 am: I had a chance to see Peraica firsthand in his role as County Commissioner. I can state that such antics are not limited to simply election night, but can also be seen on display during Board meetings. However, to have that captured on display for the public gave folks an opportunity to see what they passed up for president. Good job, voters! - Pat Hickey - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 7:10 am: The voters see quite a bit more than ‘the samarters than God crowd’ wish to credit them. They know what’s going on and they can see behind the lame attempts to have song-and-dance men like Peraica and Forrest and Quigley try to set their agenda to Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes. - Squideshi - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 7:20 am: What gave Perica the idea that fraud was being comitted anyway? - Captain America - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 7:22 am: Peraica completely discredited himself - a classic sore loser. It reminded me of theat incident in Dade County where Republican operatives completely shut down the recount process in 2000. I saw the results from two precincts in Lincoln Park (not Stroger country) and knew that Peraica had no chance of winning, based upon the number of votes that Stroger got. We do need to resolve the tecnical glitches in the vote counting procedures. But ballot integrity was not a legitimate issue. I pollwatched/closed three precincts at one location, and one of the three vote consolidation machines failed to print and transmit the results. The election judges followed the proper procedures. It was a hardware/software technology problem, not an integrity problem. - Caveat Eligorum - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 8:25 am: Anyone who thinks Tony held onto his district board seat better check again. He is holding onto a thin lead with 19 precincts out and the remaining ones are trending toward Gomolinski, as evidenced by the 250 votes Gomo picked up in the last two precincts reporting yesterday. - woe is us - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 8:35 am: I voted for Peraica (my first Republican vote in 20 years), but I knew I’d made a mistake when I saw him at the head of the angy mob marching on 69 W. Washington. The anger in his and his supporters eyes reminded me of footage I’ve seen of white mobs on their way to a lynching. I swear I could see the racism dripping from their mouths. Scary. Cook County dodged a bullet in not electing him. - cermak_rd - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:02 am: Randall Sherman, It wasn’t the color of Peraica’s skin that made me vote against him (it’s just a little paler than mine). It truly was the content of his character. Had the GOP run someone who was a competent non-ideological manager-type, I may have just gotten past my 2000-inspired dislike of the GOP. - Wumpus - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:14 am: While Peracia’s antics were silly, at least there is some outrage over sloppy ballot handling. All this and David ORR won with 90%. No one with a brain should have voted for Stroger, NO ONE! - What? - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:28 am: As for Randall Sherman, I really love it how when a black politician gets elected that white “liberals” or “good-goverment types” (Dan Proft’s terms) don’t like, the vote was straight racial and not about any issue or any dislike about the positions of the other candidate. Peraica was a disaster, hidden by a cloak of glowing media nonsense about his “reform” credentials invented for this election. It also didn’t hurt having millions of dollars of free media advetising day in and day out. Tony showed his truest of true colors on his “March on Washington Street:” The leader of a small group of small minded thugs who go on drunken rages at election time. Besides his completely wrongheaded stances on a variety of issues, he would have gone by mob rule. Unlike in Frankenstein, this time the angry mob was actually led by the monster. Not a surprise, Randall, then that your “coalition for whatever” is constantly on the losing side of elections. Stroger could not have possibly been elected unless blacks were joined by whites and latinos. It was a coalition whether you want to accept it or not. They might not have been “Randall Sherman Whites” or Latinos, but, like it or not, their votes count just as much as yours. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:32 am: Anyone hear Stroger on the radio this morning, when asked about the status of the County Budget and whether outgoing President Steele would assist him in the budget process, he answered “Wow, that’s a big question!” and that he would have to “see where things are at” and get back to the reporter on that. What a boob we have elected as our leader. - Real Clear - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:43 am: Peraica is a complete and total embarrassment to the GOP. For a guy to make the Cook County Dems look professional by comparison, you’ve really got to be a clown. Peraica’s switched back and forth, back and forth between the parties already. He finally scored with a Republican bet, thanks to Betty Loren Maltese’s help. Every Republican (not the opportunists) is wishing Peraica would switch back to the Dem Party. Too bad they won’t have him anymore. He’s a huge liability to the GOP now. - Niles Township - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 10:19 am: The GOP lost a tremendous chance that they might not have for decades again. For all that Peraica is silly and strange, Stroger is just plain not at all ready for what Cook County needs from a new Prez. Too bad the GOPers didn’t run someone credible and known like a Jack O’Malley. Stroger would have gone down by 15% at least if that were the case. O’Malley would have won by the 70% plus in the suburbs needed to beat down the machine supplying the city, county & state jobs and contracts to an embarassing number of city voters who actually get out to vote. There is definite furstration in the suburbs over the outcome. As you can see, I don’t live in a GOP bastion, but the townships around me are talking about this one. They don’t like Stroger, and they have newfound issues with Orr snd his team. - WestSub - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 10:21 am: What gave Peraica the idea that fraud was being committed? Seriously? How ’bout the hours of lag time before suburban votes were in. Maybe it was the boxes of precinct ballots being driven in to the city without sherrif escort, regardless of what the incredibly inept David Orr says. Maybe the unsealed ballot boxes were a clue. Perhaps it was the fact that Stroger’s team was allowed upstairs to the Board of Elections floor, but Peraica himself was not. The election antics in the city were appalling. Was Tony’s angry march to the County Building the best way to handle it? Definitely not. But I think it was smart to register serious anger over the process. Call Peraica a sore loser all you want, but if you think votes weren’t tampered with and that the process ran smoothly, you’re dreaming. - paddyrollingstone - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 10:38 am: I agree with Niles Township that the GOP really missed an opportunity that may not come by again for a long, long time. Peraica has assured himself that he can never get elected to any post of importance as his “il duce” performace, is sure to live on forever. What in the living hell was he thinking? - Hound Dog - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 10:43 am: Peraica showed on election night why he was not elected. As anxious as voters were to protest the Dem’s installation of Todd Stroger, they were equally nervous about the alternative. Periaca showed his “bull in a china shop” colors. His long rant, followed by a call to the barricades by his drunken supporters, reflected once again his poor judgement and massive ego. Voters simply didn’t have a choice–or a chance–in this election. - Garp - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 10:46 am: Hey Randall, keep passing the open windows dude. Peraica’s irresponsible act of marching his drunk supporters to storm the election count could have resulted in tragedy. His judgement is flawed and it is a good thing he lost. - Cassandra - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 10:56 am: Let’s not lose sight of our voter interests here. The important thing is that he not raise Cook County property taxes. Hopefully, his Daley handlers will make sure of that. - Garp - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 10:59 am: I hope that the County will be a responsible steward with our tax dollars. Selfishly, I only care about the Forest Preserves and Golf Courses because that is what I use. I am skeptical. There was a collective sigh of relief that emanated from county employees yesterday when they realized their jobs were safe. They know there will not be many changes in personnel so if Todd Stroger is going to reform things it will have to be done with the same people that have established the status quo. Is it possible to change a culture of political patronage that relies on clout rather than job performance to determine salary and job title into a production and effectiveness based work environment that rewards the most competent workers using the same employees and managers? Maybe. Is it likely? Not on your life. Reopening the toboggan slides may be a more realistic expectation. - Real Clear - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 11:09 am: WestSub, there’s no evidence that Stroger’s people tampered with anything. ZERO evidence. Even Peraica had to admit that. But there is LOTS of evidence of Peraica’s people tampering. Good grief, it’s all caught on videotape. There was nearly a riot at the County building, one that Peraica did a lot to incite. If that wasn’t mob action, I don’t know what is. And these “concerns” about the “chain of custody.” The way its done in Cook is no different than the way its done in the 80 or so hard core Republican counties downstate. If anything, procedures are probably more informal down there. Peraica should apologize to the voters of Cook County, and then get off the stage. His antics on election night will go down in history like Howard Dean’s “I have a scream” speech. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 11:35 am: Real Clear, judging by the over the top blowhard aspects of your speech, I’d venture to say you were not anywhere near the events of Tuesday night. That true? Stroger was not there, but his people were, and they were hardly “laid back” inside Election Central. Next time you want to pontificate, at least have the decency to show up. - ISU REP - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 11:38 am: Todd makes Bush look like a genius, apparently lack of qualifications for the job don’t matter when your last name happens to be Stroger…I guess patronage and corruption will be alive and well in Cook County for a long time to come. - NorthLawndale - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 11:48 am: LOL, where are all those folks who said that Todd would not fare well on the westside? As a person who attends some of the county board meetings, I am glad that the general public saw, what Tony is really like. I was down at 69 west washington that night, and as an African American, yes it did look like some lynch march from the 60’s. It made me realize that some people will never like me just because of my skin color. Alot of African Americans who voted for Todd, voted for Todd because they look at Peracia as an arrogant racist white man, who tried to change his colors just for the African American vote. I pray that he does loose his credibility, and that he looses his county board seat, and those who voted for Tony and are really Democrats should be ashamed of themselves, because they didnt look into Tony’s character only his political campaigning. Now I wonder if those folks who called Todd, Toddler, or Steve Erckiel where part of the lynch mob? If so Cook County won, by making sure we arent represented by those type of people. - cermak_rd - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 12:41 pm: I’m going to agree with Real Clear about this one. I was not thrilled with the idea of voting for Todd, but after having seen the bizarre spectacle made by Peraica and his over-served band of merry men, I’m a little more enthused. He simply proved that he didn’t have the poise or judgement needed to hold any office. Yes, Todd may not be articulate or even all that bright, I don’t know him personally. But I thought he did show a lot of wisdom in his approach on Tues. night. I’ll go to sleep and wake up like Christmas. I guess he figured he’d either get to unwrap his gift or get a lump of coal. How well will he serve? I guess time will tell. - Bill - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 12:56 pm: I’d love to be in charge of making the commercials for Tony’s opponent if he ever runs for anything again! What great footage of Tony showing everyone what a moron he is! He made Todd seem like John F. Kennedy by comparison. - Captain America - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 1:00 pm: I agree completely that Todd Stroger is not capable or competent enough to deal with the real challenges of governing/managing Cook County. I’ll give him a chance, but my expetations are very low. So I’m farly certain I’ll be supporting someone else next time. However, the assertion that the results were somehow bogus/illegitamate are ridiculous. David Orr is an honest public official. He would not condone any tampering with the outcome one way or the other. Peraica was beaten fair and square. He simply lacked sufficient appeal to win by big enough margins in the County to overcome the huge numbers that Stroger ran up in the city. Cook County is almost ready for reform. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 1:04 pm: cermak_rd- Once again, I have to say that quick judgments are being made on a minimum of facts. The overwhelming majority of people walking to the building with Periaca were just supporters, and were not drunken louts, though apparetnly there was one of those. There were Stroger people outside as well. Unless the Constitution was abolished while I was alseep last night, people have a right to peaceably assemble. As far as inside Eleciton Central, Peraica was calm and collected, discussing the situation iwth Orr and others, and watching the counting procedures with the spectators. Speaking of spectators, Stroger sent a bunch, including Dennis Gannon, Rev. Sampson, and Stroger’s lawyer, all of whom were in the room as observers. The only loud in there came from Stroger people, not any Republicans . . . including Tony Peraica. - Real Clear - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 1:57 pm: Bubs, I saw all I needed to see on tv, during wall to wall, live coverage. Peraica and his supporters throwing away all of their remaining credibility was all caught on video tape. No, I certainly was not there. I do not participate in mob actions. And just so you know Bubs, every single person caught by all the networks engaged in bad acts was a Peraica person. Note to the Peraica team, before you have your inebriated supporters interfere with Bd. of Election staff and Sheriff Deputies, at least have them take off their Peraica lapel stickers and put down the Peraica campaign signs. Just a thought. What a joke of a “legal” team Peraica had. - What? - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 2:26 pm: Can’t understand why Peraica supporters are trying to spin what happened on TV on election night. He was wrong to lead that group there no matter what the circumstances of the ballots or boxes or deputies. Stop trying to cloud the issue: He was wrong, as a political leader of his (most recent) party to do such a thing. A drunk guy at Peraica’s speech said “et’s go to 69 West Washington.” Peraica, insanely, picks up on it. NO ONE would argue that Peraica had no business going to 69 West. Or that his advisers plus attorneys not go to determine what was happening. He had every right to be there himself. Politically it is better to send others. But to lead a group (reported by the media there as a drunken mob) of angry supporters to interfere with the vote counting process, harass workers and destroy an elevator–all with no hard evidence of fraud–is not the way a candidate for ANY office should conduct himself. Tony Peraica is a clear emabarassment to all the parties he has ever belonged to. - not on the clout list - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 2:34 pm: I was just glad Mike Noonan’s hair didn’t get messed up. - fedup dem - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 2:41 pm: I spent a brief amount a time at Peraica’s watch party (and left a few hours before that march to the County Administration Building took place). If there were any drunks there for that march, they had to be pretty rich ones, what with the price of the cash bar. (Bottled water was going for $5.50 a bottle there; beer prices started at $7 and wine at $9.) I will conceed that a mass march to the Administration Building at 1 or 2 am might in retrospect not have been the best option for Peraica. The less than stellar judgement may have been more a factor of a lack of sleep (I would suspect that Peraica and his top aides probably didn’t sleep much, if at all Monday night) than use of alcohol. Even with his flaws, Peraica outperformed the rest of the Republican ticket by a huge margin. His final margin of defeat was about 95,000 votes. Compare that to Topinka losing to the indictable Rod Blagojevich by about 485,000 in Cook County and Christine Radogno losing the open race for State Treasurer by 497,000 votes in the county. The other Republicans running county-wide lost by well over a half million votes (the hapless Stewart Umholz, the sacrifical lamb against Lisa Madigan, lost Cook County by about 888,000 votes). It is obvious that Peraica got no help of note from his party. Under those circumstances, and the historic examples of voting irregularities here in the past, I’d be inclined to cut the man a little slack about that late-night march. - Squideshi - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 2:46 pm: WestSub wrote, “How ’bout the hours of lag time before suburban votes were in.” The Cook County Clerk’s office claims that this was due to the data not uploading properly, over the cellular connection, at the polling places. “Maybe it was the boxes of precinct ballots being driven in to the city without sherrif escort, regardless of what the incredibly inept David Orr says.” Is there a law that says a sherrif escort is required? Is this standard practice? “Maybe the unsealed ballot boxes were a clue.” The video evidence seems to indicate that it was Perica’s supporters that broke the seals. Are you saying that this is not the case? Whoever is responsible for that should be prosecuted. “Perhaps it was the fact that Stroger’s team was allowed upstairs to the Board of Elections floor, but Peraica himself was not.” When you say “Stroger’s team” to whom are you referring? Were these employees of the County Clerk’s office? If so, that would explain why they were allowed upstairs. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 3:25 pm: The couch potato wannabes on this blog need to get out more, and stop getting all they know from TV news. Next time, be there, then start typing. - Bill - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 3:39 pm: Bubs, There is no way anyone with an ounce of brains would have “been there”. Tony has always been a joke to anyone who knows him. Now he is a joke to anyone with a TV. - get real - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 3:43 pm: The machine likes its candidate to be smooth and sleazy - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 3:49 pm: Bill, you and I are for once in perfect agreement on something! The whole thing reminded me of a scene out of some bad 60’s movie, only Tony & co. were missing their costumes. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 3:57 pm: Bill, I assume that all of the chanting, sign- waving Stroger supporters outside of the building fit your description as well? If you want to try on the shoe marked “couch potato wannabe” and loudly announce that it fits, be my guest. - Garp - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 3:59 pm: Bubs, There are two places you should be on election night at 1:00 a.m. Sleeping or at a victory party. If you find yourself storming the County Building it is time to switch party’s. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 4:10 pm: Regrettably, I was nine of the above. But the idea that the building was “stormed” or “about to be stormed” shows how imaginations are out of control here, perhaps intentionally. - western cook - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 4:24 pm: Bubs: I suspect that you are filled with rage and disappointment not just over Tony’s pounding loss, but by something that eludes you now that he lost. What might that be? And Bubs, why did 31,000 people reject Tony in his district race? That’s a lot of people rejecting a “reformer”. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 4:35 pm: WC - Sorry, it’s late in the afternoon of a long day in a rather demanding week, and your metaphysics are a bit beyond me. I’m not filled with rage over anything. He simply lost, and decisively. It’s been known to happen in politics - especially to Republicans in Cook County! - NorthLawndale - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 4:36 pm: Bubs, Those folks from Peracia’s camp was drunk, and they did perfom in thuglike fashion. Anyone trying to take up for that group should be ashamed of themselves. The only reason why the Stroger folks got there first, is because they were smart enough to go down to find out what was going on. Yes it was Peracia’s people shouting and screaming, it was Peracia’s folks who broke the elevator, it was Peracia’s people that almost broke the glass doors in Orr’s office. It was Peracia’s people chanting let Tony in. Peracia, could have gotten in the office if he wanted too, had he didnt have his drunk, mobbed up lynchmen with him. Some of the folks from Peracia camp even told me that they were offered cash to act a fool and that Peracia will pay their parking. That doesnt sound like angry taxpayers, it sounds like wanna be hacks and cryonies. - western cook - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 4:44 pm: Bubs: Do you think Tony hurt his political career by this decisive loss and subsequent “Translyvanian March” on 69 W. Washington? - Bill - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 4:55 pm: Tony doesn’t have a political career. He is a sacraficial lamb who tried to take advantage of an old man’s health problems. He was only running because no one else would. He just “lucked out” with John’s stroke. To try to label this sleazebag from Cicero as a reformer is beyond laughable. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 5:03 pm: Let’s see, here, the mosquitos are out: Lawndale, I have trouble with your comments. It was a freight elevator that broke, not a public one. “The only reason why the Stroger folks got there first, is because they were smart enough to go down to find out what was going on,” huh? Then they must have moved at lightning speed. If the crowd was as drunk and thuggish as you say, then why would money be offered to make trouble? They could have saved the cash. And my, my, how convenient that all these thugs confessed all just to you, wouldn’t you say? I was in the Clerk’s Office lobby, and there was no violence, pressing or anything else. Media outnumbered Peraica followers. WC- I don’t think he hurt his career by losing. I do think he hurt his career by the march. He was mad, he had good reason to be suspicious, given the odd circumstances, and they had every right to assemble, but I wish they had not done it, if only so that I wouldn’t be responding to you! - Establishment Republican - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 5:06 pm: The results of the Cook County race were of course disappointing to me. I can understand why Peraica and his people were frustrated, and I watched it unfold at 1:30 am on television with a good deal of disbelief, but it was certainly an ill-advised move in retrospect. It is also out of line to claim as at least one person did earlier this thread that the crowd was racially motivated or should be compared to an actual “lynch mob.” I saw people of various races, including African-Americans marching to the County Building with Peraica. Imagine if the situation was reversed and Peraica was ahead without city votes being counted for hours on end. I remember the night of the primary when Claypool was ahead the whole evening, people like Bobby Rush going on television and talking about how it was an outrage and people had been disenfranchised and something sinister was happening and the FBI needed to step in, etc. etc. Then all of a sudden, all those votes for John Stroger came in and put him into the lead, and Bobby Rush, still on live television, basically had to say, “ok, nevermind.” Had the roles been revesed, the Cook County Democrats would have probably acted even more ridiculously. After having seen the candidate in action for over a year now, I definitely was able to find many things to respect and admire about him, but he of course has his flaws, as does every politician (even the sainted Obama.) What I wonder is if any other Republican in Cook County could have done better against Todd and the Machine? Could Liz Gorman have won? What about Judy Baar Topinka? - Western Cook - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 5:24 pm: Gee Bubs, if you don’t want to participate in responding to reasonable questions, then don’t blog. Plus, any elevator in a taxpayers funding building is a “public” elevator. Get over yourself you crybaby. - Bubs - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 5:42 pm: WC - Hey, I answered you, didn’t I? You may not like the answers, but that’s tough. Sorry it was not a mob scene like you fantasized it to be. BTW, do you work in a gas station or something? I meant that the freight elevator in a downtown Chicago high rise is not available to the public for use. To get to the Cook County Clerk’s Office in that building you take a specific bank of public elevators. You should visit some time - 5th Floor - you might learn something. - cermak_rd - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 6:17 pm: On the bright side, Slate has a blurb about the Peraica march http://www.slate.com/id/2153237/ - ISU REP - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 6:23 pm: Bubs: Don’t waste your breath on the partisan hacks, Blago and Toddler could be pushing them off a cliff and they’d eagerly line up. Peraica ran a good campaign and came close, one can only hope after Todd messes up the county more, people will finally see the light and perhaps give someone else a chance. LOL I love this blog, the only person’s credability that should be questioned is the Toddler’s, God help our county. It seems perfectly ok that democratic political machine issues orders from on high to annoint little Toddy the sheep followed along, they are all particularly adept at making the electorate think any republican who is white is racist, I guess fear is a good method of control…Oh well I guess the machine would rather have a loyal electorate than an intelligent one. - Keep an eye on those voting machines. - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 7:23 pm: I am amzed that the Republicans in Illinois and in Cook County , as well as the media has not shown the least bit interest in the tampering and glitches in these voting machines, and how the media is trying to portrait honest citizens who were demanding there rights to have there votes counted without tampering. Instead of praising Peraica and those good citizens, the media has instead taken the side of the Democrats and are refusing to anwser the fundemental question, which is, why do these multi million dollar machines don’t work and why were there no protocol to ensure the integrity of hundred of thousands of suburban votes?Those machines should be called the “disenfranchisement machines”. Anybody who knows anything about computers knew that computerized voting machines were a bad idea, even before the systems Cook County is using started to show their numerous problems. Ridiculously expensive, difficult to use, and inacurate (choice detail: the machines take so long to boot up that voting officials have been turning them on the evening before elections, then guarding them overnight). There have been reports of the machines loosing votes, and at least one instance of vote manufacturing. And even with all that money already spent, future elections using the contraptions will cost $4 million each (punch-ballot elections used to cost $1 million). What with all of that, it’s no surprise that ditching them is starting to sound like a viable option. What’s so great about this is that, for example, Brazil has had a reliable, high-tech system in place for years. electronic information is to easy to change,,, voting may be the only thing electricty should be left out of. Final thought: the Carter Center and the National Democratic Institute monitor elections in many countries around the world. On the radio the other day, Carter said that elections in the USA don’t even qualify for the monitoring, because they don’t meet the basic requirements. For example, they require standardized voting procedures for the countries they monitor. Yikes! My suggestion is if the media is silent, and distracting the voters from what really happened November 7,2006 a day that will live in Infamy, and the republicans keep quite,instead of demanding accountabilty,Absolutely get rid of the voting machines. And then get rid of voting in elections. As HL Mencken pointed out years ago, a random selection of citizens pressed into service for a term of 2 to 4 years couldn’t do any worse or cause more harm than the pack of hinds who regularly attain elected office. Looking around Cook County and Chicago, this insight is prescient, and remains an accurate assessment. - Bench Coach - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 7:25 pm: The angry Dan Proft Street Theatre mob of mostly white men was terrifying. And it got not nearly as much criticism as would have come had the skin color of the participants been different. Peraica is a mean, petty person and his act is on display on a regular basis at the County Board. Ironic that Zorn and Brown now realize that a quiet person’s demeanor can be helpful in a difficult situation. Todd could have gotten angry too, but he let a staffer handle it professionally, angry, but professionally, not with a mob. And, why was Peraica not let into the Clerk’s office? Did he have a credential on him? you need one to be a poll watcher. But maybe he does not know about those things cause as a board member did he ask the tough questions about how the voting system works? Here’s hoping that Peraica loses his seat too. - Ignatius J. Reily - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 8:18 pm: The party appologists and enablers continue to show outrage at Peraica’s actions on election night–the bull-in-the-china shop, the loose-cannon, etc…as if the documented inhuman conditions at many of the county’s service centers require diplomacy..or politics for that matter.Where is the outrage about conditions at the juvenile center or at cook county hospital? Maybe Mr. Cool as Ice Giggles–the real statesman will put aside politics and really charge into those issues…or maybe he won’t..but the hipocracy shown here is stunning…just so some of you can protect your little playing fields. Wher is the outrage…where is the commentary on that? The machine showed up with 150k plus hostage (patronage) votes before the game even began and scores of big-wigs against a man a single man who called it what it was–because you were all very very scared. - JUdgement Day Is On The Way... - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 8:28 pm: “I agree completely that Todd Stroger is not capable or competent enough to deal with the real challenges of governing/managing Cook County. I’ll give him a chance, but my expetations are very low. So I’m farly certain I’ll be supporting someone else next time.” Take a close look at the Cook County budget document published today in the Sun-Times. Be scared, be very scared - particularly if you live in Cook County. Just a dumb question? - Let’s say “The Toddler” doesn’t make it through his first term due to all the different federal investigations? What’s the rules on succession for the position of President of the Cook County Board? The Shakeman Decree at Cook County is going to allow the Feds to really lay the wood to players at Cook County - just wait for it. - Ignatius J. Reily - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 8:33 pm: Judgement Day….makes some very good points…based in logic..but in ploitics, do not look for logic, look for politics…THEY DON”T CARE AND THEY ARE IN CONTROL…THE COUNTY IS THEIR PLAYPEN - Real Clear - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 8:59 pm: I love watching Bubs just dig himself deeper. What a joke. He wants to call names about “wannabes” when he’s a “never was.” We’re not talking about just some “news” report here. Everyone can now see the video filmed live, of the people Mark Brown in the Sun-Times described as “hooligans.” Kristen McQueary in the Southtown summed it up nicely too: “Storming Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office at 1 a.m., wild-eyed and enraged, with a campaign contingent of well-liquored supporters, probably was ill-advised.” That’s the understatement of the year. Keep defending the indefensible Bubs. That’s what you’re known for. And please tell the wild-eyed Mr. Peraica to go back to the Democrat Party. Isn’t he due for a party switch anyway? - Ignatius J. Reily - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:07 pm: Bench Coach– Your Right about those angry white men…they need to learn to be happy white men…what’s needed is for the county development department to issue a grant to the city to get those guys into the very lucrative Duff White Guys Minority Contractors School of Hapiness…at $30 to $50 mil per pop, they’ll conform righ-a-way. - Ignatius J. Reily - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:19 pm: Real Clear– You can stop obsessing about Peraica now–as you know there are plenty look-away go-along-get-along appeasers and apologists to ooze and smooze to your liking–real statesman like. Scorch if you need to but don’t worry–be happy…Fitz will fullfil all of your deepest concerns about honest and responsible governance. It’s ok..really it is..it’s actually Real Clear. - Mike Williams - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:56 pm: Well, Stroger may be unqualified and have few ideas for County government, but at least he has a jobs program…for machine hacks, that is. And contracts also for the lobbyists–yes, Todd will serve the organization quite well. - Ignatius J. Reily - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 9:59 pm: He is superbly qualified for “Da Job”…handpicked. - Tom - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 10:54 pm: Todd Stroger is entirely incompetent. All his supporters on this blog have been anti-Peraica, not pro-Stroger. What, say you Stroger supporters, makes you think he will be a strong Cook County leader? All I’ve seen is a blank stare. - The Picolo Player is a... - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 11:19 pm: Tom, you and the rest of your angry little buddies on this blog just sound dumb and bitter. Nothing more interesting or exotic than that. You don’t know a thing about Todd Stroger except that you don’t like him. He hasn’t been Board President for a day, yet here all of you idiots go, damning what he will and won’t do, discussing who he is and who he isn’t, while ALL THE WHILE you don’t know him, never met him, never talked to him, know nothing of his career and can’t see into the future. The funniest thing about your post is that you claim that Stroger’s supporters are anti-Peraica, yet you started your post with another random Stroger-hating comment. Most of the idiots I have seen comment here clearly suck. As does Tony. And that’s why you and he lost. Now go away and march on a government building somewhere. Rich, I want to thank you for this blog site. It has truly taught me to hate the bloggers and not the blog. - Tom - Thursday, Nov 9, 06 @ 11:34 pm: Picolo, you didn’t answer the question. How is Todd competent to handle this position? His father did it or he’s a nice guy aren’t valid answers. Quiet thinker doesn’t work, either. Do you have anything constructive to say other than those who disagree with your opinion are idiots? I’ve seen him, heard him, and have heard nothing of substance other than some vague platitudes about reform. - Ignatius J. Reily - Friday, Nov 10, 06 @ 12:05 am: Hey Picolo My Friend: Yeah..Yeah..Yeah….we don’t know Todd but we don’t have to…we, you and everyone else knows who “The Master Is”. Todd doesn’t matter..never did. So stop being defensive..you won..and your freinds won..but don’t try to infer that the people of Cook County won…that– oh Little/Picolo Player is a Big Big stretch. BTW, pretty soon, “You Don’t know Todd”as you say it, will be synonymous with “You don’t know Nuthin”—One and the same. ALso, peolple here aren’t bitter because Peraica lost or Claypool lost..they were battles against a very large and very threathened army. I think most people are bitter that a handful of plantation owners have so gamed the system that their little banana republic endures and endures. Without your scoflaw edge on the electorate the people..the real people would take back this government and not have to wait for the feds to do it for them. - Ignatius J. Reily - Friday, Nov 10, 06 @ 12:10 am: BTW Picolo– lay off the name calling…since you started throwing mud you’ve already lost lots of ground. - The Picolo Player is a... - Friday, Nov 10, 06 @ 12:33 am: Iggy: I find your quote funny: “…most people are bitter that a handful of plantation owners have so gamed the system that their little banana republic endures and endures.” No, not most people. At least not a majority of the people who voted for Cook County Board President. MOST of THOSE people voted for Stroger, so get your facts straight. Oh, wait, I forgot…anyone that doesn’t share you folks narrow-minded point of view is wrong. And Tom, the reason I am not answering any of your questions is because you are not a lawyer, I am not on the stand and I don’t have to do a dad-gum thing except keep voting for and helping to RE-ELECT COOK COUNTY BOARD PRESIDENT-ELECT TODD STROGER. Oh, that and go volunteer for Gomolinski’s campaign next time around. Bottom line: there was an election, the people voted and Todd won. Instead of whining and moaning, let the elected officials of this government govern and if they betray the public trust, get the BUMS out! But Todd hasn’t been accused of one ounce of corruption, though most of you clearly hope that he will be soon. Anyway, take your sour grapes, make wine, get drunk and start marching! I hear Tony’s still pretty pissed. - The Picolo Player is a... - Friday, Nov 10, 06 @ 12:36 am: Igs: Wait, I forgot the jewel: “ALso, peolple here aren’t bitter because Peraica lost or Claypool lost” Really? Seriously? You are serious? Are you still tipsy from Tony’s Victory Party and March? The people here are bitter beyond words. To quote you, “we, you and everyone else” knows that. So give it a rest. - Tom - Friday, Nov 10, 06 @ 1:22 am: Still no answers from Picolo, and I don’t expect any. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.