* Sun-Times…

Michael Bloomberg’s presence — and money — will not be leaving Cook County any time soon.

The billionaire former mayor of New York City has already spent $5 million on ads supporting the Cook County sweetened beverage tax — and he’s prepared to spend “whatever it takes” to support those who voted for it, according to Howard Wolfson, a Democratic political strategist and top Bloomberg adviser.

Though the primary election for seats on the Cook County Board of Commissioners is not until March, Bloomberg and his money are here for the duration, Wolfson said.

“He is in this fight to ensure not a single person who voted for this tax is defeated. Period,” Wolfson told the Chicago Sun-Times.

It’s gonna take a lot of cash to overcome a tax that has an 87 percent disapproval rating.

* The We Ask America poll numbers for individual county commissioners are bad, but not as bad as the overall tax…

For Commissioner Luis Arroyo Jr., D-Chicago, of 684 questioned, 53 percent said they were less likely to re-elect him, the poll found. For Commissioner John Daley, of 700 questioned, nearly 67 percent said they wouldn’t vote to re-elect. For Commissioner Stanley Moore, nearly 65 percent, of 712 questioned said they would not support his re-election. And for Commissioner Deborah Sims, of 718 questioned, 54.5 percent said they were less likely to re-elect.

One new commissioner has been appointed since the November vote. Commissioner Dennis Deer replaced Robert Steele, who died in June. The poll asked whether voters would support Deer should he choose to support the tax, if the board chooses to take up the matter once again. Of 780 questioned, 58 percent said they wouldn’t vote to re-elect Deer if he chose to support the tax.

* Meanwhile…

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was back out defending her controversial beverage tax Friday for the second time in as many days, saying she’s not surprised opponents have formed a political action committee to try to defeat it.

A multimillion-dollar ad war already has been going on for weeks. Preckwinkle said the recent formation of Citizens for a More Affordable Cook County to back County Board candidates who oppose the tax was to be expected given the deep-pocketed beverage industry’s fight to overturn it.

“What’s happened in American politics is that it used to be individual contributions and corporate contributions, and now a lot of the action is in political action committees,” she said. “So it doesn’t surprise me. You know, Big Soda has been spending a fortune to attack our sweetened beverage tax, not only last fall around budget time, but starting in the spring as we were moving toward implementation.”

“These folks have a very problematic product and they know it, and they’re spending a lot of money to promote consumption. I think it’s disgraceful,” Preckwinkle added.