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Rush to endorse Stroger, and other Cook County campaign news

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* Congressman Bobby Rush will endorse Cook County Board President Todd Stroger today. According to a press release, Rush will be “surrounded by a dynamic coalition of clergy,
civic, elected officials, community leaders and the candidate.”

Rush is infamous for his race-baiting ways, but he’ll have a tough time topping a group called “Soldiers for Stroger,” headed by Gator Bradley, which is distributing some pretty nasty fliers on behalf of the board president…

More here and here.

* Rep. Jan Schakowsky endorsed Toni Preckwinkle for county board president yesterday, calling the Alderman “the only progressive in this race.” Have a look…

* The Cook County Board President candidates debated yesterday and threw a bit of mud…

Preckwinkle bashed Brown on several fronts, including the clerk’s receipt of gifts from her employees and Earnfare workers passing her nominating petitions. Preckwinkle characterized the clerk as having “stumbled from one crisis to the next.”

Brown said the incidents Preckwinkle cited “relate to others and not myself.”

Brown said she got rid of the Earnfare campaign worker as soon as she learned of the problem.

As far as employees giving her gifts, Brown said: “I gave them gifts, too. That wasn’t reported. We’re like a family. We give each other gifts during the holiday time period.”

And…

Terry O’Brien, head of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, asked incumbent Todd Stroger about a July 2009 Better Government Association study that found of 11 county service contracts only three went to the lowest bidder and all were tied to political donations.

“You claim to sponsor a number of reform initiatives, is that what you’d consider reform?,” O’Brien asked.

Stroger responded during the City Club of Chicago-sponsored debate that he didn’t know “exactly what contracts you are talking about.”

And…

Brown asked Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terrence O’Brien how he got to be a millionaire on his $80,000 government salary, suggesting it was in doing consultant work for polluters. “I do not apologize for being a successful businessman,” O’Brien said, adding, “Terry O’Brien does not protect polluters.” He called those charges, previously leveled by Preckwinkle as well, “defamatory.”

Progress Illinois has more.

* And Animal Farm has a brief post on Gary Skoien’s challenger…

Meanwhile, it seems top Republican leaders are turning on Palatine Township GOP Committeeman Gary Skoien as he seeks re-election following a domestic incident involving his wife and two other women at his Inverness home.

Challenger Aaron Del Mar, a freshman Palatine councilman, says he has landed the backing of both Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady of St. Charles and Cook County GOP boss Lee Roupas. Roupas has the seat Skoien had from 2004 to 2007 when he famously put a bounty on Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s head for evidence that would lead to his conviction on corruption charges.

Meanwhile, Del Mar has never voted in a Republican primary. According to voter records, the 31-year-old has only voted in one primary - a Democratic one.

Del Mar tells Animal Farm that is because he is young. He hasn’t had much time, he says, to cast primary ballots. He says he voted in the 2008 Democratic primary to help drag out that parties internal battles leading into the general election.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:21 am

Comments

So it’s okay to be a racist so long as you’re not caucasian. Thanks, Mr. Bradley, for getting THAT cleared up.

Comment by Double Standard Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:27 am
Real subtle, sophisticated stuff there from the Stroger campaign.

Gator must still be the facilitator for vote-pandering politicians to contract for the Gangster Disciples election ground game. Or as Gator likes to describe himself, the “urban translator.”

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:30 am
I love politics. Go get ‘em Todd, Bobby, and of course, Gator! We’ll all have a great laugh when Todd wins.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:35 am
yeesh, if I hadn’t already decided against Stroger, those campaign tactics would sway me away. Right now, I’m thinking Brown.

Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:36 am
===yeesh, if I hadn’t already decided against Stroger, those campaign tactics would sway me away. Right now, I’m thinking Brown.===

Wait a minute. Based on campaign tactics you are going to vote for Dorothy?! LOL

Comment by Obamarama Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:41 am
When LaShawn Ford interviewed Todd Stroger on WVON Stroger positioned himself as the Black man standing against Daley.

I thought, wow!

Stroger retooling himself as a Black man standing against the White power establishment is a bold move.

But it seems hard to believe its expanding Stroger’s base.

Maybe someone should ask the Black politicians supporting Stroger if they think Daley practices plantation politics and if they endorse Todd Stroger saying those things about Daley. That would be some fun clips for You Tube!

Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:45 am
This is a very confusing leadership structure on that Stroger flyer.

For one thing there’s only one middle manager. Also, more executives than foot soldiers.

The conspiracy must have all sorts of communication problems.

Very astute play by Todd to position himself as the competent manager.

Comment by Dirt Digger Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:50 am
Obamarama,

No, I said if I were tilting toward Stroger I would be tilted away by the tactics. I’m tilting toward Dorothy for other reasons. Stroger’s a hack, sure, but he hasn’t shown himself to be a reasonably effective hack. He’s not his father. Dorothy has managed to run the Clerk’s office in a reasonably effective manner.

Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:58 am
I get oh so tired with the progressives pushing Preckwinkle as the answer to Cook County’s problems. She’s an alderwoman for God’s sake…how does that mean she is qualified to run the enormity of the bureacracy she aspires to?

Comment by Loop Lady Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:58 am
Word is that a nasty mailer is circulating around palatine ridiculing Skoien for the “playroom hooker” incident. The mailer mentions that Jay Leno dubbed the wife “the guitar hero” a few months ago for hitting Skoien with a plastic guitar. Priceless.

Comment by Bring Back Boone's Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:03 am
Disgusting

Comment by Disgusted Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:04 am
The Soldiers for Stoger Flyer is incredible. If any other candidate threw that crap out, he/she would be denounced in every major media. They may have some valid points on the Democrat party assuming black support and then ignoring many black issues, but too extreme and wayu over the top.

Comment by curious Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:12 am
How do we end this insanity? This makes me physically ill.

Comment by Hoping for Rational Thought Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:14 am
The hatred and disrespect for their supporters is shocking. These Stroger people must consider their voters to be mental vegetables.

There is no justification for this. Thank the lord above that I no longer live in Cook County!

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:28 am
===How do we end this insanity?===

Hoping for Rational Thought,

Mother always suggested a kind word and a gun . . .

In the alternative, by voting for those candidates who don’t resort to the repugnant tactics of the desperate and divisive.

Comment by Double Standard Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:33 am
And for the record, yes, I think Soldier’s for Stroger is just as contemptable as the flier distributed in the Preckwinkle v. Tim Evans aldermanic race.

Comment by lake county democrat Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:33 am
I love Illinois politics. How many other states in the morning do you have an ex-governor spewing his guts to esquire, a guy making 80k/year as a government functionary ending up a millionaire, an ad dirtier than a public toilet, and we are just covering a bare minimum and only part of one party and one county.

Comment by shore Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:43 am
rich, thanks for posting that sick but interesting Gator flyer. that’s one for the history box.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 11:50 am
When stroger loses, where is going to move ? There isnt going to be any work in this town…

Comment by Stallion Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 12:06 pm
I wonder what intelligence level they are going after with that flyer. That goes back to grade school mentality, all name calling, no other substance.

Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 12:08 pm
Has anyone–anyone–with influence in the Black community publicly chastised the race baiting Gater Bradley ad? I’ve been around. Little shocks me, even less offends me but that flier does both.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 12:22 pm
==There isnt going to be any work in this town…==
You’re kiddin’, right? Todd will have no trouble whatsoever!

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 12:57 pm
It’s pretty clear that President Stroger doesn’t think to highly of the back community if he thinks this garbage will work. and why is he going after Art Turner? What does he have to do with anything?

Comment by SweetLou Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 1:22 pm
Has Todd Stroger publically repudiated this Gator Bradley trash? If he doesn’t, there needs to be consequences. I know elections get peoples blood up and their reasoning ability down but this is over the line.

Lot’s of people did lots of stuff for the Stroger family and for him to resort to this is atrocious. Stroger is about to be buried in this election but he is destoying any political future with this garbage and disgracing his fathers reputation.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 1:23 pm
Hey Bill,
your right, Todd wont have trouble finding work. His resume can read something like this?
” I raised taxes in a recession, and I used the hard earned money of the Cook County residents as a charge card.” All because he couldnt manage.. Anyone could balance a budget by raising taxes.. Give me your credit card and i bet i can balance my debt..

Comment by Stallion Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 1:57 pm
I know I shouldn’t say it, but I will because I’m already on record for it: That “Cook County Bounty” thing was not one of our (R’s) finer moments IMHO and it angered many.

Comment by The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 2:27 pm
It sure is much easier to display the race card than to get behind a better candidate than Todd Stroger.

Comment by Levois Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 2:29 pm
Todd won’t need a resume. He’ll be fine.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 2:31 pm
Bill,

He hasnt showen me great management skills, and thats all he has tried to do his whole life.. I dont wish any ill will on anyone, I would only hope that he would be the same..It seems that he is blaming the Irish or White people for his incompetence..Thats what this flyer says to me..

Comment by Stallion Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 2:38 pm
Stallion, I’m sure someone will show some pity on Toddler, and set him up as the operator of a comic book store (which I am told is his true first love). If not, perhaps get him a job as an assistant curator of the comic book collection in Northwestern University’s Library.

Comment by fedup dem Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 2:44 pm
fedup dem, with the way things go in Chicago, he’ll probably be running McPier this time next year.

Comment by TaxThePoor? Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 3:13 pm
Folks, if you ever wonder why the GOP is never getting anywhere these days in Cook County or Illinois, consider this Del Mar endorsement.

His one primary vote EVER was in 2008. He is 31, and his excuse is that he was “too young” to know what he was doing during his late teens and 20s. His point appears to be that everyone in their 20s is too dumb to know what they are doing, so he should get a pass. That sure makes the Young Republicans, or 26-year-old Lee Roupas, or 28-year-old Congressman Aaron Schock look really, really good.

His one primary vote was in the DEMOCRATIC primary in 2008. But wait, wait, don’t tell me - maybe he was too young and stupid to understand the difference between Republicans and Democrats as well?

So let’s see, he had lots of primaries to vote in since turning 18, including Presidential primaries, gubernatorial primaries, and senatorial primaries, but never bothered any but one, and in that one he voted Democratic. He has no previous involvement or experience in the GOP on any level, and no clue on small details like filing dates, election rules, nominating petitions, slating candidates and party organization. But he wants his entry level position to be Palatine Township Committeeman in one of the more important townships in all of Cook County for the GOP, and the Cook County and State Chairmen endorse him. Priceless!!!

I swear, it makes you have to wonder if Roupas and Brady are closet Democrats trying to keep the GOP down.

Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 3:18 pm
Obamarama,
Anybody who says “Dorothy has managed to run the Clerk’s office in a reasonably effective manner” has not had any dealings with the Clerks Office in a long time.

Comment by 23rd Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 3:52 pm
From the Tribune:

Preckwinkle for Reform

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/elections/chi-100112countyboardpres-endorse-story,0,5270989.story

Comment by SweetLou Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 6:21 pm
Appalling and juvenile all at once. Todds opponents should reproduce and pass this out everywhere they could. The sheer ignorance and immaturiy of this flyer will get enough voters outraged enough to vote the Toddler and Company out of office.

Comment by South of the Loop Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 6:36 pm
Wow…this is one of the big reasons I’m a Republican. I mean this is who Democrats choose to align themselves with. At least when a nutjob tries to call himself a Republican (e.g., Andy Martin) we denounce them, while dems seem to embrace these radical extremists. Moreover, I love the racist conspiarcy tone of this piece; does Stroger wonder why suburbanites hate him…?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 6:50 pm
Have any of the pols featured in that lovely flyer said anything about it? Mayor Daley is excused to his wife’s health problems today, but I’d love for all of the others to respond.

Has Stroger avowed it or disavowed te flyer?

Interesting how Hynes who is an Irish-American white male who signs off on billions of dollars each year wasn’t mentioned in the flyer. I’m not trying to suggest that he should have been, but is he not part of the evil white Irish-American male cabal too?

But, seriously I think the flyer is hysterically funny, in large part because of the expressions on Madigan and Daley’s face. Not flattering pictures to say the least.

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 7:22 pm
Does anyone know what “Farnsworth” is in reference to?

Comment by Will County Woman Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 7:42 pm
Gator former Ganster Disciple enforcer and “Urban Translator”

That’s the source. Enough said.

Comment by South of the Loop Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 8:02 pm
Bill, I bet you’re not Irish!!

Comment by anon Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 8:14 pm
The only thing the repugnant Gator Bradley piece does is foreshadow what the November piece will look like; without the African Americans, after O’Brien wins the primary.

The next thing you know Gator will be out there campaigning for Roger Keats in Engelwood

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 9:16 pm
What a thoughtful and insightful piece by Gator Bradley. I am sure this will more than sway reasonable and fair-minded people who go to vote.
I guess all the other candidates should just drop out now. After all, how can anyone respond to such a well thought out reasonable articulation on why Todd Stroger best serves all of the people living in Cook County. Such tolerance is refreshing.
Mr. Bradley should do this for a living. I can only imagine what could have been if John Kerry hired Gator in 2004, or if John McCain were to have hired him in 2008. Maybe one of today’s candidates for governor could benefit from Gator’s masterful campaign strategies.
Who needs David Axelrod when you can get Gator Bradley!

Comment by Richard Afflis Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 9:34 pm
===At least when a nutjob tries to call himself a Republican (e.g., Andy Martin) we denounce them, while dems seem to embrace these radical extremists.===

Really? So it is your contention that this is mainstream, and Democrats are likely to re-elect Todd Stroger?

And I must have missed all the denouncing of the insane rumors (including one proudly begun by the curiously-less-denounced-at-the-time-Andy-Martin) and death panel lies and racist emails and postcards and comparisons of health reform to the Holocaust and, well, you get my point.

Convenient memory lapses, no doubt.

Comment by JonShibleyFan Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:30 pm
Bubs,

The reason the GOP isn’t getting anywhere is because of people like you. Del Mar owns multiple businesses and runs a non-profit organization. He’s as main street America as they come, and I’m willing to forgive him for not getting too involved in politics in the past. When he decided to get involved several years ago, he became a Republican precinct captain, ran for Councilman and won by 18%, and now he’s running against a scumbag who has no business in elected office. That’s ok by my book.

I give credit for Roupas and Brady working to grow the party by bringing in younger people who are more in tune with the electorate. What would you prefer, that people who didn’t start voting immediately at 18 weren’t allowed in the Republican Party? What a cold, sorry, DEAD party you would belong to if you had your wish. Thank God people like Roupas and Brady get it.

But keep telling yourself that your guy Skoien will somehow pull off this primary and you won’t be relegated to obscurity–if it helps you sleep at night. I hear he has rockin’ parties in his kids’ playroom that I’m sure he’ll invite you to.

Comment by Bob Kelly Tuesday, Jan 12, 10 @ 10:49 pm
The Daily Herald had a much more complete article Tuesday than Joe Ryan’s Animal Farm blog. However misguided, Del Mar followed Rush Limbaugh’s advice and vote in the Dem primary to prolong the process.

How is it possible people are debating a single primary vote versus a career of embarrassing decisions–from the Daley Bounty, to Skoien’s engineering no-bid contract awards to his organization president and largest contributor Luke Praxmarer, to his railing against Jack Ryan on TV for “not representing the moral values of the Republican Party”…and then the embarrassing prostitute thing?

There are exactly two signs I’ve seen for Skoien–one in front of the TOPPER headquarters and one on his lawn. I can’t wait til he tries to get more signs up on lawns…who would admit to supporting this guy?

Comment by Canttakeit Wednesday, Jan 13, 10 @ 7:57 am
===And for the record, yes, I think Soldier’s for Stroger is just as contemptable as the flier distributed in the Preckwinkle v. Tim Evans aldermanic race. ===
Anyone know more and can fill me in on this??

Comment by northsidep Wednesday, Jan 13, 10 @ 10:27 am
Pat Sutarik needs to stop creating multiple accounts and posting B.S. everywhere, get a clu Pat you are Gary’s only supporter!

Comment by No B.S. Wednesday, Jan 13, 10 @ 10:57 am
This is anon 6:50, in re: to your comment ‘JohnShibleyFan’, Martin has always been considered a non-mainstream certified nutjob by Republicans - the man should be locked up (in fact, I’m pretty sure there is a warrant out for him in FLA.) Gator Bradley, is another nutjob, the difference is southside dems respect this guy. Bradley should not be seen as a community leader and should be ostracised by anyone that considers themselves at least a somewhat sensible and intelligent Dem.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 13, 10 @ 1:58 pm