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Once again, the Tribune buries the behind-the-scenes maneuvering over appointing an interim county board president. This is from the very end of the paper’s story:

Steele has been lobbying hard for the position. But commissioners said Monday that no candidate appears yet to have the necessary votes to win the interim slot now that John Daley has removed himself from the running. Commissioner Forrest Claypool, who lost to Stroger in the March primary, said he would consider the position if no consensus candidate emerges.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 5:04 am

Comments

I personally can’t wait for the committeemen to act and finally put Todd Stroger on the ballot. This is the most tired story out there and proof that there is a summer news void. The biggest benefit for moving this thing off page 1 is that we won’t have to tolerate seeing Tony Peraica in the news. If you think the Trib is burying the behind-the-scenes maneuvering, just wait until the media bury the free media Tony has been feeding on for the next four months. He’ll be an after-thought by then and may lose his district seat given that the Republicans in his own district despise him, regardless of who they are allegedly aligned with. The voters know these people (like Eileen Lyons, Chris Rodogno, etc) and will trust their recommendations. It won’t be Tony. Tony hasn’t figured out how to play well in the sandbox.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 7:48 am
Looks like a wish to avoid propping up Claypool for whatever reason.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 7:49 am
Hey, Maureen Murphy posted before me!

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 7:51 am
Snides:

That’s what I love about you “Peraicaphiles”! You employ the 3 “Ds” approach to defending Tony: Deny, dismiss, discredit.

I guess since I am not heaping favor on Tony, I must be “Maureen Murphy”, or somehow not a regular citizen who witnessed, as a resident of Lyons Twp, just how Tony almost lost a committeeman’s ract to an unknown. Not a relative unknown, he was a complete unknown.

Now before you burn your keyboard out, I am not affiliated with Ed Vrdolyak, Tom Walsh, Maureen Murphy, et cetera, et cetera.

Tony almost lost his committeeman’s post (what, he won by 95 votes?) because he has nothing to sell but accusations, fear, and distortions (really outright lies). And anyone not to his liking is always affiliated with a) Ronnie Serpico, b) Ed Vrdolyak, c) anyone else Tony has identified as the boogeyman to scare voters, especially seniors. Believe it or not, people (read: voters) get tired of this approach and will want someone not so divisive.

So, Snides, have at it. Get that discredit machine churning.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 8:09 am
Patrick Fitzgerald must be shaking his head and asking himself “what will it take to stop these people????”

Comment by US Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 8:49 am
I cant think about this circus anymore ’cause it makes me want to hurt somebody…ENOUGH!! I wish the giant octopus from the movie Dead Man’s Chest would swallow both sides of the building at Clark and LaSalle…

Comment by Bondi Girl Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 9:56 am
John Lee:

I guess Bubs isn’t awake yet– He usually defends Peraica like a rabid dog!

Comment by No Fan Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 10:21 am
At least the coronation of Prince Todd Jong Il will be made public, so the serfs can see. The Democratic Machine’s slating meeting will be at the Hotel Allegro (it wuld be very fitting if they charged by the hour). Peracia may not win, but at least he is not as embarassing (according to those who have called him so) as the democrats are in this circus. Even in the healthy state he is in, John Stroger is a better candidate than Toddy. Peracia is the best candidate out of the three. And Bobbie Steele is a black woman from the west side and a Stroger lapdog, give it to her!

Comment by Rico Shakman aka Wumpus Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 11:02 am
Yeah what he said.GO TONY.

Comment by RED BULL Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 11:05 am
I don’t know about discrediting anyone, but I’ll tell you WHAT PERAICA HAS DONE:

The Lyons Republican Organization has an office, hundreds of members, a newsletter, and regular monthly meetings.

There are actually two Republican trustees on the Lyons Township board.

Tell me when was the last time Anne Painter could say that, and whether Frank Saibert could EVER say that?

Sometimes JLP, you have to give the devil his due, but you just don’t seem to wanna, do ya? You guys try and discredit Peraica and then turn things around on the guy. It shouldn’t be a personality contest, but you turn it into one because Peraica WILL lost that one every time. I don’t care if the guy’s personally a curmudgeon, so long as he does right by the people, and I don’t see where he’s done wrong by them.

Comment by Uncle Slappy Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 11:38 am
Unapologetic Rabid Dog, here!

Peraica has made enemies in the west suburbs, mainly by having the gall to defeat entrenched do-nothing “Republicrats” or their puppets, who are oh-so-cozy with the Machine. When JLP says “Tony has not learned to play well in the sandbox,” I hope you can now see what that means.

The Lyons Township Committeeman race was a case of all the losers joining forces in a coalition to do an all-out effort for payback, and to re-establish the Old Comfortable Order. It is revealing that they lost again. A certain ex-County Chairman had near fits in the Cook County election offices in the days after the Primary, trying to convince the Board to hand the race to LaPuidus. No soap.

The sniping on Periaca is coming from sore losers and worried Democrats. You can tell by the fact that there is no substance to the attacks, just “Whaaahh, Tony sucks!”

Give them all a nice white hankie.

Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 1:51 pm
Good morning Bubs! I see you had your morning java. Besides Maureen Murphy, who are these “republicrats”? Rodogno? Lyons? Walsh? There three to four people convinced 2,882 people to vote against Tony? That’s 96 votes shy of what Tony received. That also spells doom for Tony in the 16th District. Bubs, you seem to know Tony well. What has he done, accomplished, tangible proof that he is effective IN THE 16th DISTRICT for the people of the 16th DISTRICT?

Funny, I can’t think of anything either. It’s hard to attack Tony’s record, because there is none. And that, my friend, will be Tony’s problem too.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 1:59 pm
Peraica strikes fear in the hearts of the anti-reform crowd out there. That is why they waste so many keystrokes saying what a fool and complete non-factor he is, how he has no chance, etc., etc. All the while, those people seem to be typing while seemingly on the verge of having an anuerysm.

Comment by Establishment Republican Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 2:26 pm
yaaaawn

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 2:40 pm
JPL-

My goodness, you’re a rather bitter person, wouldn’t you say?

If you can’t say anything about Tony’s record, than I suggest you educate yourself by attending a few County Board Meetings, or catch them on public access. You will see a man questioning expenditures and fat cat contracts all the time. You will see a man putting bureaucrats on the hot seat, demanding efficiency, and pointedly questioning waste at every meeting. You will see a man putting forth proposals for better government. That man will be Tony Peraica.

You would have seen, had you attended in the past, a man arguing with Stroger time after time trying to put a little good government back into the people’s lives. You would have seen him be a leader in the fight to defeat the grossly bloated Stroger County Budget last year, a fight that the Reformers WON, by the way. That fight saved you and everyone a chunk of money that otherwise would have gone to pad the pockets of Machine cronies. That man was Tony Peraica.

But no, you’d rather have Todd Stroger? Just because Tony doesn’t play nice-nice in your cupcake world of foo-foo, ineffective Republican politics? “Oooooooh, just do a token effort, don’t make the Democrats mad, they might do something to us,” is that about it for you, JPL?

Reforming the government of Chicago will be a long fight against powerful, vicious interests, not a suburban coffee. Tony has the guts and desire to do it, and your leaders do not. It is that simple.

Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 2:56 pm
The Republic of John Lee Pettimore is a huge, socially progressive
nation, remarkable for its devotion to social welfare. Its hard-nosed,
hard-working, intelligent population of 742 million hold their civil and
political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business
tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, corrupt, liberal government devotes most of its attentions
to Social Welfare, with areas such as Law & Order and Social Equality
receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is
25%. Private enterprise is illegal, but for those in the know there is a
slick and highly efficient black market in Information Technology.

Tourists from around the world come to visit the country’s famous
rainforests, the alarmingly racist TV show ‘Bigtopians Say the Darndest
Things’ is a hit, surveillance cameras are banned, and citizens can be
frequently spotted going about their business stark naked. Crime is
moderate, probably because of the country’s utter lack of prisons. John
Lee Pettimore’s national animal is the eagle, which frolics freely in
the nation’s many lush forests, and its currency is the dollar.

Comment by Flaky_Up_In_Here Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 3:38 pm
Bubs:

You know what, I’ll be fair (and sincere). I agree with most of what you said about what ails county government. I think it’s a bloated, ill-run entity that needs an enema. How about that! Unfortunately, I find Tony to be extremely phony. I can’t help that, I just do. He is more of an opportunist than he is a reformer and opportunists who turn reformer are the worst kind of reformer because they are so transparent. One reason I come to this conclusion is that Tony “lent” himself $950,000 to get elected to an $85,000 per year job. He’s not worth that much money so the argument that he puts his money where is mouth is doesn’t add up. Why do I conclude that he doesn’t have any money left? He took a second mortgage on his Riverside home.

And to be fair, all politicians love the spotlight. But Tony is so…so..greasy. Yeah that’s the word. He’s greasy when he tries to get free publicity. And, while I believe you know him personally and obviously like him, he is beyond the hard ball political player. He’ll say and do anything to win, whether it’s the truth or not. He lacks integrity. I have seen Tony in action and that is the conclusion I reach. That is my sincere assessment.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 3:45 pm
The you are focusing on only part of the story, the PR.

Go to his office in the County Building sometime. It is a sea of paper - reseach, studies, contracts up for a Board vote, data from County offices, proposed ordinances - where the phone never stops ringing. He has assistants digging up the facts even he can’t get time to find, and he’s usually going at about 90 mph.

The man is not prefect, but he sure is a fireball. And he walks the walk.

Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 4:12 pm
perfect, not prefect.

Comment by Bubs Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 4:13 pm
I agree to take a second look only because I agree with your assessment on county government. But, I still believe that the GOP establishment is kicking themselves for having a isolater like Tony head their ticket.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 4:31 pm
AS FELLOW REPUBLICAN,I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE PEOPLE ON THIS BLOG WHY THEY INSIST ON BASHING TONY PERAICA.MY THOUGHTS IS THAT SOMEBODY (MRS.MURPHY)AND I USE THAT TERM LOOSLY,JUMPED ON A BAND WAGON AFTER THE PRIMARY AND STARTED A PERAICA HATERS CLUB.AND NOW ALL YOU HEAD PUPPETS AND MOUSEKETEERS ARE SIDING WITH HER.WELL THATS ALL GREAT,BUT DONT YOU FOLKS SEE THAT NOBODY ELSE EVEN A BLACK DEMOCRAT IS QUALIFIED TO FILL THE OLD MANS POSISTION.NOT ONLY THAT,DO YOU LIKE PAYING BUKU BUCKS ON PROPERTY TAXES EVERY YEAR?MO IS SUPPOSED TO BE A REPUBLICAN BUT AT HEART I THINK SHE IS CUTIING DEALS IN THE BACK ROOMS.YOU KNOW WHAT KINDA DEALS TO.ANYTHING TO KEEP TONY OUT OF THIS .SHE CANT EVEN SLATE A CANDIDATE ON TIME.YES THAT TO ME IS SPOILED.AND ALSO AFTER MANY YEARS OF DEMORATS IN OFFICE I THINK THAT THIS WILL TRULY BE A REPUBLICAN RACE.THE DEMOCRATS MADE THE CORRUPTION AND NOW THE REPUBLICANS ARE TIRED OF IT,TRUTHFULLY SO AM I.I COME FROM A LOW INCOME WHITE FAMILY WHO HAD LITTLE OR NEXT TO NOTHING,MONEY,JOBS,FOOD,BABIES,LET ALONE A HOME THAT WE COULD PAY FOR BECAUSE TAXES WERE AND STILL HIGH AND OUTRAGEOUS.HELL I CANT EVEN GET PUBLIC AID FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES,BUT YOU THINK THAT MR STROGER AND COMPANY CARE?HELL NO ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS WHOS GOING TO BE THE NEXT CORRUPT DEMOCRAT TO LINE THIER POCKETS WITH TAX PAYERS MONEY.AND SCREW THE REST OF THIS COUNTY.HURAY FOR ME AND THE HELL WITH YOU ATTITUDE DOESNT GO RIGHT WITH ME.ALSO THIS GARBAGE THAT TONY IS GETTING FREE PUBLICITY,HE IS DUMMIES,CANT YOU SEE THE MAN SMILING FROM EAR TO EAR.HE DONT HAVE TO PAY OR PUT ANYTIME INTO ANY MEDIA,BECAUSE THE MACHINE IS RUNNING OUT OF STEAM.MACHINES BREAK DOWN AND NEED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO BECOME EFFICENT.SO TONYS GOING TO FIX,AND REPLACE THE MACHINE.GO TONY
AND ONCE AGAIN WHOS TONYS OPPONENT IN THE 16TH DISTRICT?BILL WHO

Comment by FACTS NOT LIES Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 8:58 pm
Hey–if no candidate appears to have the necessary votes to win the interim slot and if no consensus candidate emerges, why waste the opportunity on a measured, calculating stiff like Claypool? They should choose from the incomparable talent, temperment and conviction regularly displayed by some of the truly glorius elocutors that frequent this blog. No?

Comment by Ignatius J. Reily Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 9:10 pm
JLP, I’d respond to your pathetic challenge, but I see that others have already done so. However, with respect to your assertion that Peraica has no record, I have to wonder whether you looked for it in DuPage or Will County, instead of Cook.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 9:29 pm
P.S. Would you mind cluing the rest of us in on which precincts Maureen will have you working for Peraica’s Democratic opponent on election day?

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Tuesday, Jul 11, 06 @ 9:31 pm
Snides,

In answer to your last question, all of them. In response to you first question, you answered it the way I thought you would, with nothing. There is no record of accomplishment from Tony, just bluster and conjecture. And since Mike Manzo, Peraica’s Chief of Stiffs, lives in DuPage, I suspect the Cook County funds we pay Mike are well spent at Oak Brook mall and other fine DuPage County establishments, like Gianotti’s. By the way, Mike Manzo once ran for Mayor of Melrose Park, the town Tony loves to vilify.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Wednesday, Jul 12, 06 @ 8:45 am