Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

The Stroger beat goes on and on and on

Posted in:

Illinois

The Sun-Times starts off our roundup with an endorsement of Todd Stroger.

Change must come to Cook County government, no matter who wins the race for county board president. The old way of doing things, personified by the honorable yet inflexible former president John Stroger, will not suffice any more. Because both parties have fielded candidates who are promising to shake things up in the $3 billion-a-year government, the question therefore becomes, who is more likely to succeed? While we believe Republican Tony Peraica is a qualified and experienced candidate who would be dedicated to reform, we fear his agenda would founder on the rocks of the county’s Democratic domination, paralyzing his tenure. We therefore endorse Democrat Todd Stroger, the 8th Ward alderman and the son of the former president.

Peraica’s campaign called the editorial “Stuck on stupid redux” and released a statement from consultant Dan Proft.

“The Sun-Times’ extraordinary and confounding endorsement of Todd Stroger for County Board President is, quite simply, a violation of the public trust.

“Besides flying in the face of common sense and the manifest weight of the evidence in this race, it is completely at odds with virtually every Sun-Times commentator who has weighed in on this campaign.

It goes on and on, but you get the drift. If you want to read the whole thing, I turned it into a text file that you can download here.

Meanwhile, Bill Beavers asked the governor on Friday (through the media) to pony up $100,000 from his obese campaign chest to help fund the Stroger effort The governor responded Saturday that he had agreed to give Todd some money, but he couldn’t resist putting the onus on everybody else.

“We are working on gathering contributions for Todd,” he said. “We are in the process of getting … Mike Madigan to be a good party chairman and help … We’re looking to get … Lisa Madigan to help Todd Stroger because she doesn’t have a race of any consequence. We want the other candidates who … don’t have hard races to help … If they’ll help, we’ll help.”

House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown said his boss has supported Stroger financially and has “no idea what the governor is talking about.”

Perhaps I can translate for Brownie. “I’m not going to give any money to Stroger out of my campaign fund because I may need it for, um, other things. I will, however, raise money for Stroger from other people like Lisa and Mike Madigan.”

But Stroger has more money than he’s let on.

While his campaign says it’s broke and his allies hit up the governor for cash, Cook County Board presidential candidate Todd Stroger has quietly formed a new campaign fund that is collecting tens of thousands of dollars every day.

Stroger’s campaign officials waited more than two months to notify the state about this new fund — a delay that may be illegal. […]

According to those reports, Stroger’s new campaign fund has pulled in $261,636 in 149 large donations in just 11 days.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 6:28 am

Comments

Typical Madigan.

Raises millions of dollars from Illinois Democrat Party supporters and no candidates see a dime unless you are an approved state rep candidate. He uses money raised by Illinois Dems to help him retain his role as speaker of the house.

There are some good candidates out there in districts that have raised money for the state party who will never see a dime. Brandt Patterson in Olney and Greg Tuite in Rockford come to mind. Where is there help from Madigan’s state party funds?

I for one am tired of donating to the state pary. Why cant this state party money go to builing county organization, a statewide grassroots efforts, or city/county offices?

Ridiculous. Help us Obama!

Comment by Sid Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 6:34 am
That Sun Times “endorsement” was one of the most intellectually dishonest, bought and paid for endorsements I’ve seen. The Sun Times appears to have forgotten that we operate on at least a two party system. They’ve ignored Todd Stroger’s own scandals. They’re saying to voters, go ahead and vote for Todd, and when he screws things up further, we’ll let you know about it. Breathtaking.

Comment by phocion Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 6:43 am
Phocion-

I don’t think there was anything criminal about S-T’s endorsement. Just good business practice. Stroger Jr’s election will mean years of juicy news stories.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 7:47 am
Their editorial integrity and validity just flew out the window.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 7:49 am
Young Todd got kicked to the curb pretty hard by the estimable Laura Washington - who gave a nice tickle to Kid Staples and a heads up that the Uriah Heep of Illinois Politics, Mike ‘Q-Dog’ Quigley might adorn a bill board on I -57 with Kid’s steely gaze blessing Quigley for City Treasurer - Oh, Happy Day! Two for One! I Loves This Country!

Comment by Pat Hickey Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 7:59 am
Todd is right when he says Peraica will limit abortions at Cook County hospital.

If Peraica wins (and Topinka loses), he will nauturally be a front runner for the 2010 Guv elections. But in order to win the GOP primary, he will have top appease the right, and will do so by limiting aboritions at Cook County. If he does nothing, the right will never support him.

“Tony had the power with one stroke of his pen to stop the murder of children, and he did nothing” –Right Wing nut head, fill in his name here, 2/05/10

Comment by The secret plan Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 8:34 am
I am not a voter from Cook County but I follow Cook County politics because it so heavily influences what takes place in Springfield and directs Illinois political decisions. The Sun-Times endorsement of Todd Stroger has me and many others baffled.
Their endorsement of Todd Stroger leads me to believe that they must feel Tony Peraica would be intellectually in the same category as Alfred E. Newman. I don’t think that is quite the case.

To paraphrase Rod Blagojevich’s political commercials, “The Chicago Sun-Times, what were they thinking?” The Sun-Times lost a lot of their luster with this endorsement. I would imagine that many of their reporters must have cringed on this endorsement by their employer.

Comment by Beowulf Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 8:45 am
The Sun-Times will never find its way into my house again. How intellectually dishonest! The Sun-Times staff needs to read its own paper more often! I get the feeling that the reporting staff never reads the editorial page and vice-versa. This is just another example of that; see also Mary Mitchell’s ridiculously uninformed coverage of Jesse Jackson’s mideast trip over the summer for more proof.

Comment by Niles Township Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 8:46 am
Rich, I understand it will be a financial sacrifice for you personally, but you should give serious thought to ending your affiliation with the Sun-Times and her sister newspapers. The endorsement actions for Blagojevich on Friday and Toddler over the weekend have destroyed any credibility this waste of newsprint once had. It has sunk below the depths of the Rupert Murdock era, below the wretched excesses of Conrad Black.

As a result, I will not be purchasing any paper in the Sun-Times chain in the future, until those who sold their journalistic souls to write these two pieces of (explitive deleted) are fired. If it also means organizing informational picketing in front of the largest advertisers the Sun-Times has to force these journalistic cretins out, so be it.

As for the news of Toddler’s secret campaign fund, if it is true, State’s Attorney Dick “Lap Dog” Devine must be called upon to prosecute Stroger and those involved in this scheme. However, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for Devine to do anything.

Comment by fedup dem Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 8:58 am
The Sun Times editorial Board has decided that the candidate who was chosen by political patronage hacks, who want to prevent reform at all costs, is going to clean up patronage and corruption in County Hall?

“Stuck on Stupid” pretty much sums it up!

Comment by PalosParkBob Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 9:00 am
Dan Proft, a media consultant, never heard the old adage: “never pick a fight with a man who buys ink by the barrel”.

Why is Proft the center of this story anyway? Where is Tony’s comments on this endorsement? I am a Sun-Times subscriber and I agree with their choice. So I guess not every S-T blogger agrees with Dan, do they? And Dan, please ask the Peraica sign goons to stop littering the public right-of-way with Peraica signs. It shows that people don’t want them on their property. And as a taxpayer, I don’t want them in the public way, either.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 9:12 am
The bigger news was that Sun-Times profile on Sunday with the quotes from Peraica.

Peraica used the word “vicious” to describe HIS OWN MOTHER!!! That’s the mother who passed away and is no longer around to defend herself. Who does that??!!??

Others like fellow Republican Liz Gorman have noted that Peraica has some serious issues, and trouble dealing with women.

I think voters will wake up before November 7th. I don’t think this race ends up being that close.

The press has loved building Peraica up, but they’ll really love tearing him down.

Comment by Peachy Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 9:20 am
Beowulf,
I’m sure that if anyone from Cook County ever needs advice from anyone in Springfield they will ask for it. Until then concentrate on Cellini’s stooges. Any voter who listens to Proft or Preaica for more than 30 seconds will vote for Todd.
Peraica is the most anti-women’s rights candidate I have ever seen and that includes Keyes and Obie.
Fast Eddie sure can pick ‘em!

Comment by Bill Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 9:35 am
JLP, you are worried about the waste of picking up signs, yet you are supporting Stroger, the price of nepotism and waste. Dan is the spokesman for the Peracia campaign. He is like Abby Chesshire Cat Ottenhoff or Shelia Nix, but less visible.

PEracia did say that, apparently, the editorial board does not read their own paper.

Comment by Wumpus Diva Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 9:39 am
Stroger sounds very incompetent. The last thing we would want to see from any Cook County President is an inability to count cash, claims he is broke, or has hidden stashes of cash. If he can’t figure out his own campaign finances how will he run this rotten county?

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 9:45 am
I find it funny that Periaca took 25K from the Cicero Folks…

The Same Cicero Folks who raised 287K Since July

Cmon Baby, a whole lotta shaking down going on

Comment by Hmmmmmmmm Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 10:27 am
Bill…
Hate to burst your bubble, but everyone I’ve met who has listened to both Stroger and Peraica speak has immediately ran screaming away from Stroger. Whether that means a vote for Peraica or a write in is up to them, but I think listening to Stroger is scarier than listening to Peraica.
And, as a life-long democrat and as a strong believer in abortion access, I think that everyone is freaking out over a pretty minor problem. As a social worker, I have tried to help some clients get low-cost/free abortions at county. They do abortions one day a month, they make appointments one day a month, and it’s practically impossible to get an appointment. Pro-Stroger folks seem to have some delusion that County is so great on abortion access and Peraica can really screw that up.
Access sucks (or it did two years ago). I’m not saying go and vote for Peraica, but don’t vote based on abortion when the county currently provides terrible access.

Comment by Chicago Girl Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 10:35 am
Let’s think for a moment on this striking sentence from the Sun-Times:

“While we believe Republican Tony Peraica is a qualified and experienced candidate who would be dedicated to reform, we fear his agenda would founder on the rocks of the countyâ€™s Democratic domination, paralyzing his tenure.”

1. The County Board is currently 5 Republicans, 3 Reform Democrats and 9 “Regular” Democrats (or, at least Regular Democrats while John Stroger was in office.) When the 5 Republicans and three reform Democrats ally on a vote, they have 8 votes out of 17, and require only one other vote to get the majority. That is precisely the scenario which occured last Fall to defeat the grossly bloated “Stroger Budget,” when Commissioner Earleen Collins voted with the reformers. The Sun-Times’ stated rationale for its position is not factual, which leaves it wide open to speculate on the true motivation for this endorsement.

2. Read carefully. They are saying that Reform cannot beat the Machine. Thank you, Sun-Times, for that vote of confidence in the future of our community! The struggling families who will face staggering tax increases under Toddler thank you, and so do their children.

With this staggering betrayal of the people, the Sun-Times just lost all credibility when it cries out against corruption in the future. We will know that it is mere window dressing, for when the chips are down, the Sun-Times will hedge its bets and “cut and run.”

Comment by Bubs Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 12:09 pm
Stroger’s never done much, appears not to know much about County government, can’t raise much cash, hasn’t run much of a campaign, and won’t do much to reform Cook County government. At least he’s consistent.

It’s really very disappointing to an ardent Democratic voter and volunteer.

Nonetheless, it makes sense for Rod to help Todd get the vote out in the African-American community on election day.

Comment by Captain America Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 12:42 pm
Every pol that gives into to Bill Beavers & Toddler on this one loses my vote for any office they ever aspire to. This is just another example of our broken system.

Comment by Niles Township Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 12:59 pm
If Todd is having problems raising money, he needs to tell Orlando Jones to work harder.

Orlando has never had a problem raising it for himself. He learned from the master; Tony Rezko.

Comment by Individual O? Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 1:02 pm
So let me get this right - “Peraica is the better candidate because he isn’t from the party of corruption, but because the party of corruption is also the party in power, he doesn’t have the ability to change things, so we’re going to endorse the corrupt idiot instead who is of the party of corruption.”

Between that and the Blago endorsement, I’m never reading the Sun Times again.

Comment by Long Time Reader; First Time Poster Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 1:03 pm
What Rich? No mention at all that Peraica picked up the Daily Herald endorsement and an endorsement from the Daily Southtown? Usually the Southtown just picks up the Sun-Times endorsement, but not this time. I wonder how mnay times they’ve done that in the past.

Comment by Anon Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 2:42 pm
“fedup dem,” it wouldn’t be much of a financial sacrifice to quit the column - believe me. But I wouldn’t even think of resigning. That’s not the way this business works. People are entitled to their opinions. They allow mine, I allow theirs.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 3:33 pm
“Bill” wrote: ==== Peraica is the most anti-womenâ€™s rights candidate I have ever seen and that includes Keyes and Obie.
Fast Eddie sure can pick â€˜em! ====

Bill, you’re slipping. Badly. Try to reboot your memory card. Or did you not realize who brought Rod into Chicago politics?

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 3:35 pm
The Rich Miller Philosophy: you scratch your quill and I’ll scratch my quill. Who cares what paper is scratched. Let everyone handle their own quill. (But who buys the ink?)

Comment by Punley Deiter Finn Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 3:38 pm
You may note that the 8th ward dems and the two John Stroger committees have filed non participation reports for the coming election. Does that mean they can’t provide financial support or endorsements for a candidate in November? What are the legal restrictions of the non participation declaration?

Comment by Observer Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 3:54 pm
“Observer,” the last time I checked this wasn’t Google. Try that before you ask a question here, and then ask for help if you’re unsuccessful. Thanks!

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 4:08 pm
The Sun-Times is just pandering to their core constituency with these endorsements. Gotta keep up the flagging circulation some how.

Comment by Buck Flagojevich Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 4:24 pm
Buck,

That is a racist comment.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 4:43 pm
Pettimore… that’s just laughable. How can you possibly deduce from what Buck wrote that his comment is racist? Can you read his intentions? Can you decern, just by written word, if someone is racist?

HA!

Comment by Thom Yorke Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 5:20 pm
My question about non participation reports was rhetorical. The Illinois Board of elections web site says to file the Non Participation Report when, “If a committee does not participate in a particular election, that committee may file a Statement of Nonparticipation in lieu of filing the pre-election report.” The fact that John Stroger’s two committees and the 8th Ward dems just filed such reports implies they are going to have nothing to do with this election, when one could make an educated guess “dat ain’t so”. The $1+ million or so that had been sitting in those funds — are not going to be used in this campaign? Who would believe that?

Comment by Observer Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 5:35 pm
John Lee Pettimore -

Sorry if you took it that way. The Sun-Times demo’s tend to be blue-collar, City dwelling, Sports Page reading persons. They report mostly City news and in fact have a dropping circulation.

That’s all.

Buck

Comment by Buck Flagojevich Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 5:43 pm
BTW. My wife, she of different race than I, would argue against your interpretation.

Comment by Buck Flagojevich Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 5:46 pm
Don’t give Pettimore an inch, Buck. You’re dead right. The Sun-Times wasn’t “bought off” as some have suggested, but I think the endorsements of Blago and Stroger are a business decision and not an honest policy decision.

The Sun-Times is an “urban tabloid” according to Wikipedia, and their circulation has been flagging. Their core customer is in the City (as in Democrat). You’ve seen the Republicans on here promising to never read the Sun-Times again. Just think if City Dems revolted.

If I’m not right about this, then the Sun-Times editorial board is just a bunch of idiots, and I don’t think that’s the case.

Comment by Truth Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 5:52 pm
In politics–do not look for logic, look for politics.

In the newspaper business–do not look for newspapers, look for business.

Comment by Think about it Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 6:23 pm
Buck:

The reason I see it that way is this: when a minority candidate receives a Trib or Herald endorsement, those papers aren’t accused of giving it because they want to pander to the minority constituencies. Why should the inverse be true then?

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 6:26 pm
Truth.

You read into my comments EXACTLY what I meant them to say. And here I was hoping not to P-O the democrats who would construe my comment as being Blago bashing.

I think Rich can attest to what happens when race bashing starts. Nobody knows what color the poster he/she or their spouses may be.

Pettimore must not of heard the old saying about assuming things.

Comment by Buck Flagojevich Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 6:28 pm
Bull– the only race in this race is the race to the money.

Comment by Think about it Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 6:46 pm
Buck,

First off, I did not call you a racist. I said your comments were racist. I don’t know nor care what race you are. I was stating that for one to say that a newspaper endorsed a particular minority candidate because they want to pander to that candidate’s demographic is a racist comment. Do you not see why that is an insensitive statement? If someone wrote that the Southtown endorsed Tom Dart to pander to the Irish readers on the South Side, I would say that that was equally insensitive.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 7:07 pm
Let’s move on, please. And, JLP, in the future, try not to be so quick with the race card. Buck didn’t say that the CS-T was pandering to Stroger’s demographic. He said the CS-T was pandering to its own core constituency.

The Sun-Times has a lot of subscribers, and not all of them are African-American. If he’d said that about La Raza or WVON, I could see where you might jump. Otherwise, that was a reach.

Still, Buck, in the future try to avoid going right up to the line.

Again, let’s move on.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 7:20 pm
Fair enough Rich. I don’t think Buck was throwing the “card”, and I apologize for jumping so quickly.

Comment by John Lee Pettimore Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 7:31 pm
You guys should stop smokin’ the drapes– the whole Chicago political system is based on the obvious– it has nothing to do with merit–especially when certain offices are politically assigned to certain minority groups for “balance” as in the Daley method–ie. the City Clerk for example…you see…balance as the master plays it. The amateurs get all bent out of shape about race. BTW it never comes up when ultra capable and competent candidates run… a non-issue with Obama and a non-issue with JJ jr. Only when there is a perceived weakness..and only within the context of machine politics does it come up. Hence the justifiable outrage about other inherited offices… in which case, not honoring the political chits and balances…the percieved double-cross is valid….but only when viewed from within that system. And that is in large part Peraica’s problem… no chits, no dadies, no ties, no allegiances, no stability…and so therefor…No Way. The Sun-Times know this well.

Comment by Think about it Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 7:32 pm
Point well taken.

Comment by Buck Flagojevich Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 8:15 pm
I nearly fall out of my chair laughing whenever I hear some hack refer to Peraica as a “reformer.” No one who stuck with Betty Loren Maltese as long as she would help him can call himself a reformer. No one who is as closely tied to the current Cicero government as Peraica is can call himself a reformer.

A simple look at the people around Peraica and you know he’s no reformer. He’s gonna lose.

Comment by Real Clear Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 9:15 pm
Real Clear

….is Real Fuzzy and thinks no one sees it.

First off–please do not referer to people’s looks as a means of inferrence –it is really bad form, it is fearfully irresponsible and it sets a real bad precedence. You should really rethink and revise that [simple look] theory.

NOW THEN, LET US TURN TO A MATTER OF CIVICS. Cook County has been run like a Banana Republic… only better… if longevity is taken into account. The list of atrocities is much too long for this medium….suffice to point out that even with the preponderance of evidence–case after case of institutionalized theft of services from the truly indigent, the needy and otherwise choiceless and dependent constituencies–which is undeniable– the principals politic and politic and politic.

The next President should resolve to just pay the deadbeats to stay home and the bogus contractors a premium for not seeking business with the County. Just pay’em. It would be worth it– a political culture tax…an extra dip in the public fisc…so that those who truly rely on the services– may be treated with respect.

Face it–compared to this crew, Paul Powel was a reformer. Win lose or draw…if not for the needy …this farce would be a rolicking satirical romp in the teeth…But it ain’t funny. Like Daley said, it’s a blankin shame. And how.

Comment by Think about it Monday, Oct 23, 06 @ 10:14 pm