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Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Anonymous — Thu, 11 May 2006 12:34:01 -0000

Seriously discussing Todd Stroger as president of the County Board is out of Alice in Wonderland. The job is an executive position and has always required strong leaders - Stroger, Phelan, Dunne, Simon, Dan Ryan. Todd is a nice kid who couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag. Whatever you may say about his Dad, he was clearly IN CHARGE (subject, of course, to bending to Daley's will on certain matters). The more interesting question for this loop - if Todd were President, who would actually run things day to day?

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Bubs — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:10:16 -0000

Merlin, would that be Lisa Madigan, John Daley, Dan Hynes and Anne Burke?

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Merlin — Thu, 11 May 2006 10:28:20 -0000

As much as everyone is railing against nepotism and Todd Stroger, I would suggest his slating would have less to do with his pedagree as with politics. Madigan, Daley, Hynes, Lyons, Burke and all the other Irish committeemen know they have to appoint an African American and don't trust anyone else.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Let's Just Reinstate Feudalism — Thu, 11 May 2006 01:50:46 -0000

Ignatz, I like it! Qualifications mean nothing in Illinois politics, its all about WHO'S YOUR DADDY!!!

To think that the Illinois Democratic Party has the gall to throw "Jackson Day" dinners. This nepotistic crap should have Andrew Jackson turning over in his grave. Over and over.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

ZC — Wed, 10 May 2006 23:34:04 -0000

Reading this blog semi-regularly, there appear to be some people out there who believe Rahm Emanuel is the Moriarty of Illinois politics or something, like his evil octupoid hands are everywhere. Really people, he's smart but he's mortal.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Ignatius J. Reilly — Wed, 10 May 2006 22:40:35 -0000

"Qualifications" is an exclusionary device used by political operatives as code for either ours or not ours. It has nothing to do with individual outcomes. Was Lisa Madigan qualified? How about George W. Bush what were his qualifications? So, wether Todd Stroger attains political qualification status has nothing to do with either election or fitness for the office. What does matter is vision and competence after the election. Regarding the office of CC Board President, neither of those attributes are required since they are provided by the centralized command structure on the west side of the building. So, what's all this chatter really about?

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Cynthia — Wed, 10 May 2006 19:11:30 -0000

I predicted this early on.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Sammy Esposito — Wed, 10 May 2006 17:11:19 -0000

Before we just hand this thing over to Todd Stroger, we need to remind ourselves that Fran Spielman doesn't get to pick John Stroger's replacement on the ticket, the committeemen do. (Fran's shilling for Todd has been nothing short of breathtaking.)

Todd might be the frontrunner, but his ascension is by no means a done deal. No doubt, given the recent examples of Cook County nepotism, it's going to be hard for some committeeman to say no to Todd. However, I can think of at least five good reasons why Todd might not be able to pull this off. Here they are:

1) Bill Lipinski and Tom Hynes are still influential and they are indebted to the gods of nepotism, but they are no longer committeemen. Hynes will push hard for Todd behind-the-scenes, and will likely quarterback the entire Stroger effort, but he no longer carries the 19th Ward's weighted vote in his back pocket and will need an assist from Madigan or the Daleys. HynesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ remaining influence was called into question when he failed to derail Tom Dart's slating as sheriff last Fall.

2) John Stroger is incapacitated and unable to broker the deal for Todd -- so who will work the smoke-filled room for Todd along with Tom Hynes? The African-American committeemen capable of rallying black support behind Todd (Bill Beavers, Ike Carothers, and Jesse White,) are all potential candidates to replace John Stroger themselves. Will their hearts be in it for Todd? Are Ed Burke, Mike Madigan, Dick Mell, or John Daley willing to twist their fellow committeemenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s arms purely based on a feeling of loyalty towards John Stroger Ã¢â‚¬â€œ or will something else motivate them? (See below.) The central committee is filled with followers, Todd needs to get a few of the leaders on his side.

3) Most committeemen will have more to gain personally if a new Democratic board president is elected. If they kiss in Todd Stroger, there will be no turnover in the top, high-paying county jobs (and there are a ton of them.) A new board president Ã¢â‚¬â€œ appointed by the committeemen Ã¢â‚¬â€œ will bring in a new team and encourage the 8th Ward hacks to retire. Then the new guy will have to repay the committeemen by filling some of those newly opened positions with job seekers the committeemen recommend.

4) As Randall Sherman pointed out in an earlier post, electability is an issue with Todd Stroger. Like any Republican in Cook County, Peraica is a longshot...and his odds will get longer if he keeps fighting with his fellow Republicans. But running against Todd gives Peraica his best shot of actually winning. He will get to run against the Stroger record without actually running against John Stroger! Todd will have to run with all his dad's baggage and none of his political debits and good will. That probably won't be enough for Peraica, but with a well timed indictment or two he'll have a decent chance.

5) Finally, the committeemen who are inclined not to support Todd for board pres. have a fallback position: they can offer to slate Todd for Recorder of Deeds in 2008. As long as another African-American is chosen to fill the board president spot, the white committeemen can buy political cover on nepotism-hypocrisy front by steering Todd into another countywide spot.

P.S. Good point by G.O. Partisan about how tough primary races helped Madigan and Blago and the lack of primary tests hurt Hynes and Lipinski.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Mr. Luxury Yacht — Wed, 10 May 2006 16:58:38 -0000

(but it's pronounced "Throatwobblermangrove")

- toddless - Wednesday, May 10, 06 @ 9:04 am:

"his poltical daddy is Rahm Emanual"

ROFLMAO!!!

Not counting the misspellings, the argument is just as far off. Barack is an incredibly talented natural politician, who is indeed another American success story, who benefitted WAY more from a perfect storm of perfect morons (Hull and Ryan) who self-destructed in his path. He is one lucky SOB who, to the consternation, has walked 90 degrees away from his base with remarkable regularity. The bankruptcy bill? Duckworth? (insert your favorite first-term Obama outrage here).

But Rahm's butt boy? Puh-leaze.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Teapot Dome — Wed, 10 May 2006 16:12:21 -0000

Wow,

An AP reporter gave us the original, smokiest of smoke-filled rooms in 1920 to describe the place in the Blackstone Hotel where party leaders conspired to hand the Republican nomination for President to Warren G. Harding. It has reappeared on a regular basis to describe any meeting of partisan conspirators. FDR had the 1932 nomination pretty well sewn up by the time Democrats gathered at the Chicago Stadium, notwithstanding the bitter last minute efforts of Alfred G. Smith to snatch it from his one-time protege.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

anonymous — Wed, 10 May 2006 15:58:16 -0000

Wow,

I can't BELIEVE you wrote this with a straight face:

There were no equivalent cries of Ã¢â‚¬Å“nepotismÃ¢â‚¬Â with any of the other high profile elected officials who came to office as a result of their DNA.

Now that I've picked myself off the floor, where I collapsed with laughter, do I really need to bother digging up the scads of articles about Lisa Madigan, Dan Hynes, Dan Lipinski, etc. etc. etc.?

DonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t you think that it was the liberal lakefront that feels they paved the way for blacks to become mayor?

No, I don't. (And for the record, there has only been one black mayor elected by the people of Chicago, not mayorS--Eugene Sawyer was elected by the city council.) Anyone who has a clue knows that the huge increase in African-American voters was the most significant factor propelling Washington to victory in 1983. If lakefront liberals other than myself want to unfairly give themselves chief credit for his win, that's their problem--but don't insult me by assuming that I know nothing of history or am intellectually dishonest. (I'll leave that to you and your laughable statements that there's never been an outcry about white politicians greasing the skids for their kids.)

ThatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s why Ã¢â‚¬Å“progressiveÃ¢â‚¬Â whites were so angry about ClaypoolÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s defeat, and thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s why Ã¢â‚¬Å“progsÃ¢â‚¬Â are angry about Todd.

No, most progressive whites (with this statement you assume all in this category think monolithically, which is of course false), in my opinion, were angry because kids (mostly African American and Latino) are being beaten and otherwise mistreated at the juvenile home. That dead women receive contracts because the county's contract administrator is so inept/corrupt. (This would be the same administrator caught posing as an election worker in March "helping" elderly voters choose Stroger on their ballots.) That a county hospital almost lost its accreditation because of mismanagement. That the Stroger administration's response to almost any crisis has been a knee-jerk call for higher taxes. That nurses may go on strike because something like FIFTY county labor contracts have yet to be resolved, long after many of the prior contracts have expired. And on and on and on.

Also, if you actually had as much political savvy as you pretend to, you'd know that there is no love lost between Quigley and Daley these days. They may have been allies once upon a time, but that time is far, far in the past. Claypool himself had to walk a fine line in terms of his relationship with Daley during the primary.

FDR was chosen in a smoke-filled room in 1932--74 years ago--an era in which Jim Crow laws were still widespread throughout the South and women were not treated equally in this country. Do you really want to cite this as a positive example? True, I guess bad systems can occasionally produce good leaders, but bad systems (80 Democratic committeeman) are equally capable of producing bad leaders. It will be a miracle if the committeemen produce anyone other than a talentless, corruption-enabling, crony-loving hack to run in November.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Bubs — Wed, 10 May 2006 15:00:50 -0000

Don't they know that the laws against human inbreeding exist for a reason?

Go Tony Go!!!!

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Wow — Wed, 10 May 2006 14:30:06 -0000

Anon 12:04

There were no equivalent cries of "nepotism" with any of the other high profile elected officials who came to office as a result of their DNA. The anger about all this is at the core of our sensibilities, not our political philosophy, but how we really believe we are supposed to interact with one another, and the lack of genuine interaction between the races is why "progressive" whites don't get how blacks vote.

Which is why I say that white "progressives" are turned in knots when they can't "control" what African Americans do politically. Think Bill Singer, Dick Simpson and Harold Washington: Don't you think that it was the liberal lakefront that feels they paved the way for blacks to become mayor? Since then they have looked to the black community to be the plowhorses for the "progressive agenda." That's why "progressive" whites were so angry about Claypool's defeat, and that's why "progs" are angry about Todd.

And yet, white "progressives" (Claypool, Quigley)feel quite comfortable with Daley? Hmmmm. Sure, it's not about race.

Blacks will assert themselves and their political destiny, and is up to the parties and candidates to figure out the way to respond to this. Or not.

Can you find 10 black elected officials "better" than Todd? That's up to you. But stop believing that's how candidates are chosen and how elections are won. That's the real b.s.

Remember that FDR was chosen in the smokiest of smoke-filled rooms...in Chicago!

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Crackhead Obama — Wed, 10 May 2006 14:29:11 -0000

The Peraica press statement regarding Todd Stroger and Democrat nepotism was funny. Something to the effect that when Todd starts spouting his non-credentials "Aren't they cute at this age". Funny.

Is there something wrong with handing a $3billion budget to the son of Stroger. Let's all just look the other way.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

anonymous — Wed, 10 May 2006 13:04:15 -0000

Also, the cesspool of politics in this state will not change until we have a clean-money campaign finance system AND overall contribution limits. The status quo in Illinois makes the current GOP bribery exchange in DC look like a tea party.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

anonymous — Wed, 10 May 2006 13:02:35 -0000

Wow,

That is such bulls**t. Race is not the issue. Incompetence and a willingness to reform the disaster that is Cook County IS the issue. The completely undemocratic process that excludes all but 80 voters from choosing who the nominee in November will be IS the issue.

Btw, I'm sure I could come up with at least 10 African Americans who would be incalculably better for the county board presidency than Son of John.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

grand old partisan — Wed, 10 May 2006 12:53:43 -0000

There is nothing wrong with a powerful political family giving its scions advantages like fundraising contacts, called-in-favor-endorsements, name recognition, etc. But the voters should always have the last word. Party powerhouses shouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t force the party faithful to choose between their kid or the other party in November. They should make them compete in the primary. Thanks to Ã¢â‚¬ËœwowÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ for helping outline why that is not only more fair to the voters but also better for the candidates themselves: of all the scions who now hold office, only Hynes never had to face a competitive primary to ascend to his respective office. And look what happened to him when he finally was subjected to one! Madigan was made stronger by going up against Schmidt. Blago became a better candidate by having to compete with Vallas and Burris. Bush improved as a candidate as a result of McCainÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s challenge. Conversely, Lipinksi has the lowest margin of any incumbent Congressman last March, and HynesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s once career appears stalled. Coincidence? I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t think so.

I think this whole episode has been appalling from the start. Having suffer a stroke that severe (I mean, seriously, if heÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s been this incapacitated for this long, thereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s no way that they didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know it was seriously debilitating or career ending from the start), his family should have withdrew him from the race just given it to Claypool and let Todd work towards a Daley style reclaiming of the thrown. It would have been better for the voters, and it would have been better for Todd in the long run.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

JIMBO — Wed, 10 May 2006 12:50:10 -0000

Illinois Royalty: I know one thing, John Stroger isnt muscling anyone these days.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Illinois Royalty — Wed, 10 May 2006 12:44:55 -0000

Grubnednarb says Madigan and Hynes ran in primaries. True enough, but with buckloads of money shaken down from special interests by their fathers and with busloads of precinct workers lined up by their fathers and endorsements from other dependent pols lined up by their fathers. Hard to draw too fine of a distinction with Todd when they were muscled in by family, just like John Stroger and his team will muscle his son in.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Cardinal Woolsey — Wed, 10 May 2006 12:23:23 -0000

The Democratic Party has long been the party of primogeniture, dating back to Otto Kerner the elder. (An excellent exegesis of this can be found in Mike Royko's Boss.) Todd Stroger's ascension to the County Board Presidency, his right as the eldest son, will be affirmed by the Central Committee consistent with tradition and good sense. A Regency will of course govern the County's affairs as he matures in the job. The more interesting question relates to the make-up of the Regency, which Forest Claypool, the Robin Hood of Cookshire, touched upon in the last Board meeting. Who are the Regents?

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Wow — Wed, 10 May 2006 12:20:44 -0000

Your only disagreement with the Hynes/Madigan/Lipinski anointings and this is credentials? C'mon. There was hardly a vetting process that led to their elections. Hynes was Hynes, Lipinski was Lipinski and Madigan was a one-term State Senator. No special prerequisites required. If anything, your example seems to show that progeny can be good public servants.

So why the huge objection here? Why the hue and cry? Perhaps we should call it like it is. Race.

The "anger" from the primary and the "anger" about Todd are rooted in the same dynamic: There seems to be this belief that white "progressives" and African Americans are to be tied at the hip in some "reform" manifesto. Then, when African Americans choose their own destiny, contrary to the white progressive agenda (or candidate), it is somehow illegitimate.

Remember, whoever, is chosen by the party will be submitted to the voters in November. He or she will stand on their own merit. All I am saying is, if "nepotism" is an issue, throw it into the mix with all the other issues and then decide. Stop trying to hold this man's name against him. Let him present himself and then vote.

But if "nepotism" is your only issue, stay home. It means you don't really care who's President of the County if you think Tony Peraica is a leader worth supporting.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Grubnednarb — Wed, 10 May 2006 11:57:44 -0000

I completely disagree that the Hynes and Madigan situations justify the annointment of Todd Stroger to the third most important political job in the State. It's a really big job Furthermore, I don't believe I am guilty of double standards.

Both Hynes and Madigan ran in primaries. Dan may have been unopposed in the primary - I can't recall - but Lisa's primary was tough - she defeated a candidate with better legal credentials than her.

Hynes has proven to be one of our finest and most ethical constitutional officers. His performance as Comptroller has been superlative. Madigan appears to be doing a great job as Attorney General, and seems well-positioned to be the next Democratic gubernatorial nominee in the post-Blago era. Hynes would be a really great,super-competent Governor!

I have nothing against him personally, but Todd Stroger appears to be a total lightweight compared to these other political progeny. The 8th Ward political organization and African American community do deserve respect!(Lipinski at least had a PhD in political science despite the questionable circumstances surrouding his annointment as the Democratic nominee.)

Of all the African-American candidates I have heard mentioned as possible successors. I believe Dorothy Brown is the best qualified. I think she would do a good job!Todd Stroger is probably the least qualified AA candidate that has been mentioned.

Whoever the Cook County Democratic Committeeman annoint, they need to do it soon. There's a real vacuum in executive leadership, and it's obvious that John Stroger will never be able to resume his duties. I assume there will be some political trade-offs involved in choosing a new City Clerk and the Cook County Board President As far as I am concerned the City Clerk job should be abolished!

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Levois — Wed, 10 May 2006 11:56:04 -0000

I don't like this. This would not be a smart move for Todd Stroger. They shouldn't let him be president. He should just take his old man's commissioner's seat. Then he can take his chances later on.

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Pat Hickey — Wed, 10 May 2006 11:47:21 -0000

Have any of you folks had the chance to hear'The Tony Peraica Singers' on his hip new urban-market radio spots? The Man could headline at the old Impala Lounge!

Re: Looks like it’s Todd

Merlin — Wed, 10 May 2006 11:47:04 -0000

Randall Sherman writes how he knows and likes Todd but he couldn't run a comic book store etc. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, sir. Do you think that you and your organization are well respected. I would suggest that if Stroger donated $500 to your PAC, your political army of one would be blogging away on his behalf.