Friday, April 07, 2006

Blagojevich and Topinka to appear jointly on Dick Kay’s City Desk.

Links about Cicero and Horsemen added on Saturday night at 8:00 pm

This just in. Governor Rod Blagojevich [D- Chicago] and his Republican challenger, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka [R-Riverside] will appear jointly on NBC-5 News’ City Desk, hosted of course by NBC-5’s long time political correspondent and editor Dick Kay [38 years]. This will take place on a Sunday in May, with the exact date yet to be determined.

Kay is retiring on June 1, so this is quite a send-off for him and quite a treat for his viewers. The Polls on this race taken from the beginning of the year to the current have in large part put Topinka and Blagojevich in a statistical tie for the race for Governor. Although the news media often report one or the other ahead, in most cases the margin by which one leads the other is less than the margin of error, meaning statistically, nobody is ahead. That seems to be the case with or without Rev. Meeks, who may run as the head of a third full slate of candidates [Lt. Gov, AG, etc], which is required by law, as is the filing of 25,000 good signatures by June 28.

Dick Kay’s City Desk airs every Sunday on NBC-5 in the Chicago metro area within the 9:30 am-10:00 am slot, preceding Tim Russert’s Meet the Press. This Sunday’s show features the Republican nominee for Cook County Board President, Tony Peraica. Peraica makes some interesting statements regarding his plans to win and the involvement in those plans, or lack thereof, by Democrat Forrest Claypool, who along with County Commissioners Peraica, Quigley [D-Chicago], and Suffredin[D-Evanston], make up the Four Horsemen, aka the four reformers.

As I have written, see here, here and here, the Four Horsemen have been working on bringing the Apocalypse to the old way of doing business at the County, for some time, now. On most key votes, the Four Horsemen get the five additional votes needed to produce the reform majority. But, the forces of resistance and anti-reform are strong, and they are looking to change that dynamic.

In the event that Cook County Board President John Stroger is unable to continue as his party’s nominee, wannabee replacements are lining up, African-American and white, and maybe Hispanic, to step in for him. A relatively new name will surface in this Sunday’s discussion between Kay and Peraica. Tune in, you won’t want to miss it.

The smart money says the final two candidates will be surrogates for the different preferences of Mayor Daley and Speaker Mike Madigan. And, maybe Blago and/or his not so favorite in-law, Ald. Dick Mell, tilts it one way or the other. But, then, you already knew that, didn’t you?

BTW, we are taping Dick Kay this Sunday for Public Affairs. Suggested questions are always welcome.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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