Monday, August 28, 2006

Better than Monday night Football: Claypool on TV and streaming

Jeff Berkowitz: Unequivocally. No endorsement for Todd Stroger, Democrat and you’ll say a lot of nice things about Tony Peraica [Republican], as you just said here?

Forrest Claypool: I am not saying nice things about anybody. I am speaking the reality of our experience at the County Board. The facts are the facts…
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Jeff Berkowitz: …You’ve said… John Stroger affirmatively capped abortions at the Stroger Hospital. You said that, right?
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"Public Affairs," is featuring Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago] tonight, August 28, through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; And, All of the Time [24/7] on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [Watch Claypool [Two shows with Forrest: August 20, 2006 and Sep. 11, 2005], Obama, McCain and many, many others here].
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The "Public Affairs," podcast page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," including tonight's show in the City of Chicago with County Commissioner Forrest Claypool and this week's show in the suburbs with State Rep. Lou Lang [D-Skokie]; McCain, Blagojevich, Obama; Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner and Republican Nominee for County Board President; Ald. Todd Stroger, Democratic Nominee for Cook County Board President and many, many more on our video and audio podcast page[Watch here].
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This week’s suburban edition of Public Affairs features State Rep. Lou Lang [D-Skokie] debating and discussing with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz Pay for Play and the Gubernatorial candidates; Education funding, Tax Swaps, whether it is time for the affluent neighborhoods to "belly up to the bar," and school vouchers; whether Berkowitz is a liberal; Sister Muhammad, the Governor, anti-Semitism and much, much more. This Public Affairs program with State Rep. Lang will also air through-out the City of Chicago next Monday night, September 4 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and can be viewed anytime on your computer. [Watch here].
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A partial transcript of the show with Commissioner Forrest Claypool is included below and see here for another partial transcript of the show and more about the show's topics.
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Forrest Claypool: Well, he [Tony Peraica] supported welcoming the Gay Games to Chicago and then rescinded his endorsement under pressure from a right-wing group, which I think was unfortunate because I know Tony to be a courageous individual under normal circumstances.

Jeff Berkowitz: All the Republicans [on the County Board did that].

Forrest Claypool: Yes, I didn’t think it was very courageous on any of their parts to kind of bow to that kind of—

Jeff Berkowitz: So, that’s a concern to you [about Tony Peraica]. Anything else?

Forrest Claypool: I mean those are just a couple of examples of the types of differences I think that we have [Claypool discusses earlier in the program his concerns about Peraica’s abortion views].

Jeff Berkowitz: But, when you weigh those two things and you weigh all of the other Cook County Board issues—

Forrest Claypool: I have said that Tony Peraica has done a stellar job in the four years he has been on the Board of fighting for taxpayers and fighting for the health of the juveniles at the Juvenile Center and fighting for the health care needs of those children.

Jeff Berkowitz: So you won’t endorse him [Peraica], but you won’t endorse Todd Stroger, either?

Forrest Claypool: That’s right.

Jeff Berkowitz: Unequivocally. No endorsement for Todd Stroger, Democrat and you’ll say a lot of nice things about Tony Peraica [Republican], as you just said here?

Forrest Claypool: I am not saying nice things about anybody. I am speaking the reality of our experience at the County Board. The facts are the facts…
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Jeff Berkowitz: …You’ve said… John Stroger affirmatively capped abortions at the Stroger Hospital. You said that, right?

Forrest Claypool: Yes, he did. He did. And, that’s why it is an important issue. Because, the reality [is that] there has not been abortion access at Cook County Hospital. There has not been the ability of poor women to exercise their constitutional right in any fundamental or real way.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, it has been in a kind of capricious way. As you said, basically they took the phone off the hook, so if a woman wanted to call and have an abortion after the Hospital had arranged for one or two that day, no more, something like that.

Forrest Claypool: That’s right. It was essentially a quota system.

Jeff Berkowitz: A quota system. Whether it was one or two, we don’t know. But, that’s how they did it. They didn’t announce the policy. They didn’t push it through the Cook County Board…This was [then] Cook County Board President John Stroger exercising his discretion.

Forrest Claypool: That’s correct.

Jeff Berkowitz: Now, Todd Stroger is John Stroger’s son. When I asked Todd about this, he said that he never heard anything about this. He said Forrest Claypool says a lot of things, implying that what you are saying isn’t true.

Forrest Claypool: It is well known. Everyone knows it. Planned Parenthood will tell you that. Any organization that’s been involved in the process will tell you that. It’s been talked about and discussed openly.

Jeff Berkowitz: Does that give you pause since this [the abortion issue] was one of the issues that gave you concerns about Peraica? Does Todd Stroger sound any better to you [on abortion]?

Forrest Claypool: I think that is a concern that a lot of people have- that he [Todd Stroger] is very inexperienced with very little public record and obviously when he makes statements like that or that the health care system can’t be changed. Those are fundamental statements of concern.
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From this week’s City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs with Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool. The program will air though-out the City of Chicago tonight, August 28 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and can be viewed anytime on your computer [Watch Now].
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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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