Monday, September 11, 2006

Peraica, Steele and 8th CD candidates on Cable/streaming

Revised and edited at 1:45 pm on Monday, Sep. 11
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Rich Samuels [WTTW]: Do you believe at this point that any of the [Cook County] hires were improper?

President Bobbie L. Steele: I don’t know. I haven’t got any indication from my observation that there has been any impropriety.

Jeff Berkowitz: So why are we here? Why are you issuing an Executive Order if there is no impropriety?
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Jeff Berkowitz; [Cong. Melissa Bean (D-Barrington)], one of the issues that was raised [at the 8th CD Midlane Country Club Forum] was immigration and Dave McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) raised again…your vote on a motion to re-commit [the bill], before voting to support [what] was essentially the [Republican Majority] House Bill on immigration. He questioned why you would vote to recommit or kill the bill and then turn around and support it. Can you give us your answer to that—just on that specific issue--- I know he has raised it more generally.
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The Public Affairs show airing in various Chicago Metro suburbs this week and consisting of (1) Press conferences held first by Comm. Tony Peraica, Cook county Republican Nominee for Board President then by County Board President Steele (2) a video clip of an At Issue 8th CD Candidate Forum and (3) A video interview with Cong. Bean [D], has now been added to the Public Affairs video podcast page. [Watch Peraica, Steele, Bean, McSweeney, Scheurer, Radogno [all posted on the podcast page on Sunday night] and many, many others here].
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"Public Affairs," is featuring Press Conferences with Comm. and Republican candidate for CC Board President Tony Peraica, current Cook County Board President Bobbie Steele, 8th CD candidates Cong. Melissa Bean [D-Barrington], David McSweeney [R-Barrington Hills] and Bill Scheurer [I-Lindenhurst] tomorrow night in thirty-five Chicago Metro suburbs [See, below, end of this post, for a detailed suburban airing schedule] on Comcast Cable; next Monday night [Sep. 18] 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 Steele, Radogno, Peraica, Lang, Blagojevich, Topinka, Obama, McCain, Bean, McSweeney, Scheurer 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 this week's suburban show with Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner and Republican Nominee for County Board President; Cook County Board President Bobbie Steele [D-Chicago], 8th CD candidates Bean, McSweeney and Scheurer, State Treasurer Republican Nominee and State Sen. Radogno Claypool, McCain, Blagojevich, Obama, Topinka, separate shows with 8th CD Democratic incumbent Congresswoman Melissa Bean, 8th CD Republican Nominee David McSweeney; 8th CD Third Party Candidate Bill Scheurer; 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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A partial transcript of the show with Cook county Board President Bobbie Steele, Comm. Tony Peraica, 8th CD candidates Bean, McSweeney and Scheurer and a short interview with Cong. Bean by Berkowitz is included below.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Should President Steele go over to the U. S. Attorney and tell him she would like to give him what she knows in terms of information?

Comm. Tony Peraica: I think we have an absolute obligation to cooperate with the U. S. Attorney as he and his staff take a look at this situation…We need to have the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Mr. Fitzgerald, take a look at this situation immediately in order to determine whether or not there are grounds to proceed on the basis of violation of criminal statutes and I believe that there were violations.
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Press Conference held by Comm. Tony Peraica, Republican Nominee for Cook County Board President, 5th Floor Elevator area, Cook County Building, August 29, 2006.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Wasn’t that [the actions covered by President Steele’s Executive Order of August 29, 2006] all illegal, anyway? What new is illegal?


County Board President Bobbie Steele: This is a re-affirmation of our position in terms of fair and equitable hiring in Cook County…

Rich Samuels [WTTW]: Do you believe at this point that any of the [Cook County] hires were improper?

President Steele: I don’t know. I haven’t got any indication from my observation that there has been any impropriety.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, why are we here? Why are you issuing an Executive Order if there is no impropriety?

Pres. Steele [D-Chicago]: Because I want to re-affirm that Cook County Government would be a government where people have a level playing field in the application process for non- [Shakman] exempt positions?
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Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think a federal monitor, appointed by the Court, might do a lot more to assure the Public Trust than what you are stating here today?

Pres. Steele: If you want to pay some more taxes, maybe we will.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is that all that is stopping you? The cost of paying for a monitor?

Pres. Steele: I don’t know if that is all that is stopping, but I think we haven’t been cited as having any infractions up to this point, so –

Jeff Berkowitz: What about Jerry Nichols, [President John Stroger’s] patronage chief. Have you investigated and what did you find there?

Pres. Steele: I have not found anything. I have not investigated because the only information I have gotten was through the press. So, we are looking at that, as well.
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Press Conference held by Cook County Board President Bobbie Steele, 5th Floor President’s Office, Cook County Building, August 29, 2006.
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Craig Dellimore: Mr. McSweeney, you have accused Melissa Bean of trying to have it both ways on some legislation, voting no on a bill, early on and then yes on final passage. She says that you aren’t the tax fighter that you claim to be, that you didn’t support a particular multi-billion dollar bill when you ran against now former Cong. Philip Crane. Why shouldn’t voters think that this isn’t just a case of politicians misrepresenting each other’s voting records.
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Eric Krol [Daily Herald]: Mr. Scheurer, you are the only anti-war candidate on this stage. Can you explain why pulling out now out of Iraq is a good idea given the country is likely to descend into full-blown chaos if we leave. Doesn’t the U. S. have a responsibility to finish what it started as President Bush argues?
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Video clip of 8th Cong. District Candidates Forum which was taped as a WBBM 780 AM Radio At Issue program on Sep. 1, 2006 and aired on WBBM radio’s At Issue program on Sep. 3, 2006. [Listen to the audio podcast of the full program here]
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Jeff Berkowitz; One of the issues that was raised [at the 8th CD Midlane Country Club Forum] was immigration and Dave McSweeney raised again…your vote on a motion to re-commit [the bill], before voting to support [what] was essentially the [Republican Majority] House Bill on immigration. He questioned why you would vote to recommit or kill the bill and then turn around and support it. Can you give us your answer to that—just on that specific issue--- I know he has raised it more generally.

Cong. Bean: I don’t know what his specific issue is, but he does make a lot of procedural votes and confuses substantive with procedural votes. He did make a specific issue about moving them [illegal presence in the U. S. of an immigrant or undocumented worker] from civil to criminal offenses, which was an amendment that I supported because I did believe we needed tougher
Enforcement
and so I supported it.

Jeff Berkowitz:… First there was the Motion re-commit. Why vote in support of a motion to re-commit if you are supporting that bill, in general?

Cong. Bean: I’d have to go back and look at those, but those procedural votes come up all the time—usually it is for lack of amendments that weren’t included that you wanted to be able to support; you wanted a fuller debate; there are all kinds of reasons. I’d have to go back and look at the specifics at the time that I voted on that, but those procedural votes really don’t amount to much for those who understand what’s going on in Washington, D. C.
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Video Interview of Cong. Melissa Bean [D-Barrington, 8th CD] , Midlane Country Club, August 28, 2006
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From this week’s [Sep. 11] suburban edition of Public Affairs with the 8th Cong. District candidates, President Steele [D] and Republican nominee for County Board President Tony Peraica. The program, recorded on August 28-29, 2006, will also air though-out the City of Chicago next Monday night, Sep. 18 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and can be viewed anytime on your computer [Watch here].
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In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the "Public Affairs," show airs tomorrow night in the regular weekly Public Affairs slot, 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35 on Tuesday night, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the show is also airing in its regular airing slot at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below.
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The episode of Public Affairs, featuring County Board President Steele, County Board President Republican Nominee Tony Peraica, 8th CD Candidates Cong. Melissa Bean [D], David McSweeney [R] and Bill Scheurer [I] airs tomorrow night:

at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

and Monday night, Wednesday night and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 and in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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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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