Better than Spring Training: Claypool on Cable and Streaming
Jeff Berkowitz: But you couldn’t have done it because of the “sore loser,” rule. A candidate who loses for the nomination of one of the political parties can’t file as an independent [in that same election cycle].
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago]: Well, I think I could have because I think that law is unconstitutional—it’s never been tested—but that would have to have been a legal challenge.
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Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t respect Joe Lieberman for sticking to his guns.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: I don’t. I don’t respect Joe Lieberman for supporting a war in Iraq that was wrong headed and foolish.
*************************************
Tonight's City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs," airing at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] throughout the City, features Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago] discussing key Cook County Budget/Tax/Spending and patronage issues with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz. You may also [Watch the show with Commissioner Claypool, as well as prior shows with Comm. Claypool and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger on your computer].
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The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," including tonight's show with Comm. Claypool and this week's suburban show with 50th Ward Alderman Berny Stone. The cinema page also has recent shows with Sen. Garrett [D-Lake Forest], Sen. Syverson [R-Rockford], Metropolitan Planning Council President MarySue Barrett, Phantom of the City Council--Brendan Reilly, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, Eric Zorn-Dan Proft, John McCarron, Gery Chico, former State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, Chicago Mayoral Candidate Dorothy Brown [D] and State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston], as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giulianiand many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Watch here].
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For more about tonight's show and a partial transcript of the show, see here. An additional partial transcript of the show is included directly below:
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Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’re telling me all of those [28 Cook County neighborhood health] clinics are fully utilized, large numbers of people at each clinic are coming in every hour of the day?
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago]: That’s exactly right---
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Jeff Berkowitz: Somebody, if he or she wanted to, could have bet that John Stroger wasn’t coming back [to run in the general election] and could have filed as an independent [before the July filing deadline]. They could have done that and then they could have withdrawn if he came back [from his stroke].
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool: They could have but he was the rightful nominee, and he had won the votes of the Democratic Primary and people like me want to support the Democratic nominee elected by the voters, not the Democratic nominee elected by the Ward bosses [Claypool referring to Democrat Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, who Claypool did not endorse in the general election].
Jeff Berkowitz: But you couldn’t have done it because of the “sore loser,” rule. A candidate who loses for the nomination of one of the political parties can’t file as an independent [in that same election cycle].
Commissioner Forrest Claypool: Well, I think I could have because I think that law is unconstitutional—it’s never been tested—but that would have to have been a legal challenge.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, had you known that John Stroger wasn’t going to continue as the Democratic Party’s candidate for Cook County Board President, might you have filed as an independent and challenged the sore loser law?
Commissioner Forrest Claypool: It’s possible, but I was supporting the nominee of my Party [John Stroger] who had defeated me…but I couldn’t support Todd Stroger because he was not nominated by the voters and it was a process in which the voters were taken for granted and actually misled.
*******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you are saying there is no patronage in State’s Attorney Dick Devine’s office?
Commissioner Forrest Claypool: Well, I think it is very rare to find a prosecutor who comes out of a ward organization.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, your friend, Commissioner Mike Quigley has been going after the Sheriff’s office [for patronage]—he has almost made a career out of it, and you are telling me Quigley has been wrong about it?
Commissioner Forrest Claypool: I am not saying there is not waste in the Sheriff’s office and as I said before, he [Tom Dart] is in office one month and he has reduced the office by 10%. The question is, are you going to do 20% in the first year, which means going after Sheriff’s police.
*************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Would the smart thing to do [be for you] to start planning now and …run as an independent and that way you could run in the general election and you could get Republicans perhaps to vote for you…and Democrats to support you. Isn’t that the better play than to run against Todd Stroger in the Democratic Primary?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Well, I am not going to speculate on three years from now, but I am certainly a Democrat; I am going to remain a Democrat. If I run, it will be in the Democratic Primary for any office.
Jeff Berkowitz: You’re no Joe Lieberman. You wouldn’t pull the stunt of running as an independent.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: I wouldn’t. It’s sad that Joe Lieberman is still in the United States Senate.
Jeff Berkowitz: You think so?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: I do.
Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t respect Joe Lieberman for sticking to his guns.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: I don’t. I don’t respect Joe Lieberman for supporting a war in Iraq that was wrong headed and foolish.
**************************************
Commissioner Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago}, as is airing tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The show was recorded on February 4, 2007. You may also[watch the Comm. Claypool program here].
***************************************************
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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Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago]: Well, I think I could have because I think that law is unconstitutional—it’s never been tested—but that would have to have been a legal challenge.
**************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t respect Joe Lieberman for sticking to his guns.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: I don’t. I don’t respect Joe Lieberman for supporting a war in Iraq that was wrong headed and foolish.
*************************************
Tonight's City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs," airing at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] throughout the City, features Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago] discussing key Cook County Budget/Tax/Spending and patronage issues with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz. You may also [Watch the show with Commissioner Claypool, as well as prior shows with Comm. Claypool and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger on your computer].
******************************************
The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," including tonight's show with Comm. Claypool and this week's suburban show with 50th Ward Alderman Berny Stone. The cinema page also has recent shows with Sen. Garrett [D-Lake Forest], Sen. Syverson [R-Rockford], Metropolitan Planning Council President MarySue Barrett, Phantom of the City Council--Brendan Reilly, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, Eric Zorn-Dan Proft, John McCarron, Gery Chico, former State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, Chicago Mayoral Candidate Dorothy Brown [D] and State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston], as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giulianiand many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Watch here].
***************************************************
For more about tonight's show and a partial transcript of the show, see here. An additional partial transcript of the show is included directly below:
*********************************
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you’re telling me all of those [28 Cook County neighborhood health] clinics are fully utilized, large numbers of people at each clinic are coming in every hour of the day?
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D-Chicago]: That’s exactly right---
****************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Somebody, if he or she wanted to, could have bet that John Stroger wasn’t coming back [to run in the general election] and could have filed as an independent [before the July filing deadline]. They could have done that and then they could have withdrawn if he came back [from his stroke].
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool: They could have but he was the rightful nominee, and he had won the votes of the Democratic Primary and people like me want to support the Democratic nominee elected by the voters, not the Democratic nominee elected by the Ward bosses [Claypool referring to Democrat Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, who Claypool did not endorse in the general election].
Jeff Berkowitz: But you couldn’t have done it because of the “sore loser,” rule. A candidate who loses for the nomination of one of the political parties can’t file as an independent [in that same election cycle].
Commissioner Forrest Claypool: Well, I think I could have because I think that law is unconstitutional—it’s never been tested—but that would have to have been a legal challenge.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, had you known that John Stroger wasn’t going to continue as the Democratic Party’s candidate for Cook County Board President, might you have filed as an independent and challenged the sore loser law?
Commissioner Forrest Claypool: It’s possible, but I was supporting the nominee of my Party [John Stroger] who had defeated me…but I couldn’t support Todd Stroger because he was not nominated by the voters and it was a process in which the voters were taken for granted and actually misled.
*******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you are saying there is no patronage in State’s Attorney Dick Devine’s office?
Commissioner Forrest Claypool: Well, I think it is very rare to find a prosecutor who comes out of a ward organization.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, your friend, Commissioner Mike Quigley has been going after the Sheriff’s office [for patronage]—he has almost made a career out of it, and you are telling me Quigley has been wrong about it?
Commissioner Forrest Claypool: I am not saying there is not waste in the Sheriff’s office and as I said before, he [Tom Dart] is in office one month and he has reduced the office by 10%. The question is, are you going to do 20% in the first year, which means going after Sheriff’s police.
*************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Would the smart thing to do [be for you] to start planning now and …run as an independent and that way you could run in the general election and you could get Republicans perhaps to vote for you…and Democrats to support you. Isn’t that the better play than to run against Todd Stroger in the Democratic Primary?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Well, I am not going to speculate on three years from now, but I am certainly a Democrat; I am going to remain a Democrat. If I run, it will be in the Democratic Primary for any office.
Jeff Berkowitz: You’re no Joe Lieberman. You wouldn’t pull the stunt of running as an independent.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: I wouldn’t. It’s sad that Joe Lieberman is still in the United States Senate.
Jeff Berkowitz: You think so?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: I do.
Jeff Berkowitz: You don’t respect Joe Lieberman for sticking to his guns.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: I don’t. I don’t respect Joe Lieberman for supporting a war in Iraq that was wrong headed and foolish.
**************************************
Commissioner Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago}, as is airing tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The show was recorded on February 4, 2007. You may also[watch the Comm. Claypool program here].
***************************************************
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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