* Strange days, indeed…
The e-mails came about an hour apart Saturday.
The first, at 12:22 p.m., from the Dan Proft for Governor campaign said, “News Release; Proft wins New Trier Township GOP endorsement.”
The second one, at 1:28 p.m., from the Andy McKenna for Governor campaign said, “Press release: “McKenna wins New Trier GOP endorsement.”
As it turns out, they were both right. The two men — among seven Republicans running for Illinois governor — got a joint endorsement from the New Trier GOP.
That’s three big suburban township endorsements for Proft in the past week. He also got Schaumburg’s nod and Niles’ as well.
* Speaking of strange political items…
Political double agents — that seems the right phrase to describe some volunteers working on the Cook County Board president’s race.
Their true allegiance might not be clear. But their mission is: to topple incumbent County Board President Todd Stroger.
They’ve been working for two of Stroger’s three opponents in the Feb. 2 Democratic primary at the same time: Terrence J. O’Brien, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the lone white candidate in the race, and Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, one of the two black women challenging Stroger. […]
The proof is in the nearly two-foot-high stacks of nominating petitions each filed with the Cook County clerk’s office three weeks ago to get on the Democratic primary ballot along with Stroger and Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th). Over the last three months, three volunteers simultaneously circulated two sets of petitions — one for O’Brien, the other for Brown
Both Stroger’s and Preckwinkle’s people have been muttering for months that Brown is a put-up candidate by the white powers that be to split the black vote.
* Another one to make you go hmmm….
For years, Thomas Simmons was a high-ranking bureaucrat at City Hall. He also ran a successful “patronage army” of African Americans on the West Side.
Simmons helped many of his supporters get city jobs, according to testimony at the 2006 trial of Mayor Daley’s former patronage chief, Robert Sorich, who’s now in prison for illegally helping political workers get city jobs.
Today, Simmons and some of his group — Citizens for a Better West Side — are trying to get Terrence J. O’Brien elected the next Cook County Board president.
Don’tcha just love Cook County politics?
* Related…
* Opponents rip absent Stroger at Dem forum
* Cook County Commissioner Joan Murphy on the Hot Seat?
* More Illinois campaigns turning to online videos
* 14th District Republican hopefuls face off
* Jewish Republicans hold 10th congressional forum
* Another GOP hopeful emerges in 37th District
* Health care ads target suburban lawmakers
* Health care reform supports hit TV, target Kirk, Foster, Halvorson
* Cook County Jail reality show premiere