EXTRA: Politically poisonous mailings out of Cook County Board district

Presta not really a Democrat

A pair of political mailings received Wednesday, trying to influence the votes of those casting ballots for the sixth district of the Cook County Board.

Patricia Joan posing as her mother

That was the seat held for many years by Commissioner Joan Murphy, D-Crestwood, until her death in 2016, and her replacement wasn't interested in keeping the post any longer the necessary.

WHICH MEANS THIS south suburban post is vacant, and up for grabs.

The center of the district’s population is Crestwood (which many of us know only for allegations of a tainted public water supply, and its cantankerous former mayor, Chester Stranczek), but the district shoots all the way to the southernmost Cook County border then travels east to the Illinois/Indiana state line – winding up in places like Sauk Village and Lynwood.

As a result, two of the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination (most likely to be the real election, with Nov. 6 being a mere formality) are Crestwood residents.

Current Mayor Lou Presta wants the post, and is going around with the slogan “Lou Can Do.” Although a new political mailing contends he’s not really a Democrat. He has a history of being a Republican backer and political operative.

Vote for Miller, instead?

WHICH WOULD MAKE sense, since Crestwood has a history of being a Republican enclave. But like I said, the larger area is Democrat – and Presta would be condemning himself to defeat if he tried to run as a GOPer.

But Murphy’s daughter, Patricia Joan Murphy, wants us to know he’s “a Republican running in a Democratic primary election.” In addition to being a financial deadbeat – she included excerpts of a Chicago Sun-Times story about the liens filed against Presta for unpaid taxes

Of course, Presta feels the need to retort. His mailing refers to Murphy, the daughter, as “an imposter.” He contends she is running for office on a name so similar to that of her mother in hopes of confusing voters who might not realize she is deceased.

Although personally, I feel that anybody who doesn’t realize which of their government officials is alive, and which are no longer with us, doesn't deserve a ballot -- no matter how much it is their Constitutional right..

I FEEL FOR anybody who received these mailings, particularly if they came one on top of the other on the same day. More of the trash that causes many people to turn away from an interest in electoral politics.

It might even be enough to write both off and vote for the third candidate in that particular primary – Donna Miller, a healthcare issues expert and the spouse of former Illinois state Rep. David Miller – who gave up that post back in 2011 to go back to being a dentist.

Sixth district will see share of political smears

Then again, Miller comes from Lynwood, which I suspect means many of the Crestwood-area types will want to view the district as their own – and not one to be held by someone from outside their enclave.

Which is why I’ll be watching this Cook County district come Election Day; to see not only who won, but which brand of knuckleheaded nonsense managed to prevail.

  -30-

There’s a perfectly-good reason they call this time of year the ‘silly season’

We’re one month away from Election Day, as in when we the electorate declare our partisan intentions and decide whom each of the political parties will have on the ballot come the Nov. 6 general elections.

BISS: The $56 man?

Which means we’re already enduring more than our share of stupidity in the name of politics – and we’re going to get 30 more days between now and the primaries.

YOU COULD CUT short the amount of time you have to care about such nonsense if you decide to cast your ballot at an early voting center. March 5 is the day people can start showing up to express themselves early.

Yet we’re enduring all kinds of stunts.

Such as the one by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Daniel Biss – who officially pulled out his checkbook and wrote out a $56 check to his own campaign.

It was supposed to be a mocking of the $7 million more than overly-wealthy opponent J.B. Pritzker gave to himself – bringing his total campaign fund to $56.7 million.

BISS, IN A video snippet he posted on Facebook, said he can’t come close to matching that amount of money. So instead, he coughed up $56 – while asking individuals to also donate $56, in hopes that the overall total will add up to something significant.

PRITZKER: Biss tries to mock his millions

While also trying to make a deeper point that Biss, a one-time mathematics teacher turned state senator from Evanston, is closer to being like everyday people than Pritzker.

Or even the other Democratic challenger, Chris Kennedy, whom Biss claims has given some $1.2 million of his own money to his gubernatorial campaign. Which means that no matter who wins a month from now, there is going to be a lot of self-money wasted on political fantasy.

While also showing that Biss’ own level of support is limited to the point where one could argue a vote cast for him is a vote wasted.

THE ONE THING I do know is that I probably shouldn’t go wearing a “Biss” campaign button on the day I show up at a polling place. I usually don’t give much thought to what I wear for that occasion – other than that I’ll get that sticker reading “I Voted!” to paste on myself that day.

Campaigning by intimidation?

It seems, however, that the Supreme Court of the United States is going to give thought to this issue. A week from Wednesday, the nation’s high court will hear arguments in a case out of Minnesota – where Tea Party-type activists are challenging state laws that required them to cover up the party t-shirts they wanted to wear while voting.

It may be subtle, but I don’t doubt it is intimidation in its own form. Just as I suspect every jackass who insists on wearing one of those ridiculous “Make America Great Again” caps is looking to provoke a reaction from everybody who doesn’t agree with them.

Although it’s not as blunt as a few years ago, when on Election Day, a polling place worker insisted on saying “Don’t Vote for the Son” as he guided us to empty ballot machines – remember Todd Stroger (the son of John) running for Cook County Board president re-election in 2010?

I ALSO GOT my chuckle from a campaign mailing I received from Patricia Joan Murphy – who’s running for the Cook County Board seat her late mother (Joan Patricia Murphy) held for many years.

Thorough instructions

The mailing included postcards I could send in to the county clerk’s office so that I can cast my ballot by mail. I don’t even have to show up at a polling place.

The card is actually an application to Cook County to send me a ballot to fill out at home. And for what it’s worth, Murphy’s postcards are already marked in a way to ensure I’m sent a Democratic Party primary ballot. How thoughtful (heavy sarcasm intended) of her.

It’s almost enough to make me want to pick a Republican ballot. But then I’d have to be confronted with the thought of the worst of evils between Gov. Bruce Rauner and challenger Jeanne Ives. Too nauseating to contemplate.

  -30-