Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz - Forrest Claypool

Comm. Forrest Claypool, also an Obama media team member, defends Obama
as a reformer and as not being a product of the Daley machine, notwithstanding Obama's failure to endorse Claypool for County Board president, Obama's fall, 2006 letter supporting Todd Stroger; Obama's close affiliation over the years with Tony Rezko, now awaiting a verdict on extortion and other federal corruption charges; Quigley and Suffredin as "reform dropouts."




Forrest Claypool, Cook County Commissioner (D-Chicago) and Obama media team member, debates and discusses issues relating to the Obama Presidential Campaign and Cook County public policy and politics with "Public Affairs," show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz.




Claypool, a University of Illinois Law School grad, was Chief of Staff for Mayor Daley from 1989-91 and 1998-99. He is in his second term as a Cook County Board Member and lost a close Democratic Primary race for Cook County Board President in 2006 to then three-term incumbent President (and now deceased) John Stroger.

Topics discussed on this episode of "Public Affairs," include whether Chicago Tribune columnist is right when he asserts that Barack Obama is a product of the Daley machine, whether Senator Obama and Cong. Jesse Jackson, Jr. were not true to reform when they both declined to endorse in the Claypool-John Stroger 2006 race, whether race played a major role in Senator Obama's decision, whether Senator Obama was not true to reform when he joined Senator Durbin in a full-throated endorsement letter supporting Todd Stroger for County Board President; whether Obama's close relationship with Tony Rezko over the years is defensible, whether identifiable traits explain why Obama, after only three years of elected national office, has become the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the U. S

Also discussed is whether Senator Obama has been as independent of his Party as Senator McCain has been of his; whether Senator Obama's No. 1 liberal U. S. Senator rating by the National Journal is consistent with Obama's post-partisan image; whether Obama's support of the subsidy-laden farm bill for agri-business and wealthy farmers and McCain's opposition to it says something about which candidate is the true reformer; whether Obama's problem in attracting low income white voters, especially in Appalachia, is a national election weakness; how much of Obama's Pastor Wright problem will dog him through-out the national election; how did President Todd Stroger overcome the Gang of Nine to get his 15%, plus, tax increase through the Cook County Board; Is Reform dead in Cook County now that Commissioners Quigley and Suffredin have become "reform drop-outs," leaving the reform effort undermanned, with the Gang of four reduced to the Gang of two: Forrest Claypool (D) and Tony Peraica (R)




RT/ 29:23

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[FranklinParkIL]

This was a most interesting thirty minute video.

Jeff Berkowitz (Host) walks a path of least resistance in a political jungle with a compass of fact, experience and insight.

The video is worth watching no matter what presidential candidate or party you are for.

Thank you - Ben