Tony Peraica Gets a Stalking Horse

By Kevin Robinson in News on Oct 26, 2007 2:30PM

Tony Peraica, Cook County commissioner and state’s attorney candidate, is having the worst week ever. As if being a homophobe right-winger in Cook County wasn’t bad enough, now the rest of the local GOP combine has turned against him. Joe Birkett, Judy Baar Topinka’s running mate for lieutenant governor, is backing Mary McMahon, an assistant state’s attorney in Democrat Dick Devine’s office, as the GOP candidate for State’s Attorney. This after he spoke at a rally for Bob Milan, a Democratic candidate. Furthermore, her father, Frank McMahon is Birkett’s cousin and a major Democratic contributor.

McMahon is 28 and passed the bar just two years ago. She says she’s in the race for real, though. "People might talk about my age, but I'm going to focus on my experience," McMahon told the Sun Times. Liz Gorman, Cook County GOP chairman and enemy of Peraica claims that she didn't recruit McMahon to run. High level politicians getting a nobody to run against someone they hate is a time honored tradition in politics, and this case is no exception. If Gorman can stop Peraica from reaching the state’s attorney’s office, then she needn’t worry about a real Republican taking away her empire.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Peraica posted a video on his blog asking supporters for contributions in denominations of 28.

This is the problem with the Illinois GOP: there is nobody in charge to make sure that when the knives come out, they come out for the right person. Rather than take the opportunity to destroy a Democrat (Stroger) who clearly has only his self-interest at heart, they spend their time fighting each other. Peraica’s good at getting media attention, but why hasn’t he called out the other RINOs? Have they forgotten Reagan’s 11th Commandment: "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican"? Democrats in Illinois are good at destroying each other for their own party’s good. Until Republicans learn this lesson, they will be destined to play second fiddle to the likes of Todd Stroger and Bill Beavers.