The Return of Stroger will be celebrated tonight on Channel 11.  As of 3:16 pm today, he was expected on Chicago Tonight when he and challenger Peraica will “square off.”  Also on hand with be Commissioner Mike Quigley.  That’s 7–8 pm, if you can tear yourself away from Cubs v. Pirates, which is 6–8 on cable 37.

Good question if you’re looking for one: To what extent is Sun-Times woman Lynn Sweet and her editors aware of the foto-ops and all-around glowing top-of-line coverage they are providing free of charge to Sen. Barack Obama as he makes his l-o-n-g African junket.  The thing (series) is still going strong today, its — what? 8th day?  9th?  It’s been a long time. 

Thing (point) is, who’s reading it?  It doesn’t matter.  The PICTURES, my friend, are the thing (point).  They are blowin’ in the wind.  Another question: What if one of the crowd stood up and yelled, “Yankee, go home!”  Now that would take this out of the category of a 17th-century “masque” of the sort characterized by the Beaumont and Fletcher character in “The Maid’s Tragedy,” where Lysippus, the king’s brother asks Strato about one being planned.

Lys. Strato, thou hast some skill in poetry: What think’st thou of the masque? Will it be well?

Strat. As well as masque can be.

Lys. As masque can be?

Strat. Yes; they must commend their king, and speak in praise
Of the assembly; bless the bride and bridegroom
In person of some god. They are tied to rules
Of flattery.

County board presidency candidate Peraica is worried enough about his opponent Todd (Baby) Stroger after the latter’s absence from public view for nine days that he has authorized an all-points bulletin to find him and says he may have to put Baby’s picture on milk cartons if he is not found soon.

That’s his position.  I think young Stroger is dropping out, with his father’s payrollers preparing a massive write-in campaign for someone else.  This is not as foolish as it seems, because his father had about 100,000 payrollers if you count their families and friends, and if each gets five others, there you have it, a landslide.