Cook commissioner's bouquets a bit too revealing

Say this for Bill Beavers. He tells it like it is.

The plain-spoken defender of patronage let loose at Tuesday's Cook County board meeting with a tutorial on how to confound federal investigators and construct plausible deniability.

Commissioners were giving a fond farewell to Lance Tyson, the outgoing chief of staff to board President Todd Stroger. Tyson wasn't present, but commissioners were nonetheless singing his praises.

When Beavers' turn came, he recalled that he often would stop into Tyson's office to tell Tyson to tell Stroger something.

"I don't have to tell you (Stroger) anything," said Beavers to Stroger, who was chairing the board meeting. "Because when the feds call you (Stroger) and say, 'Did Beavers say such and such, you can say, 'No.'"

The boardroom erupted in laughter, and Stroger replied, "I think we're going to cut you off."

But Beavers continued, this time addressing his fellow commissioners.

"That's the way it should be done," said Beavers. "He (Stroger) shouldn't know everything."