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Let the infighting begin. The momentum of "reform" that has swept over the Cook County Board in the last year has more than a few hopefuls eyeing the top board seat held by John Stroger. But it appears two of the most vocal commissioners pushing the anti-Stroger effort -- Forrest Claypool and Mike Quigley --can't agree on who the "reform candidate" should be in the 2007 Democratic primary. Last week, Claypool issued a letter to supporters, formally announcing his consideration of a run. It cites what he calls misdeeds under Stroger, with plans to overhaul county government. "I will be exploring a run" for the seat, he says, and "if I make the run, it will be to put these blueprints into action. "Nothing short of a radical restructuring will stop the county's annual ritual of seeking more and more money from our hard-pressed families and seniors." 'I started it' Not so fast, Quigley said, when asked to respond to the letter. "If the premise is that you're running to bring big change to county government, that this is 'the revolution,' well, in all honesty, I started it," said Quigley. "If that's the premise, then I think I've got the first shot at it." The two would seek votes and donations from the same base, and, Quigley said, "I'm strongly leaning toward running. Now it's more a matter of when than whether." Claypool said his letter isn't an announcement, joining Quigley in the "thinking about it" mantra. Claypool is in his first term, while Quigley, a seven-year County Board member, has fought Stroger as long as he has been president. "No other Democrat was getting their brains beat in and threatened with extinction before that," Quigley said. "It's rare to create a climate or culture of change, and while I'm happy that now one-third of the board has changed, that we've taken that next evolutionary step, I feel a certain ownership to that change." Call to be 'politically savvy' Stroger, meanwhile, is quietly leaning back, saying little. Though a fund-raiser is planned next month, he has yet to say whether he'll seek another term. Leading Democrats awaiting his decision include county Assessor James Houlihan and Chicago Ald. Ed Smith (28th), but those supporting the idea of a reform candidate warn that more than one in the mix will mean an ending neither will like. "I don't believe in political suicide," said Commissioner Larry Suffredin, urging all to be "politically savvy" to oust Stroger, adding he could see Claypool, Quigley or Houlihan in that role. "I would hope by the time filing occurs, there will be one strong reform candidate."