Your icon never fails to amuse.*g* Especially since the cover for Mr. Parker goes to Washington actually shows Peter setting between the two daddies, on the couch...

The only way I can directly square this with Illuminati is that Tony is (rather vainly) hoping that he can get more heroes on his side before the inevitable passage of the act.

That was my interpretation, that he's playing for time. After all, at this point the only one who committed himself knowingly was Reed Richards, and Peter unknowingly.

Though I think it's interesting that Peter DOES ask Tony whether he manipulated the situation; so it occurs to him. What doesn't, apparently, occur to him is that Tony would bold-facedly lie about it

Well, as opposed to Steve, he didn't know Tony when Tony was an alcoholic and thus really good with lying to his nearest and dearest to get what he wants... But yes, he's aware it might have been a set up, so he's not presented as completely naive.