Illinois Politics - Embarassment or High Comedy?

[UNI88]

Gotta have a sense of humor to live in Illinois or you would break down in tears over the scandals and fiscal irresponsibility.

Ill. Lt. governor nominee denies holding knife to girlfriend's neck, admits past steroid use
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/poli ... 6899.story

A political newcomer who won the Democratic nomination for Illinois lieutenant governor said he has no intention of leaving the race after details emerged about his arrest for allegedly holding a knife to his former girlfriend's throat.
...
Cohen was arrested on domestic battery charges in 2005, accused of pushing his then-girlfriend's head against a wall and of the knife incident. The police report noted abrasions on her neck and hand, but charges were dropped after she failed to appear in court.

Police records show the woman had been arrested for prostitution, the Chicago Tribune reported. Cohen said he did not know that at the time. He told WTTW-TV that he met her at a "massage therapy place" and believed she was a masseuse. Cohen denied hitting her and said their relationship was "tumultuous."

Cohen said he has asked her and his ex-wife, Debbie Cohen York, to clear the air. York sought an order of protection against Cohen in 2005 as she filed for divorce. She said his violence was fueled by anabolic steroids.

Cohen acknowledged his past steroid use but denied abusing York.

If the Republican candidate is a moderate (a couple of hundred votes separated the two leading primary vote-getters), they stand a decent chance of retaking the Governor's mansion.

[Ibanez]

That's good stuff. Good stuff..

[dbackjon]

At least Illinoisans still have South Carolina to laugh at...

[OSBF]

Nothing really new here, same story just in a different order.

In the past we have elected people that end up going to prision, this time, we just got the criminal activity out of the way before electing him.

[OSBF]

If the Republican candidate is a moderate (a couple of hundred votes separated the two leading primary vote-getters), they stand a decent chance of retaking the Governor's mansion.

Looks like it's gonna be Brady, and he's far from a moderate.

His answer to school violence is a law REQUIRING teachers to be armed, with loaded weapons, in every illinois classroom.

He will be exposed as a far right fringe wack job, and we get 4 more years of Pat Quinn.

[mebison]

A college friend of mine who lives in IL now had voted in every election since he was 18 (I think he's around 34 now) until he moved to IL. He's a staunch conservative but he the candidates the GOP put forth were so bad he couldn't vote for them, so he just didn't vote (after calling the local GOP to let them know). I think his wife threw in a symbolic 3rd party vote just for the principle of the thing.

Although since he said that, he has said he likes that young representative out of the Peoria area. My friend has crossed paths with him and said he's a good, smart young guy.

[OSBF]

Although since he said that, he has said he likes that young representative out of the Peoria area. My friend has crossed paths with him and said he's a good, smart young guy.

Aaron Schock. Again, too much of a fringe/extremist to be electable in any statewide general election.

Hates public education with a fire and passion I have never seen.

Wants all education privatized, not just K-12 but colleges too.

Too extreme.

[UNI88]

If the Republican candidate is a moderate (a couple of hundred votes separated the two leading primary vote-getters), they stand a decent chance of retaking the Governor's mansion.

Looks like it's gonna be Brady, and he's far from a moderate.

His answer to school violence is a law REQUIRING teachers to be armed, with loaded weapons, in every illinois classroom.

He will be exposed as a far right fringe wack job, and we get 4 more years of Pat Quinn.

Dillard is the moderate and he might have had a chance against Quinn. I know Brady isn't anywhere near a moderate.

I like Quinn as a person but I don't think he has the chops to be a good governor. He's too easily distracted, doesn't pay attention to details and doesn't have the backbone to stand up to Madigan. If Quinn is reelected we're looking at 4 more years of flip-flops and off-the-wall ideas. The state needs a strong leader and administrator to get us out of this fiscal mess and Hynes, Dillard or McKenna would have been preferable to Quinn.

The Republicans need a runoff not a recount. The moderates (Dillard, McKenna & Ryan) cannibalized each other and left the ultra-conservatives with one truly viable candidate (Brady) who also benefited from being the only downstate candidate.

[UNI88]

At least Illinoisans still have South Carolina to laugh at...

Not sure about that Jon. How many former governors of South Carolina are serving time?

[mebison]

Although since he said that, he has said he likes that young representative out of the Peoria area. My friend has crossed paths with him and said he's a good, smart young guy.

Aaron Schock. Again, too much of a fringe/extremist to be electable in any statewide general election.

Hates public education with a fire and passion I have never seen.

Wants all education privatized, not just K-12 but colleges too.

Too extreme.

Interesting. I may have to call up my buddy and lure him into another political rant. Thanks!

[SuperHornet]

If you didn't get lost in the fine print of that article, it seems clear that this guy may well be the second coming of Chris Benoit.

ROFL.

[houndawg]

That's good stuff. Good stuff..

Good stuff, but not our best......and to think that from the outside Illinois appears to be such a bland, white-bread mid-western state.....hell, we got governors making license plates, and my persoal favorite - Obama's oppoment for the US Senate seat whose campaign was hampered by a wife-pimping scandal.

[ATrain]

To answer the title, since I don't live in Illinois, its high comedy.

[UNI88]

Good stuff, but not our best......and to think that from the outside Illinois appears to be such a bland, white-bread mid-western state.....hell, we got governors making license plates, and my persoal favorite - Obama's oppoment for the US Senate seat whose campaign was hampered by a wife-pimping scandal.

Yep, the Repubs are just as bad as the Dems and frequently in bed with them on the backroom deals and other sleazy stuff.

To answer the title, since I don't live in Illinois, its high comedy.

I live in Illinois and I have to laugh otherwise I would be crying. I especially like Cohen saying that he didn't know his girlfriend was a prostitute, he just thought she was a masseuse. The offer of a "happy ending" didn't make him the least bit suspicious?

[houndawg]

Good stuff, but not our best......and to think that from the outside Illinois appears to be such a bland, white-bread mid-western state.....hell, we got governors making license plates, and my persoal favorite - Obama's oppoment for the US Senate seat whose campaign was hampered by a wife-pimping scandal.

Yep, the Repubs are just as bad as the Dems and frequently in bed with them on the backroom deals and other sleazy stuff.

To answer the title, since I don't live in Illinois, its high comedy.

I live in Illinois and I have to laugh otherwise I would be crying. I especially like Cohen saying that he didn't know his girlfriend was a prostitute, he just thought she was a masseuse. The offer of a "happy ending" didn't make him the least bit suspicious?

I live in Illinois to and I get a kick out of the politics of our neighbors to the north. Times like these are when it's not a bad thing that far downstate has no political voice in Illinois.