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Author
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Topic: Scandalized Democratic Nominee for Illinois Lt. Governor Quits Race
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blackrams
Member Posts: 14855
From: Frankfort, KY, USA
Registered: Feb 2003
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Scandalized Democratic Nominee for Illinois Lt. Governor Quits Race
http://www.politicsdaily.co...-governor-quits-r%2F
CHICAGO -- Scott Lee Cohen, the scandalized pawnbroker who won the Democratic nomination in Illinois for lieutenant governor, bowed out of the race Sunday night; his presence on the ticket could have doomed Gov. Pat Quinn, U.S. Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias and other Democrats in the November elections.
"For the good of the people of the state of Illinois and the Democratic Party, I will resign," Cohen said, choking back tears while at a North Side restaurant during the Super Bowl, where he made his announcement. "It is my hope, and I pray with all my heart, that I didn't hurt the people that I love so much. All I ever wanted to do was to run for office and to help the people, not cause chaos."
Cohen, 44, a political unknown, poured $2 million of his own money into his race and flooded that state with television ads with a single message -- the need to create jobs -- while his five underfunded rivals did not have the money to compete. Party leaders paid little attention to Cohen, but the moment he won the primary last Tuesday, he became Quinn's automatic running mate. Under Illinois law, separate primaries are held for governor and lieutenant governor and the winners then run together in the general election.
Cohen never hid from domestic abuse accusations from a former wife, but the Illinois media, his rivals, and Democratic leaders never focused on him, calculating that he did not have a chance to win. The day after Cohen clinched the primary, however, more information emerged from court records about him: his use of injectable anabolic steroids, illegally obtained; a former girlfriend accused him of holding a knife to her throat (she turned out to be a convicted prostitute); and a former wife alleged he was a deadbeat dad.
Cohen was pressured by a growing number of top Illinois Democrats to drop out for the good of the party. He resisted at first -- because, he said, none of them had called to congratulate him after his primary victory. "None of my opponents called to congratulate me, not a senator, not a congressman, not one person called," he told me Sunday afternoon, while wavering about whether to bow out of the race.
I asked if that hurt his feelings, and Cohen said that the lack of calls "showed me no respect. It absolutely hurt my feelings."
Quinn, in a statement, said Cohen "made the right decision for the Democratic Party and the people of Illinois. Now we can continue to focus our efforts on putting our economy back on track and working to bring good jobs to Illinois."
A ballot vacancy is filled by a vote of the Illinois Democratic State Central Committee.
Among the names being mentioned Sunday night were Quinn's primary rival, Comptroller Dan Hynes, and two of the men whom Cohen beat, state Rep. Arthur Turner of Chicago and state Sen. Terry Link from Waukegan.
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Hmm, personally, I'd be ticked if my guy won (apparently, the people's choice) and that group (a growing number of top Illinois Democrats) convinced my guy to drop out. I've always been told politics was a dirty business but, I personally think this stinks. I'm not suggesting Mr. Cohen is the right person for the job, just that he won. He should be running for Lt. Gov. I guess this shows who is really running the state of Illinois.
RonIP: Logged |
twofatguys
Member Posts: 7363
From: Wheaton,Mo
Registered: Jul 2004
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Does it seem like anymore Politics are getting so dirty that it's almost an embarrassment to run for any office?
It just seems to me that even if the person running is clean (I'm defending nobody) the opposing party will manage to make up something so terrible that even if it's later found to not be true it destroys the person it was against.
Great times here in the good 'ol USSA.
BradIP: Logged |
blackrams
Member Posts: 14855
From: Frankfort, KY, USA
Registered: Feb 2003
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I don't care who we're talking about, everyone has something in their closet they keep quiet about. Yeah the press or opposition will dig it up but, that's part of the process. The People have Spoken. Just not loud enough to be heard by the powers that are obviously in charge.
Seems like I've heard of another politician from IL. Hmm  who was that anyway?
RonIP: Logged |
cliffw
Member Posts: 17262
From: Kerrville, Texas, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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| | | quote | Originally posted by blackrams:
Hmm, personally, I'd be ticked if my guy won (apparently, the people's choice) and that group (a growing number of top Illinois Democrats) convinced my guy to drop out. I've always been told politics was a dirty business but, I personally think this stinks. I'm not suggesting Mr. Cohen is the right person for the job, just that he won. He should be running for Lt. Gov. I guess this shows who is really running the state of Illinois.
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| | | quote | Originally posted by blackrams:
<A Class="HTMLBodyLink" HREF="http://www.politicsdaily.co...-governor-quits-r%2F" TARGET=_blank>http://www.politicsdaily.co...nor-quits-r%2F</A>[/URL]
[quote]linky
Cohen, 44, a political unknown, poured $2 million of his own money into his race and flooded that state with television ads with a single message -- the need to create jobs -- while his five underfunded rivals did not have the money to compete. |
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Two million dollars and quit. Hmm.... lots to speculate about there.
Who needs Jerry Springer ?[This message has been edited by cliffw (edited 02-08-2010).] IP: Logged |
82-T/A [At Work]
Member Posts: 4023
From: Cooper City, Florida USA
Registered: Aug 2002
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| | | quote | Originally posted by blackrams:
I don't care who we're talking about, everyone has something in their closet they keep quiet about. Yeah the press or opposition will dig it up but, that's part of the process. The People have Spoken. Just not loud enough to be heard by the powers that are obviously in charge.
Seems like I've heard of another politician from IL. Hmm who was that anyway?
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I'm 31, and I really don't have anything to keep quiet about. I'm squeeky clean.
The worst thing I've ever done in my entire life was
- Dump old paint down a tree stump (and now I've become an environmentalist),
- Wrestle some naked girls in a pool of jello years ago (I was 22). I wasn't married or even engaged at the time,
- I also peed down the exhaust pipe of a back-ho at a construction site when I was 5 years old and my brother let the air out of one of the tires, and we got caught and I apologized.
- I hacked into the SpectraVision box when I was just a kid so I could get the **** channels and my parents didn't know (I grew up in a Hotel because my dad was a GM)
- I opened my dad's bottle of Louie the 13th Cognac and shared it with my friends, and then filled it up with flat TAB and water to make it look like it wasn't open.
That's it... that's ALL my skeletons...
I'm well aware that none of this is bad, so I refuse to believe that there are people out there who aren't as clean, or cleaner than I am. Perhaps they're just not interested in politics?
IP: Logged |
Jefrysuko
Member Posts: 2712
From: Monticello IL
Registered: Apr 2000
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Hey, it's Illinois what do you expect? I think it is well documented how corupt politics are in this state.IP: Logged |
heybjorn
Member Posts: 3188
From: pace fl
Registered: Apr 2007
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| | | quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
- Dump old paint down a tree stump (and now I've become an environmentalist),
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And to think I was beginning to hold you in fairly high esteem. 
IP: Logged |
82-T/A [At Work]
Member Posts: 4023
From: Cooper City, Florida USA
Registered: Aug 2002
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| | | quote | Originally posted by heybjorn:
And to think I was beginning to hold you in fairly high esteem.
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Sometimes you have to make mistakes before you can learn.
Obviously, I know the difference now... but I'm a full fledged environmentalist now.
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Todd,
2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x2
2002 Ford Explorer Sport 2dr 4x2
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter IP: Logged |
css9450
Member Posts: 1770
From: Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA
Registered: Nov 2002
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Pat Quinn should offer the position of Lt. Governor to the highest bidder.IP: Logged |
pokeyfiero
Member Posts: 9475
From: The other Brentwood,Ca,U.S.A
Registered: Dec 2003
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The guy wasn't hiding anything it seems. The people voted for him. That should stand unless the people don't want him.
HE sounds like a creep but who knows what really is going on. He is a pawn broker with a ex prostitute wife. His troubles sound relative to his environment.IP: Logged |
heybjorn
Member Posts: 3188
From: pace fl
Registered: Apr 2007
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| | | quote | Originally posted by blackrams:
Cohen never hid from domestic abuse accusations from a former wife, but the Illinois media, his rivals, and Democratic leaders never focused on him, calculating that he did not have a chance to win. The day after Cohen clinched the primary, however, more information emerged from court records about him: his use of injectable anabolic steroids, illegally obtained; a former girlfriend accused him of holding a knife to her throat (she turned out to be a convicted prostitute); and a former wife alleged he was a deadbeat dad.
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I don't see the problem here. He isn't a tax cheat, is he? All of this pretty much makes him the standard Illinois democrat these days, doesn't it? Why has the party picked now to decide it wants to make Illinois citizens think it has standards?
| | | quote | | Scott Lee Cohen, the scandalized pawnbroker . . . |
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Scandalous. He is scandalous; the party and /or citizens of Illinois are scandalized.IP: Logged |
partfiero
Member Posts: 2800
From: Tucson, Arizona
Registered: Jan 2002
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I hear NY Pattie is next.IP: Logged | |
