What to do about Scott Lee Cohen

[barb162]

I finally, after much study, voted for Mike Boland, though I was originally going to vote for Turner for Lt. Gov. This stuff coming out about Cohen is getting an awful lot of very bad press. I am hoping Quinn can somehow convince him to drop out or whatever, for the good of the Party. Take the next highest vote winner, which would be Turner. Cohen somehow (?) got 212,902 votes and Turner got 182,432 votes.



http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-cohen-arrest-feb3,0,4002257.story


http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/politics&id=7254527

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/02/new-questions-in-2005-arrest-of-democratic-lieutenant-governor-nominee-.html


Details surface of Scott Lee Cohen's 2005 domestric violence arrest
SHOCKING PAST | Dem nominee for lt. gov was once accused of holding knife to woman’s neck
February 3, 2010

BY CHRIS FUSCO, DAVE McKINNEY, ABDON M. PALLASCH AND STEVE WARMBIR Staff Reporters
snip
State Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills), one of the unsuccessful candidates for lieutenant governor, and representatives of the other candidates met a month before the election with representatives of the Quinn and Hynes campaigns to warn them about Cohen, Link said.


"We tried to warn the governor beforehand and they didn't want to listen to it," Link said. "He and Dan should have issued a joint statement denouncing this guy."

snip
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/2029016,scott-cohen-arrest-020410.article

[Venceremos]

1. Sorry but I had to laugh

about the comment in the second link: "one of them may very well be a heartbeat - or an indictment - away from becoming governor".

So Cohen is a pawnbroker who dated a prostitute and allegedly held a knife to her throat. In any other state I'd say this is definitely a problem, but we're in Illinois. :crazy: On a serious note, I wonder why this issue wasn't more prominent during the primaries? I'm surprised the other candidates didn't hammer it.

[Wabbajack_]

2. Lucky it's coming out now

Rather then say, September. Who the hell is this guy and how did he get more votes than Turner, Boland and Link?

[barb162]

5. He said jobs, jobs, jobs and was doing a lot of ads for job fairs

Whether there were any actual job fairs or more than two people got actual jobs, I have no idea. And he outspent other candidates hugely.

And I guess the governor candidates were so busy with their own campaigns and thought this man would never get anywhere, that they ignored it, despite the pleas of the other candidates for this spot. What a mess!

[barb162]

9. I think I know what you mean

but I also think he is unelectable as more and more details come out. It's not just this alleged woman beating incident, which is serious enough in itself. I think most people would have voted for one of the other Democratic LT Gov candidates if they had known all this crap about this nominee. The part I posted where the other (D)candidates went to Quinn and Hynes and wanted Cohen denounced...I think that's probably the way to go if he won't step down from the ticket. I look at this as a PR disaster and worse in the making if it is not fixed now or very soon. I think everyone was so busy with their own campaigns they just weren't paying attention and thought he'd never get elected.

[JoDog]

3. I'm incredibly disappointed

in Cohen, the IL Dems and the media.

Cohen should have known better than to think this wouldn't come out and weaken his chances. It doesn't matter what the circumstances were, if the the charges were dropped. It's there. The IL GOP now has the script for their first "crooked, slimy Chicago Democrat" commercial to be aired in the ruby red downstate markets.

The IL Dems should have vetted their candidates better. Yes, you can say that the party has no control over who files for the primary, but the party can also strongly encourage or discourage candidates. Any official in the state party or prominent office holder who backed this guy should have done their homework, then pushed him to leave the primary.

The media just now found this? I know the primary is now very early in our state, but come on. As a former journalist, I would be shocked if they didn't do some digging into the pasts of the leading candidates for the major statewide offices. Since a thing like a misdemenor assault arrest is pretty easy to find in court and police records, I am led to a choice between two conclusions: Either the reporters didn't do their jobs, or someone issued orders to sit on the story, probably to the end of damaging the Dems in November.

[barb162]

6. Ah, the media, check this Sun Times article

http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/2029178,CST-NWS-brown04.article


"Voters can't say they weren't warned"
February 4, 2010

BY MARK BROWN Sun-Times Columnist
Let the record reflect that on the very day last March that Scott Lee Cohen announced his campaign for lieutenant governor of Illinois, he voluntarily disclosed he had once been arrested in what he described as a domestic battery case involving a live-in girlfriend.

It seems only fair to point that out now that Cohen is the surprise winner of the Democratic primary -- and everybody is suddenly digging into his background and trying to figure out who he is -- beyond that carefully crafted image as "the only candidate who is doing something about the economy."

snip
How was I to know way back then that the Democratic voters of Illinois would be so dumb as to elect him, brainwashed by millions of dollars in advertising about his job fairs?

snip
So I duly reported the information, along with his explanation that the charges were dropped when the girlfriend failed to appear in court and with his denial that he'd done anything wrong in the first place. The whole business was tucked into a couple of paragraphs deep within the story, which I thought portrayed Cohen overall as a bit of a goof.

snip
And that's where it stopped, until a few weeks ago, when I started receiving calls from Democratic political types as his opponents came to realize Cohen might actually win, which I'd already figured out for myself just by hearing all his radio commercials and seeing his campaign mailings.

snip
Instead, I wrote a column about the very real possibility Cohen could win and pointing out how he was going out of his way to hide his occupation in those campaign ads touting him generically as a successful small-business man.

snip
The problem is that Cohen has no business being lieutenant governor, not to mention governor, which will only become more obvious in the days ahead.

snip

-------------

Although I checked the Sun Times, the Tribune. etc., and the candidate sites for at least two hours or more the day before the election for the Dem. Lt. Gov. spots, I saw nothing at all about "pawnbroker" or this knife incident, his previous 6 figure IRS problems, that his wife went for a protective order, etc. The knife incident apppeared but was buried in Mark Browns's column in March 09. What I did see the day before the election were descriptions of him as a successful entrepreneur who was holding job fairs, etc. On WGN last evening, they showed the Chicago Police Dept papers, which apparently, from the Tribune, show some physical details about the actual skin injuries and bruise to the back of the woman's head, and this woman was seen by paramedics, etc. and that she didn't show up in court. But there was nothing in the election coverage that he spent the night in jail over this incident, etc. So duh, unless you caught Brown's column in March, which I sure as hell didn't, you'd not know he was involved in some serious negative stuff.

Today or tomorrow I write to Quinn, Madigan and other top Democrats in this State because this is probably going to be as bad as that Jack Ryan utter fiasco for the GOP a few years ago.

[JoDog]

15. I didn't see that column either

I live in the northwest burbs and can't get the Sun Times delivered. All I ever heard was the economic message. That led me to actually vote for Cohen. Had the media or other party members made a bigger stink about his police record, I would not have.

Which leads me back to the media conspiracy theory. The Trib and the Sun follow up on each other's published leads all the time. It looks like no one at the Trib checked this out, and no one at the Sun bothered to reassign it to the news desk. If they did, they dragged their feet about it.

[barb162]

21. It was in Mark Brown's column of 3/17/09 buried deep within that column

He even said himself he thought Cohen would go nowhere until he started seeing all the ads. He was interviewed yesterday on WLS. I never get the Sun Times so I'd never have seen it though I do go on their web site every few days.

[mopinko]

4. until this state comes to its senses and lets the gov and lt gov be a ticket

we are gonna keep getting these kinda weirdos.
the gov candidates certainly could reach out and campaign with one of them.
what a joke.
i was for boland, also.

[barb162]

7. Not many were for Boland.

I had more pieces of papers with endorsements and my own comments all over these pieces of paper for each Democratic candidate as I really knew none of them. FInally I decided it was Boland as he wasn't punting certain State fiscal problems off to committees for study for three years to then get shelved somewhere.

As to Cohen, it is as if this man was not vetted at all by the Party.

[murielm99]

16. I voted for Boland, too.

I know him personally, and I am aware of his record. He would have worked hard at his job. He certainly did that as rep. in the Quad City area.

The field was awfully crowded for Lt. Governor. I think people must have voted for the one whose name was out there the most. Cohen did spend a lot to get his name out. And the job fair program helped him, too.

What is the matter with our party? It is going to be hard enough to keep these offices without more scandal. Yes, this is scandal prone Illinois. But I think people have had enough for awhile. Some voters may actually be looking for cleaner elected officials. What a novel concept for our state!

[barb162]

23. Good for you

I had to look up every one of the candidates; never heard of any of them.

[murielm99]

24. It is too bad that he did not run for his state rep. seat again.

We need him there. He stands up to Madigan, even if his bills get bottled up in committee. Since my state rep is a republican, I can call Boland's office and get answers.

Boland gets out and about in the 16th and 17th districts. He has attended many of my events. I will be retiring from my chairmanship, and taking a brief break. After cataract surgery, and a trying different approach to my thyroid issues, I will get back into the game. Maybe Mike will have some suggestions for me. I am not doing any more of this crap with a moribund county central committee in a cliquish rural area.

Politics is nasty. Mike Boland is a nice guy in a dirty business.

[barb162]

8. You know what I found most obnoxious?

That Cohen said he "fell into the wrong crowd." I had to read that several times. He said this to Phil Ponce too on Channel 11 last evening. Is he nine years old or what here? Is that the language of grown-up? I mean this happened in 2005 and he wasn't some preteen in 2005. Little things like he didn't know his girlfriend was a prostitute (EYES), the IRS problems, his wife going for a protective order, etc. Wait until the Republicans gets photos of the woman's injuries from the Police or they get the paramedic papers, etc., this will keep spinning out of control. The pawnbroker bit is upsetting too because in my mind , at least, I think of them like operators of payday loan shops, just preying on and making money off of poor and desperate people. I really wished the papers had gotten on top of this earlier before voters had voted,but the papers have been laying off reporters with their own financial problems and the story never really got out there.

I'm writing to the top people in the Party and tell them this man CANNOT stay on the Democratic ticket. They have to Fix- It- Now and by summer and autumn, hopefully this will all be a footnote to the election. I don't even want to think of what the Republicans can do with this.

[Venceremos]

10. Quinn has now said

Cohen should consider withdrawing. Here's the link:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/02/democrats-struggle-with-lieutenant-governor-problem.html

[barb162]

11. Thank you, Governor Quinn!!!

(Somebody please explain to me how a person can have a live-in girlfriend and NOT know she's a prostitute.)

from your link:

Gov. Pat Quinn today said his new running mate, a Chicago pawnbroker with a 2005 domestic battery arrest, should consider withdrawing from the race because his background could hurt the Democratic ticket in the November general election.

Quinn stopped short of saying Scott Lee Cohen should abandon the nomination he won in Tuesday's primary. But he said Cohen "has an obligation to step aside" if his past becomes a problem.

"snip
Cohen, a pawnbroker who was the surprise winner in the little-publicized contest among half a dozen candidates, had previously disclosed his 2005 arrest. He described it Wednesday as an argument with his drunken girlfriend and said he didn’t lay a hand on her, though she called the police and had him taken into custody.
snip

THANKS, Venceremos!

[Venceremos]

12. Cohen also did not finish high school

He got a GED after taking over his father's pawn shop in high school.

"Cohen, 44, took over his late father's business at 48th and Ashland in Chicago, State Pawners & Jewelers, in high school, and got a high school equivalency degree."

The quote is from http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=356595&src=109 about 2/3 down the page.

I'm not knocking people who didn't finish school, but it does seem a bit under-educated for lieutenant governor of the 5th largest state.

[barb162]

13. In the Tribune candidate profiles

It mentioned under "Education" he had a GED and was attending DePaul. I'd like to know if DePaul has him listed as an active student or what. I'd also like to know if he just started there last Sept (09)because he was running for this. "...a bit under-educated" for lt. governor, yes, I would say so too, although I don't want to knock anyone either who had problems or never had the money to go to school. Everything about this guy seems to be smoke and mirrors though. I'd like to hear from that live-in girlfriend and his wife and why the wife got the protective order. More than anything I just wish he'd drop out. I've got very bad vibes about this whole thing.

[Venceremos]

14. Agreed

I don't like to knock people who got a GED as my husband has one. His family had serious financial problems so he dropped out to work full time at a factory. But it doesn't sound like Cohen had to quit school.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

17. That's the factoid that made me cross him off.

While I have great admiration for those who earned a GED, it doesn't make you sound like a serious candidate for higher office. His profile in the paper in general just made him sound like a goof. I didn't read a word about the other issues until after the election.

[barb162]

18. it gets "worser and worser"

Scott Lee Cohen allegedly abused steroids, forced himself on ex-wife

February 4, 2010

BY CHRIS FUSCO AND DAVE McKINNEY Staff Reporters
Gov. Quinn’s embattled running mate, Scott Lee Cohen, allegedly abused anabolic steroids, displayed fits of rage and forced himself sexually on his ex-wife before their divorce, court documents reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times show.

Those explosive allegations about Cohen’s “erratic” behavior come from his ex-wife and are contained in the couple’s divorce file in legal documents that were part of an order of protection she sought in 2005.

The woman described life with the millionaire pawnbroker as “pretty unbearable” and said that she lived “in constant fear of him,” according to the court records.

“Over the past year, my husband has been taking injectable anabolic steroids, including but not limited to Winstrol, Cretine, and Steen. And as a result, he has an erratic, explosive temper,” she alleged.

snip

http://www.suntimes.com/news/2030254,scott-lee-cohen-steroids-governor-020410.article

[mucifer]

19. This really sucks. How stupid are people anyway to believe job fairs are going to save the economy?

so fucking stupid!

[barb162]

20. Durbin calls for Scott Lee Cohen to step aside

February 5, 2010
Durbin calls for Scott Lee Cohen to step aside

BY CHRIS FUSCO, DAVE McKINNEY, KIM JANSSEN AND ABDON M. PALLASCH Staff Reporters

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin this morning joined the chorus of voices calling for Scott Lee Cohen to step aside, even as the embattled Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor gave no indication he plans to do so.

“He really should spare himself, and his friends and family what he’s about to go through,” Durbin said this morning in Evanston, speaking to WBBM-AM (780). “I’m afraid the disclosures so far really disqualify him.”

snip
Cohen also allegedly skipped child-support payments at the same time he was investing his own money — a total of more than $2 million — in his successful bid to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. His ex-wife, Debra York-Cohen, alleged just two months ago that he owed her nine months worth of back child support totaling $54,000 for their four children.

snip
The allegations about Cohen prompted the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault to say it is “beyond unsettling to think a person who reportedly held a knife to a woman’s throat could be responsible for helping determine public policy that impacts the safety of women and children.” snip http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/2031654,dick-durbin-scott-lee-cohen-020510.article

Bravo for Durbin!!! On another note, on WTWW's "Chicago Tonight" show Thursday evening, Mr Cohen said if voters contacted him and said he should step down, he'd step down. So I emailed a lovely little note to him yesterday that he should step down for his myriad examples of sordid behavior.

[mikekohr]

22. This is political kryptonite

If this guy is not bum rushed off the stage it will be a disaster for us in November in Illinois. I'd rather have that jackass Blagojevich over this tool.

mike kohr
Bureau County, Illinois