Illinois Incapable of Producing Scandal-Free Governors

[Lemur]

What is it with Illinois, anyway? I'm trying to remember the last time they had a scandal-free governor, and I'm coming up short.

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.

The court documents alleged that Cohen tried to force his ex-wife to have sex with him.

"On May 9, 2005, after having confessed to several affairs he had, he tried to have sex with me, and despite my refusals, he tried to force himself on me until I pushed him away and emphatically told him no," his ex-wife alleged. [...]

Earlier today, Quinn said that if Cohen can't adequately explain charges against him revealed Wednesday — that Cohen allegedly held a knife to the throat of a prostitute ex-girlfriend — then "he should step aside" as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.

[PanzerJaeger]

What is it with Illinois, anyway?

Dunno, but it always surprises me that so many people believe POTUS came out of that cesspool squeaky clean... or even with a shred of integrity left.

Anyway, the wife's story vaguely reminds me of that South Park where the crippled kid took steroids to win the special olympics. That show used to be so funny.

Edit: Found it. Still worth a laugh...

[Subotan]

When I was at interviews for my course at university, I met a guy from Chicago. We got onto talking about politics, and he said that corruption was Illiniois' "done thing"

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Louisiana and Illinois are the last of the old-school "machines" that are more or less still running. They have their upside -- taking care of one's own -- but seem to breed even more corruption than regular politics.

Fun thought: I had heard that Illinois was prominent in JFK's win in 1960. Had it switched columns it would have put RN in the Whitehouse. RN has often been given "points" for not contesting the Illinois vote -- where it is strongly suspected that the Cook County graveyards voted 99+% in favor of Kennedy. However, I have also heard that one of the "other" reasons he didn't contest the Cook County debacle was because of certain "irregularities" with the vote down in Edwardsville and Cairo. Illinois has always been a charming political hotbed.

[The Wizard]

It's the Midwest, go figure








...

[Centurion1]

my moms from chicago. she's told me stories about how the machine would come through the slav neighborhoods on election day and yah know...... talk to the residents.

[Major Robert Dump]

Steroids and holding a knife to a prostitute sounds like a typical weekend adventure for me. Maybe you guys should be less judgmental and try steroids before you knock them.

[Ironside]

Steroids and holding a knife to a prostitute sounds like a typical weekend adventure for me. Maybe you guys should be less judgmental and try steroids before you knock them.

You're aiming to become a Oklahama senator?

[Major Robert Dump]

You're aiming to become a Oklahama senator?

I may be into steroids and prostitutes, sir, but I draw the line at embezzlement and tax evasion.