There has been a lot of conversation here and elsewhere about Scott Lee Cohen, his personal life and character, and the litany of conflict and controversy that appears to populate his life. It is so colorful (and allegedly criminal) that Democratic leaders are calling for his resignation. What hasn’t been discussed is how to facilitate his exit. Cohen may be something worse than a schlemiel but let's face it, that certainly hasn’t prevented others from holding office.
This situation is the product of multiple failures and not all of them are Cohen’s. Lynn Sweet has a good column on the topic in today's Chicago Sun-Times. Lynn touches on one element of this debacle, one that was likely unexpected when the Speaker moved up the primary. The time period between when pre-election D2s are filed and election day used to be 5 weeks. It’s now 13 days. And it matters.
Cohen's pre-election D2 is breathtaking but coming just days before the election, there wasn’t enough time to act on it. It provided an important clue. This is not unlike what we experienced last week at the ISBE arguing on behalf of Laiacona and Lozano. Given the abbreviated primary schedule and the partisan nature of the Board, the purpose of campaign finance law is for all intents and purposes neutered. Information that matters is either never found or lost in the flurry of what has become a one month primary campaign season.
Focusing exclusively on Cohen I think, misses the forest for the wife-beating tree and begs a number of questions, none of which I find easy to answer. Who should be held to account? Why should Cohen absorb the cost of his campaign if he's forced out? What is your solution and what might the long-term political and policy consequences be for implementing your proposal?
