The Illinois Times ran one of the best interviews of a state legislator that I’ve ever seen last month. I missed the interview of Rep. Larry McKeon at the time, but noticed the link over at DownLeft last night. A few quick highlights:

After all, McKeon has for years publicly taunted his allegedly closeted colleagues in the Legislature, whom, he says, number about a half-dozen. He has claimed many times that he is “not the only gay man in the General Assembly but the only one to tell the truth about it.”

Stopping short of naming names, he adds that there are enough gays and lesbians in the Legislature to form a caucus representing both chambers and both political parties.

“It’s already widely rumored and well-known who these people are,” McKeon says. “Who are they fooling, other than just themselves?” […]

McKeon says that he only wishes he could garner such interest from Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whom he supports but describes as “untrustworthy,” “extremely poorly advised,” and “quite inaccessible.” […]

McKeon accepted a teaching a post at Roosevelt University but found himself increasingly unable to function. That’s when he performed what he now refers to, with some morbid amusement, as the “stupid tie trick.”

“I tried to hang myself on a closet rail with a bunch of silk ties,” he says. “All I did was pull down the closet, and all the books that were on top of the closet, and ruin a very good silk tie.” […]

He describes Daley, who began his own political career in the Legislature, as “a short little dude” who “always pokes me in the chest.” McKeon told the mayor about his plans to run for Kazak’s seat: “And he looked up at me and says, ‘I don’t know anybody in their right mind who would want to be in the Illinois General Assembly.’”

Read the whole thing.