* Yeah, it’s only Monday, but I’m pretty confident this entry will hold up. From the Kankakee Daily Journal…

Scott Lee Cohen has been called of many things since his early March departure as the Democratic Party nominee for lieutenant governor.

The word “quitter” isn’t among them.

The 45-year-old Cohen, now an independent candidate for Illinois governor, was in Bourbonnais Friday afternoon and stated he’s in this race because that’s what the people have asked of him.

Nobody has called SLC a quitter since he quit the lt. governor’s race? Really? Huh. I must’ve missed that.

* Bankrupt Mother Tribune spent precious dollars polling 800 Chicagoans and then posted the results on its Breaking News page…

The poll found a sparse 4 percent of Chicago-area residents consider August their favorite month. June ranked No. 1 at 21 percent, with July and its accompanying fireworks a close second at 18 percent.

As summer gives way to fall, people remain moderately happy through October — 13 percent ranked it as their favorite — then the bottom drops out with only 1 percent ranking November tops. December’s slightly more popular with 3 percent, but that’s likely just the holiday bump, and well within the poll’s plus or minus 3.5 percent margin of error.

Thanks so much.

* I originally posted this one below, but I’ve moved it up here because it’s gotta be our most vacuous story of the day…

Not only did Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign embrace social media, but social media, in turn, embraced Obama.

The story then goes on to report how many Facebook friends and Twitter followers various suburban candidates have. Scintillating…

Facebook and Twitter, too, reveal similar numbers of followers and message styles. Seals has 1,222 followers on his political page. Dold has 1,319. Twitter shows Dold has 162 followers with 27 tweets, and Seals has 224 followers with 82 tweets. […]

On July 20, Dold posted on Facebook about his first radio ad, which he said introduced his reasons for running for office, and his “philosophy as a fiscal conservative and social moderate.”

Those looking at the page not only had the opportunity to click on a link to hear the ad on his website, but could comment on the ad itself. A dozen different Facebook users either commented on the ad or “liked” the post.

“We don’t want to overload people,” Dold said. “We’ve been focused on creating a conversation.”

This would’ve been a great opportunity to point out the dangers of a candidate posting his/her thoughts on Facebook, like when Dold appeared to approve of a hugely controversial budget plan and then deleted his Facebook post when Seals tried to make some hay out of it. But, no.

* Least dubious commentator of the month award (and it’s only August 2nd) goes to a Fox News contributor…

“I just got a call earlier today from Michael Steele’s office. I can’t disclose what’s going on right now, but I do expect a lot of support from the RNC,” Hayes told me on July 27.

Regardless of support and the Blagojevich trial touching Jackson’s reputation, the fight will be difficult for Hayes. At the moment, he has only $30,000 in his war chest and Chicago’s 2nd district has not elected a republican since 1950.

The “Hayes” in the story is Isaac Hayes, the Republican opponent of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. Hayes’ fight will be more than just “difficult.” It’s impossible. The 538 site just rated the district as the tenth most Democratic in the nation. I really doubt Chairman Steele has that kind of money to burn.

* Most flat-out bizarre slam on me that I’ve ever seen…

Now the Capitol Fax has not to date written a word about Al Gore meeting prosecutors because an Irish female masseuse wouldn’t give him a hand.

Thanks, Tom. I laughed so hard I almost cried. Made my week.

* The power of “E.” From the Drudge Report…

Later…

Mistakes happen.

* Seen anything goofy lately?

…Adding… I forgot about this lede. Let’s call it our first runner-up…

What could have been a soul-stirring celebration of the music of Stephen Sondheim — and a thrilling culmination of ten years of distinguished Sondheim celebrations at the Ravinia Festival — was allowed to fall victim to some bone-headed planning on Saturday night. The debacle on the North Shore was a textbook example of what can happen when an arts venue worries too much about food and drink for its big donors and forgets its real business of fulfilling the artistic souls of the regular folks — the Sondheim lovers without the bow-ties and the fine gowns — at the back of the pavilion and out on the lawn.

Debacle? Really?