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Cohen says he’ll spend $3 million on lite guv race

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Chicago businessman Scott Cohen says he will spend up to $3 million of his own fortune on his Democratic race for lieutenant governor. […]

He revealed his spending plans at a Daily Herald editorial board interview today and was quickly rebuked by the three other candidates in attendance: state Sen. Terry Link of Waukegan, Elmhurst electrician Thomas Castillo and state Rep. Mike Boland of East Moline.

“I’m not even going to come close to that,” said Link, a veteran Lake County lawmaker. “That is ludicrous for an office of this size.”

The lieutenant governor’s position has no official authority. The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the incumbent state executive is ousted, resigns or is incapacitated as was illustrated by Pat Quinn’s rise to upon Rod Blagojevich’s ouster in January.

Whether fair or not, if it’s his money he can spend it as he wishes.

Boland, by the way, called the revelation of the Quinn administration’s secret early prisoner release program “crazy.” Quinn has now mummed up…

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn isn’t saying when he first knew his administration was releasing inmates who’d served just weeks in prison.

Quinn on Sunday suspended a program that immediately awarded good-behavior credits to inmates instead of requiring them to spend at least 61 days behind bars. His action came after a report by The Associated Press revealed some inmates locked up less than three weeks.

Quinn said Monday that Corrections Department Director Michael Randle has broad discretion to run the department. He says if there are questions about how something is being done, it’s the governor’s job to review it.

* Meanwhile, Gov. Quinn’s campaign has a new promo video called Jobs, Jobs, Jobs…

UPDATE: The Quinn campaign has issued a new version of this video in response to criticism in comments about the claim over how the capital bill “created” and “saved” jobs. The new text says it will “create” and will “save” those jobs. The new video is now displayed.

* The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee has a new Internet video blasting Mark Kirk…

* Related…

* Auction brings $6.5 million for troubled Springfield hotel: Horve estimated it would cost $35 million to build such a hotel now.

* ‘I don’t feel any heat’ in probe of Senate seat: Rep. Jackson - Denies offer to Blago, says he hasn’t heard from feds

* Suit: Suburban mayor allegedly defames rival as ‘drunk, communist’

* Video poker? Not here.

* Poor Senate appointments could hurt Democrats next year

* Jim Ryan puts own story at center of Illinois governor race

* Democrats hitting Kirk on earmarks flip flop

* Dabney says he will fight on after kicked off Dem primary

* Illinois gubernatorial hopefuls mixed on fixes for colleges

* Gov. Quinn unveils jobs program

* McKenna the wild card in GOP race for guv

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:21 pm

Comments

$3 mil? It is going to be a good Christmas at Grainger Terry this year.

Comment by Obamarama Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:29 pm
Yeah. No kidding. I didn’t realize they had such a plump pigeon over there.

Just sayin…

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:30 pm
Great commercial. But Siriusly wonders, how can Quinn claim the capital bill has created or saved all those jobs when he hasn’t even managed to sell the first set of bonds 7 months later.

The capital bill sounds great, but it is pretty much a myth at this point.

PS - I thought George Ryan was the one who got the intermodal terminal build in Joliet.

Comment by siriusly Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:31 pm
===plump pigeon===

I have no idea what that means.

Comment by Obamarama Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:33 pm
Pigeons are made for the plucking.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:35 pm
You know what the penalty aught to be for someone who spends $3 million of their own money to run for Lt. freaking Governor? They have to be Lt. Governor.

Comment by Scooby Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:38 pm
==how can Quinn claim the capital bill has created or saved all those jobs when he hasn’t even managed to sell the first set of bonds 7 months later.==

Its simple. He just opens his mouth and lies come out.

Comment by Bill Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:38 pm
GT also has some GA candidates with pretty deep pockets. When it rains…

Comment by Bill Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:39 pm
Siriusly-

The first intermodal (BNSF-Elwood)was built several years ago. This one (UP-Laraway Road) is under construction. And there’s a third being looked at near Wilmington. Not to mention several others planned in Seneca, Crete, Manteno and other places. There’s enough of them thar intermodals goin’ up for every gov to claim a piece, from now til when Blago exits the Big House. That is, as long as those containers keep coming in from China and South Korea.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:40 pm
$3 million must be the magic number. I have a few statewide and congressional campaigns and they all say “we need $3 million to get our message out.”

I am guessing that Cohen may be the only one to hit that magic number.

On that topic: Why on earth would anyone spend that much of their own money to try to get elected Lt. Governor? It has no power. If you have that kind of money, it is clearly going to be a pay cut for you.

I have no philosophical problem with self-funded campaigns, but it just strikes me that they must all be egomaniacs to spend their own money in a misguided attempt at electoral validation. I mean, how many of Oberwies’s kids and grandkids are like “what do you mean you spent $xx million of our inheritence on tv commercials” ? wahhh!

Comment by siriusly Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:45 pm
Thanks for the ’splainin six degrees. Blago won’t be coming home until 2032, they might be done building intermodals by then.

Comment by siriusly Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:47 pm
The Quinn jobs video is by far the best one I’ve seen yet this cycle. That overworked, underpaid staffer he’s got should be nominated for an Emmy or something.

Comment by Don't Worry, Be Happy Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 4:48 pm
is there an over/under on blago’s years in prison?

Comment by shore Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 5:06 pm
The over/under is natural life.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 5:09 pm
===The over/under is natural life===

His or ours?

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 5:11 pm
If Cohen is going to spend $3 mil he may want to put some of it towards his website. Holy crap does it suck. I don’t believe for one sec he’ll spend that kind of $$$ when he has a website from 1998.

Comment by Little Lebowski Urban Achiever Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 5:30 pm
Heard Quinn pulled the biggest projects (I-290 work) off of the January IDOT letting.

Comment by phocion Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 5:31 pm
@ Don’t Worry, Be Happy
I’m sure there are others coming down the pike that are even better. So, brace yourself.

Comment by Will County Woman Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 5:43 pm
Hmmm. Looks like the Treasurer is going to be in the hotel business for awhile. Based on the stellar results of year 1, after about 19 more years, he will have made enough “profit” over there to offset the Bright Start losses.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 6:08 pm
Wow… 3 mil… Well if that’s what it takes to finally get an honest broker in Springfield, more power to you Mr. Cohen! You’ve got my vote.

Comment by DemLady63 Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 7:15 pm
OMG the idea free zone was operating at full speed in Springfield tonite…but where was OutsiderAndy? Meanwhile the dwarfs were talking about using tollway money and bond money at Peotone to balance the budget
They were all for cutting senior health care too. I beck WhackyJack McCain will never come back to IL.
What a mess.

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 8:32 pm
He earned that money taking over his father’s pawn shop business. Spending your own fortune makes you “an honest broker”? An honest pawn broker?

Comment by Little Lebowski Urban Achiever Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 9:14 pm
PS Quinn’s jobs video may be better than the reform video.

Comment by Little Lebowski Urban Achiever Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 9:15 pm
Running against the Madigan Machine you need to spend this kind of money to have a chance these days

Comment by Anon Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 9:33 pm
Hmmm…Kirk looks pretty darn good on a coin.

Prediction…. lol

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Dec 14, 09 @ 10:28 pm
Cohen’s a shrewd businessman.

He’s not spending $3 million to be come Lt. Governor.

Given the track records of our last two govs, he’s spending $3 million on Scratch n’ Win Card to become Governor.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 1:19 am
Is no one going to comment on the future (current) value of the $5m that Judy was crucified for trying to sell the hotel for years ago?

Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 1:50 am
Mikey Boland is “crazy” to think he can win the office of Lt. Gov!

Comment by Whatwhat Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 8:19 am
In the “fixes for colleges” article, not one candidate discussed community colleges. Amazing.

Comment by Fan of the Game Tuesday, Dec 15, 09 @ 8:35 am