Foul-Smelling, Foul-Talking Illinois Dems

Rumors abound that the incompetent Gov. Pat Quinn is cooking up a deal with Dem House Speaker Iron Mike Madigan to push out the duly-elected but scandalous Dem Lt. Governor pick--latest, he stiffed his ex for child support while spending millions on his campaign-- and replace him with someone more air-freshened, and Chicago machine. (Like Quinn's losing Dem gubernatorial opponent Dan Hynes. Good luck with that.) And this surfaces--Blago's estranged father-in-law alderman Dick Mell backed Scott Lee Cohen in the primary. He sure knows how to pick 'em.

Ditto on the Illinois Senate race, where the Dems (and our president Barack Obama) are fouled by the stench of current Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' ties to mobsters , Tony Rezko, and Blago, and his mismanagement of a state college fund, among other things. The pressure will be on Alexi to withdraw in favor of someone else. Perhaps Rahmbo, who is clearly looking around for a new job though he has lately had to profusely apologize for especially offensive language.

Of course all this unsavory maneuvering reminds Illinois voters of the Blago Bleepin' Golden Senate pick, the selling of the seat, the angling for a new job and plush benefits--which is why Sen. Roland Tombstone Burris is not running for reelection.

Then there's the timing of Blago's trial, starting this June and leading smack up to the November election.

Underlying all of this the state is essentially bankrupt. Unemployment stinks at 11%, above the national average--that's what we're left with--above average in failure.

And with the early primary (done to game the presidential primaries for then candidate Barack Obama) we're stuck with this smelly Dem hell for months more.

P.S. Oh, and the latest hilarity is Alexi's opening shot against independent Republican Mark Kirk in the Senate race, suggesting Kirk is a Washington insider--and he's an outsider!!!--when the Dems run everything there (and manage nothing). Well, go ahead, rerun that old playbook. I don't think it will work in Illinois this time.

We can smell a rat from a mile away. We have been living here.

More. Illinois governor race moved from Dem to toss up. Rothenberg.