23 Comments - Ben S. - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:24 pm: Is Durbin legally allowed to run for State Party Chair being a federal officeholder? Because I would totally get behind his candidacy if he could. - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:25 pm: === Because I would totally get behind his candidacy if he could.=== Are you a member of the state central committee? Because that’s who votes. - shore - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:28 pm: Burris,blago,alexi,cohen,29 convicted alderman, stroger, springfield, cook county, getting to be a lot of embarrassments in the Democratic party maybe its time for Durbin or the Democrats to go…busy in washington…sounds like someone last lost touch with home. Roskam for senate. I’m a republican and I’m already sick of people comparing themselves to scott brown. - Ozzie - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:29 pm: I like ITLA’s ad. We need to regulate the med mal insurers. that will help doc’s get lower premiums. - OneMan - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:30 pm: Ben S…. I hear Andy McKenna is free, - Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:30 pm: I give Durbin credit for admitting he could have done a better job, and for pointing out that all Democrats share the blame for Cohen’s slipping through the cracks. However, I’m not sure how he thinks that his one specific suggestion to Madigan would have made a difference in this race. Slating sessions with Democratic County Chairmen around the state and all of the candidates? Since the County Chairmen helped Cohen, what difference would that have made? And if there were questions they wanted to ask him, shouldn’t they have asked those before they started helping his campaign? Also, I think it was ironically uncomfortable that Durbin had to answer all those questions with Alexi standing there, given Madigan’s involvement in Alexi’s primary in 2006. “What about you, Alexi? Do you think Mike Madigan needs to be more involved in primaries?” LOL - Carl Nyberg - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:36 pm: I created a poll with 30 possible candidates to replace Scott Cohen. Actually, the software allows write-in candidates, if you don’t see your preferred candidate. The algorithm used is “Condorcet voting”. Voters rank candidates. Try it out. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:44 pm: Republican Tom Cross keeps saying we need caps because there are NO neurosurgeons in Will County. But according to Google, there are three. Does that mean we can call off the legislative witch hunt? - Minnie - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:47 pm: Not sure the state GOP is targeting Asian American and Hispanic voters by relegating Kim and Enriquez to races against the most popular elected officials (Democratic or Republican) in the State of Illinois. The comparison to Scott Brown, who ran in an open seat and was a proven electable candidate, is misplaced. The GOP has a long way to go in its quest to get minority voters to vote Republican. - Pat Collins - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 2:48 pm: nd was a proven electable candidate Since he won. Before that he was mostly considered “no way he'’ll win” - Minnie - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 3:02 pm: To be clear, Scott Brown was an elected state senator at the time he ran for the office no one thought he would win a few months ago. While Enriquez serves on the human rights commission, he has not ever been elected to public office. As for Kim, I believe he lost his bid for re-election as Northfield Township trustee in the early 2000s while he was in law school. - unspun - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 3:04 pm: YDD hit the nail on the head. Let’s turn down the “docs fleeing the state” rhetoric (ain’t true)and look at the facts, like record profits for med mal insurers. - Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 3:11 pm: Unspun, I don’t expect the insurance industry and their allies to stop the spinning and outright lies. But I’m glad the media is finally starting to question them. Earth to Tom Cross: Illinois has more docs per capita than the rest of the nation. - Responsa - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 3:13 pm: “What about you, Alexi? Do you think Mike Madigan needs to be more involved in primaries?” Standing there next to Dick Durbin in that video clip it did kind of look as if Alexi was a bit uncomfortable. Like he’d just heard something or maybe eaten something that was making him a little queasy. - ArchPundit - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 3:22 pm: ===Republican Tom Cross keeps saying we need caps because there are NO neurosurgeons in Will County. He’s making a silly point on top of it–who in Will County doesn’t have relatively easy access to a neurosurgeon (assuming they have insurance) is the important question and the answer is no one. The same argument was tried in Southern Illinois, but with one of the best teaching hospitals in the nation and another highly rated one right across the river there’s not much sense in locating in at least the western half of Southern Illinois and making the investments in technology required when the trip for specialized help is within 1 1/2 hours and they have huge institutions providing the equipment amongst many specialists. There may be some reasons for caps, but the lack of specialists in a random place (which also turns out to not be true) doesn’t demonstrate any need for caps. - D.P. Gumby - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 3:33 pm: ITLA spot is directly on point. Cross sounds like a mouthpiece out of Grisham’s The Appeal. Caps are a fraud on the docs and the public as are the arguments by the medico-insurance industry. - Highland, IL - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 3:44 pm: Shore said “I’m a republican and I’m already sick of people comparing themselves to scott brown.” Ditto - ezenmia - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 4:48 pm: Kind of funny to hear the defenders of the trial bar attack cross for being over the top. I’m sure clifford or powers never use inflammatory rhetoric. I’m sure it will not matter–just ask supreme court justice maag if tort reform is a voting issue. - city girl - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 5:08 pm: Anyone who watches Quinn’s video from today cannot seriously think PQ is interested in anyone who already ran for LG. Sorry Turner fans, game over. Turner is great guy & I have a lot of respecct for him, but I just don’t see it in the cards - too many people working against him. Needs to be a woman. - city girl - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 5:09 pm: my guess from watching Quinn’s remarks is that he’s leaning toward Hamos. - lost in translation - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 6:07 pm: Sen. Durbin, Thanks for the advice, but until you get the Senate on track, relax. - anon - Monday, Feb 8, 10 @ 6:15 pm: I keep thinking back at all the flip flopping Durbin had done concerning the Roland Burris nomination. He looked terrible. Further, am I supposed to have confidence in what Durbin has to say concerning the Democratic Party when he was a big part of the team that failed in electing a Democrat in Ted Kennedy’s old seat? If Madigan wants to give up the position I would look at Senator Claybourne or Senator Cullerton. I have no confidence in Durbin whatsoever. - Hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Feb 9, 10 @ 5:37 am: It’s good to have JBT back on the scene. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.