In Defense of Scott Lee Cohen

by Michael Coyne I don’t like to make a habit out of defending the opposition party, but it seems that our side needs to seriously get a better grip on things. Recently, I was forced to defend Rahm Emanuel against Sarah Palin. Now, I may very well be forced to defend the new Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Scott Cohen, from media criticism and conspiracy-hunters on my own side of the aisle. Cohen was apparently arrested five years ago for a domestic abuse allegation. The charges were dropped, and the accuser was a known prostitute. Now, Cohen is being called on to explain the allegation and may very well be forced to recuse himself of his party’s nomination. This is ridiculous. If the allegation is true, Cohen is a monster. Welcome to Common-sense-land. But, given that the charges were dropped because the so-called “victim” failed to even show up to court—notwithstanding the known credibility of the prostitute community—we should be willing to move past this nonsense and onto matters of actual significance. Cohen vehemently denies any wrongdoing, and says that he did not harm the woman. It is understandable, from a journalistic standpoint, to follow this story. But it is unlikely that anything substantial will come of it. In the realm of reasoned debate, this is a non-issue. Cohen should not be Illinois’s Lieutenant Governor. However, I reached this conclusion because his party has failed the state. It has nothing to do with a supposed controversy. Let’s let cooler heads prevail. Debate the issues, not a five-year-old dropped case. The past is the past; let’s live in the present. For more of Michael Coyne's conservative commentary, visit his website, RepublicanBlue. Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed