Marathon Pundit: Sheila Simon takes pawnbroker's place on Ill. ballot

Yesterday Illinois' Democratic Central Committee chose Sheila Simon to be Governor Pat Quinn's running mate this fall. Of course the Dems had a nominee for lieutenant governor, Scott Lee Cohen. He won last month's Democratic Primary but was forced to resign after some embarrassing details, including abuse of steroids and an assault arrest, became public.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady had this to say about the choice of Simon:

While Bill Brady, Mark Kirk and the Republican ticket continue to be on the voters' side, pushing an agenda to create jobs and reform Illinois, Illinois Democrats are in disarray. As they hand picked their candidate for lieutenant governor we saw a divided Democrat party that is focused more on their political endgame than on the priorities of people in Illinois. From ethical questions to infighting, this is what Illinoisans have come to expect from the Democrats. Illinoisans want and deserve better than the failed leadership we are seeing from Governor Quinn and Democrats across the state.

Let me dig into some family roots. Simon is the daughter of the late Paul Simon, a two-term Democratic US Senator. Illinois' attorney general, Lisa Madigan, is the daugher of state House Speaker Michael Madigan--who is also the chairman of the state Democratic Party. Illinois' current comptroller, Dan Hynes, who came close to beating Quinn in the February primary, is the son of Tom Hynes, a former Chicago ward boss and state Senate president.

Quinn's onetime running mate, the disgraced Rod Blagojevich, is the son-in-law of Chicago alderman and ward boss Dick Mell. One of Mell's daughters serves in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, a Democrat, is the son of the late-Mayor Richard J. Daley...

But when Pat Brady speaks of the Democrats being "focused more on their political endgame," that could mean also taking care of family members.

Note: Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady is not related to Bill Brady, the Republican nominee for governor.

UPDATE March 29: Pioneer Press religious blogger Jeff Finley reports that Simon plays bassoon and banjo (huh?) in a band called Loose Gravel, which performs a song called "Pope Knop," about the first female pope.

Pope Knop, with short blond hair, Pope Knop, wears Barbie underwear, loves to dance around when she's half bare, so join me now and say a prayer for Pope Knop.