Marathon Pundit: Three election contests--three atrocious results

I intended to link to this post but plain forgot!

John Ruberry talks about three elections out of Cook County that didn't provide a good results.

The most well known of them was of State Rep Derrick Smith. He had been pinched for soliciting and taking a bribe by the feds earlier this year. He had also been kicked out of the Illinois State House of Representatives, but he refused to vacate his place on the ballot. Democratic leaders had put another man on the ballot as a member of a third party for voters to consider, but the voters of that district voted Smith back to his own seat anyway. Sadly the IL constitution prohibits expelling someone from the House again for the same reasons that they were already expelled.

Another well known election was that of Jesse Jackson Jr. In spite of not making any public appearances since it was revealed that he was under medical leave this past summer, he was able to be re-elected to his congressional seat. He hadn't campaigned at all during the course of the general election, but it seems people were for whatever reason very willing to send him right back to Congress!

The least well known is of a Cook County Judge. She was retained to the bench on Tuesday but she had to go to court the next day to face charges of battery. In Illinois judges are elected and they do campaign but unlike running for an executive office or a legislative office it's hard to gauge the job they're doing. She wasn't recommended at all by any local bar association and has been chided for her general temperament.

While I'm sure there are many who aren't happy with who was sent back to the White House on Tuesday, we have even less reason to celebrate here in Cook County. Sheesh!