Politician's Husband Shows Up at Gay Bar to Drunkenly Heckle Opponent
"Chicago Politics" is a comedy troupe, right? Blagojevich-tainted incumbent Heather Steans is mighty embarrassed after her husband followed her opponent to a gay bar, then went on a shitfaced rant after a suspicious trip "into the men's room."
Rant victim and openly gay Illinois State Senate hopeful Jim Madigan says he was entertaining some 40 supporters at LGBT dance club The Call when a vaguely familiar middle-aged gentleman started yelling at him.
"And as I looked, I thought 'God, that looks like my opponent's husband,'" Madigan said. "He looked a little disheveled. He took awhile to put sentences together, so that was a little bizarre."
Madigan said Smith sat quietly at the bar for about an hour… went into the men's room… and then charged out with fire in his eyes and began bullying him.
"And he said, 'Well I'm Heather's husband.' And I said, 'I know, thanks for coming to my event.' And he said, 'I'm not here to support your event. I know you think you're going to get famous with all your bull____,'" Madigan recalled.
Steans' husband, Leo Smith, is featured prominently on her campaign website. Steans issued a statement to the local press:
While chivalry may not be dead, in this case it surely looks stupid. Leo should not have been at the back of the room of Jim Madigan's event, even if it was in a public place, and had no business talking to Jim at this event. I will continue to focus on presenting my legislative record and discussing the many critical issues facing the 7th District.
Translation: My husband is such a dumbass. Honey, I get that you love me and all, but STFU and hold your booze better than a 13-year-old girl, mkay? Verbally harassing gay men at disco dance clubs doesn't help. We are Democrats, remember?
Chicagoist has more pictures of the gloriously humiliating event.