Cohen takes bid for governor to small town Illinois

DWIGHT -- There aren't many strangers at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the small town of Dwight.

So Augie Woods and his wife, Nancy, took the opportunity to chat when they spotted a new guy from their perch at the bar.

Within minutes the Woods were pledging their support to Scott Lee Cohen, a Chicago pawnbroker who this week took his improbable bid for Illinois governor on a listening tour to farm and mining towns in north-central Illinois.

In small towns, Cohen's name -- and his past troubles -- are still a mystery to some.

Five months ago, Cohen won the February Democratic primary for Illinois lieutenant governor as a relative unknown after spending $2 million.

But he dropped out five days later after embarrassing news reports about his past.