Todd Stroger taking medical leave

When I saw this story I would have just as soon thought it was just one excuse for him to get out of his job that he was elected to in November. Well I hope there's nothing serious going on. This news is from Crain's...

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger will take a leave of up to three weeks for what is being described only as a routine medical procedure, his office announced Monday.

“It’s a procedure (Mr. Stroger) has wanted to do for a while,” said his communications director, Andrew Garner. “He will be in regular contact with the office. Barring the unexpected, he’ll be back in the saddle soon.”

The procedure occurred Monday. Aides declined to say anything more about the medical condition or to disclose what hospital is treating Mr. Stroger, citing privacy reasons.

During last year’s campaign, Mr. Stroger told reporters that he one day hoped to replace a knee he blew out playing basketball several years ago, but it is not known if that’s the procedure involved in his absence.

On the other hand there are some doubts...

Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, who narrowly lost to Mr. Stroger in last November's election, had some criticism Monday as to how the medical matter is being handled.

While Mr. Stroger is entitled to some privacy, "if this procedure indeed was preplanned, as his people say, we should have been notified" earlier, Mr. Peraica said.

In this article they even brought up the situation that put Todd Stroger into the county board presidency. His father John Stroger was then the incumber county board president who suffered a stroke only one week before the primary and there were charges abound as to whether or not Stroger's family and associates were attempting to cover up his illness. Eventually John Stroger would give up his job and nomination and it would fall on his son Todd.