Stroger hospitalized

This is potentially big news in Chicago. Cook County Board Board President John Stroger has been hospitalized:

Cook County Board President John Stroger was being tested for weakness on his left side today at Rush University Medical Center, where he was expected to stay at least overnight.

Stroger was first seen at a South Side hospital after complaining that he was feeling tired and experiencing leg pain in the morning. He was transferred to Rush at the urging of his personal physician, Dr. Robert Simon.

“He was not feeling well this morning and decided to get checked out,” said Ann-Marie St. Germaine, a spokeswoman for Stroger’s re-election campaign.

At Rush, doctors evaluated Stroger’s left-side weakness, according to Chinta Strausberg, another Stroger spokeswoman. He underwent a Computerized Tomography scan, but the results came back normal. Stroger will stay at the hospital at least overnight.

Stroger, 76, who has a history of health problems, was transferred after being checked by his personal physician at Advocate Trinity Hospital, said Strausberg. He initially was taken to Trinity by ambulance after his wife, Yonni, called the Chicago Fire Department.

The primary elections are next Tuesday; Stroger faces a challenge from Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool; Mayor Daley, of course, backs Stroger. Both the Sun-Times and the Trib have endorsed Claypool. Rahm Emmanuel (my Congressman) has broken from the county Democratic Party and endorsed Claypool. Barack Obama has refused to endorse either candidate.

Recent polls show Stroger leading Claypool 47% to 37% with 15% undecided. If this incident moves more undecides to break for Claypool than for Stroger it could determine the election. I suspect it’ll be a close one.

Have I mentioned that in Cook County the only election that makes a lick of difference is the Democratic Party primary?

UPDATE:  It has now been confirmed that Mr. Stroger had a stoke.