As the World Turns: Todd Stroger's Soap Opera

Former Cook County patronage worker Tony Cole spoke to the press yesterday about his frustrations with how he's been treated by Todd Stroger, his friends and his family in the wake of the county's most recent hiring scandal. "President Stroger should have never fired me," Cole told the Sun-Times. "He wasn't my father. He wasn't my dad he just gave me an opportunity," Cole told ABC7.

Cole had difficulty explaining his relationship with Stroger to reporters, saying that Stroger was more of a mentor to him. He said that when he worked for the county, Stroger would often invite him to the East Bank Club to play basketball, and that they would have chats "about life and serving and helping the people" in his office. Cole believes that a group of people close to Stroger had it out for him, and that he will soon reveal "facts" that will expose the situation. While remaining cryptic about what sort of information he has - he claims that county documents, time sheets, e-mails and recorded conversations will prove that people in the county government were out to get him - he quoted Todd Stroger: "In politics, money can be traced. Favors can't."