"Detroit's Scandal Is About More Than Sex" - WSJ

[Bozita]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120916727098046281.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Detroit's Scandal Is About More Than Sex
By SHIKHA DALMIA
April 26, 2008; Page A7
Detroit

They are calling it "PagerGate." It's a sex scandal involving Detroit's Democratic Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. It broke in January and, as details dribble out, residents are falling into a depression as deep as the one afflicting their economy.

Although there is widespread disgust at Mr. Kilpatrick, there is also growing regret that the departure of this flamboyant, 37-year-old two-term mayor will end his nascent economic reforms. Actually, Motown isn't so lucky.

The hard fact is that Mr. Kilpatrick was a false prophet under whom the city wasn't going to come back – and not just because of his vices, but his virtues as well.

Mr. Kilpatrick has been dogged by scandals ever since he sauntered into office – sporting a diamond earring and "mayor" embroidered on his French-cuffs – on January 2002. He habitually used city funds like his personal bank – running up $200,000 in spa treatments and champagne, for example, early in his term. The mayor reimbursed the city for about $9,000 after the scandal broke, claiming that the rest of the charges reflected legitimate city business. The city at the time was cutting police officers, and even auditors, to plug a $250 million budget deficit.

But the latest, most spectacular scandal had its genesis at a party that supposedly took place in the mayoral mansion to celebrate Mr. Kilpatrick's election, shortly after he took office. The allegation is that Mr. Kilpatrick's wife unexpectedly stopped by the party – and took a bat to a stripper whom she found consorting with him.

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[MichiganVote]

1. The guy's a scumbag and needs to go.

[Lefty48197]

2. I disagree with the Wall Nut Journal

Of course, it's a right wing sh*t wipe, so that's not an uncommon occurrence.

The Kwame Kilpatrick "sex scandal" reminds me of the Bill and Monica story. Kilpatrick was being investigated for allegedly (at the time) firing two police officers without just cause. While under oath during that investigation, Kilpatrick was asked "By the way, did you have sex with that woman"? Similar to how Bill Clinton was asked about Monica, while he was actually being investigated for alleged improprieties related to the Whitewater land deal. Both guys said no, when both actually HAD sexual affairs. Sometimes I wonder if Ken Starr isn't the one investigating Kwame.

[noonwitch]

4. There are some really big differences in the scandals

At the bottom of the Kwame scandal, there is a dead stripper.,

Kwame committed perjury not just about his affair, but about firing the cops who investigated the allegations surrounding the party with the now dead stripper. His mistress was his chief of staff-while looking for the perjury that related to the case (the fired cops), the sex stuff came out.

[MichiganVote]

5. Self delete---sorry, responded to the wrong poster

[MichiganVote]

6. Apparantly you have missed some of the saltier text messages between the two

and KK explicitly makes it clear in them that he deliberately set out to get these police officers fired---for which---the city of Detroit then settled for millions of dollars.

Take the blinders off--he's a crook. It happens.

[Lefty48197]

7. Personally, I don't give a rats ass about the text messages

between Kwame and his mistress. Nor did I care where Monica dipped Bill's cigar. Kwame's failings were to his wife, his family, and to his self.
I don't think anybody questioned that Kwame had the police officers fired. I do find it interesting that their lawyers blackmailed Mayor Kilpatrick by threatened to release the text messages, if he didn't agree to the settlement. Speaking of crooks...

[mac2]

3. How can the city come back when it has been the target

of globalization. The automobile industry just speck of what it was in the past. Garbage from Canada. Huge debt. Can't blame that on a Democratic mayor. Replace him with a New Democrat or Republican light?

Power abusers are in both parties. Put a Progressive in as Mayor Detroit.