Dear Detroit, I'm Sorry I Got Caught. Love, Kwame

Just one question this morning: How in the hell is Kwame Kilpatrick still the mayor of Detroit?


Looking through my old posts, I asked much the same question just over two years ago, when Kilpatrick was up for re-election. For out-of-staters unfamiliar with this mess, the Detroit Free Press found text messages that showed Detroit's mayor lied under oath about having an extra-marital affair. This was during a trial in which Kilpatrick was accused by Detroit's former deputy police chief of being fired for investigating the mayor's security team. Under investigation was whether or not information that could reveal the affair was being covered up. That trial, by the way, cost the city of Detroit $9 million dollars.

Kilpatrick and his chief of staff testified that they weren't romantically involved. Yet the text messages that the Freep discovered frequently set up hotel room getaways and "business trips," and often included "sexual content."

After taking a vacation hiding in Florida over the past week while this news broke, Kilpatrick finally went on local television last night to "apologize." What exactly he was apologizing for isn't clear, since he didn't mention anything about the text messages, committing perjury, spending $9 million of the city's cash to defend himself, or using more of taxpayers' money to fund his various booty calls. But hey, his wife was sitting by his side.


Don't they look happy? There was more warmth between me and the guy in front of me in line at the coffee shop this morning. And we'd both just walked in from nine degree weather.

Kilpatrick said he won't resign (though his chief of staff lady friend did), which almost sounds like a threat. (Except to those who inexplicably defend the mayor because they think the media is picking on him, and Kilpatrick made sure to exploit that sympathy last night.) Now Detroit has two administrative figures (along with Detroit Lions president Matt Millen) who see no need to quit their sweet gigs because no one is holding them accountable for their incompetence.