The Burden of Proof
if kilpatrick doesn't pay for this scandal, detroit will
2008-03-25
By Terry Glover

The situation Kwame Kilpatrick called a personal matter has become a public mess. The bullet-riddled reputation of Detroit’s mayor has turned him from a wunderkind political star – the youngest mayor in the history of Detroit, and one of the youngest in the country – to another politician caught with his pants down.

That Kilpatrick has been alternately dubbed the “hip hop mayor” and the “playah mayah” since his 2001 election speaks to his youth, but, as stories surrounding him begin to surface, they also seem apt monikers for a mayoral term that sounds like the stuff of music videos: excessive expenses, ill-advised (if not unauthorized) vehicle leasing for personal use, and at least one headline-grabbing party at the mayoral mansion rumored to involve city staffers and strippers. That’s the kind of stuff you might expect from a young turk high on his new-found power, rookie shenanigans the residents of Detroit raised an eyebrow to, but were willing to forgive. Kilpatrick, after all, represented a new day for an ailing city in need of having its hope and its infrastructure revitalized.

Coming from political stock Kilpatrick, 37, surely learned at the knee of his mother, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and his father, former county commissioner, Bernard. And, in fact, it seemed that he had learned from his first term mistakes. At the start of his second, a contrite Kilpatrick vowed to play straight and launched several significant revitalization projects, including hosting the 2006 Super Bowl to bring attention to improvements in the motor city.

More than half way through his second term, however, Kilpatrick has managed to bring attention to his city in unimaginable ways. The pronouncement of criminal charges leveled at him by Wayne County D.A. Kym Worthy puts him in jeopardy of being found guilty of perjury, obstruction of justice, misconduct in office and conspiracy.

When the details of his troubles were first made public, Kilpatrick cast himself as the victim of lynching at the hands of the media. In addressing the media, his family and his constitutency, Kilpatrick has thrown around phrases like “unethical,” “illegal,” and the N-word, as well as the assertion that the D.A. ‘s office has “no facts, no research, no anything,” with which to pursue their case. Worthy cites 40,000 pages worth of evidence. Something is bound to stick.

Kilpatrick further asserts that anonymous parties have launched a “bigoted assault” on his family with their probing and inquiry. But it is Kilpatrick who has launched the assault with his ridiculous attempts to cast his indiscretion and alleged criminal actions as a racist sting. He is in trouble, big time, and it is his unwillingness to accept any consequences that is the most criminal bit of monkey business. But who can blame him? He has plenty of people around him encouraging that approach.

Defense attorney Dan Webb, most recently known for his role as lead defense in the corruption trial of former Illinois governor George Ryan  (who is (does Kwame know this?) now serving time) made the matter more heinous with his split-hair assessment of the charges: “Many times when the mayor was being asked questions, he was being asked to give his opinion. [The veracity of his answers] also depends on the definition of “romantic.” I don ‘t know if everyone in the world has the exact same definition.”

In other words, when the mayor was being asked whether or not he had any romantic involvement with Christine Beatty, his “opinion” was “No.”

The criminal charges will be sorted out in courtroom proceedings, but as long as Kilpatrick refuses to relinquish his duties as mayor, Detroit will continue to be punished, regardless of its innocence in the matter. Kilpatrick is adopting the “scortched-earth” tactic seen of late in the Clinton campaign, going for exoneration at any cost. His attempt to cover up the mess has already cost the city an $8.4 million settlement with the three police officers he allegedly fired in an effort to thwart an investigation and consequent revelation of the damning text messages. His city council has already lost faith and have called for his resignation (even more vocally, now that new charges are surfacing). While they have no power to force his hand, they are launching further investigations of their own into the municipal aspects of the case. How can he expect to be an effective manager in such an atmosphere?

There is no way for Kilpatrick -- or Detroit -- to come out of this unscathed.
But if he is even the least bit sincere in his feelings about the city he professes to love, he must step aside and let Detroit go about the business of recovery.

Terry Glover is Senior Editor for Ebonyjet.com. She writes about entertainment, trends and popular culture.