Mayor Kilpatrick - If It Weren't for Bad Luck

1. Kilpatrick will likely be spending the weekend, at least, in jail. Judge Jackson must make at least a preliminary finding (itself error-free) that Judge Giles abused his discretion or committed clear legal error before he could reverse Judge Giles' decision or grant any kind of stay of the Order that revoked Kilpatrick's bond and sent him to jail. Abuse of discretion is a very high threshold not easily reached by criminal appellants especially when, as in this instance, Judge Giles gave Kilpatrick two prior passes while cautioning in the strongest terms that Kilpatrick must conduct himself and his affairs in full conformance with the Court's Orders.

One of the reasons Kilpatrick is in so much trouble right now is fairly clear: he thinks he's above the law. This is just the first of many opportunities he'll have to correct his sadly mistaken mindset that infects so many in the City he claims to "love."

With Carlita and his children in hiding once again and the Mayor securely behind bars, his loyal followers are probably stripping the Manoogian Mansion of its copper as we speak. Just another sad day in a once great American City that has become a shell of its former self and may not ever recover.

Ivy Leeg at 8:56PM on Aug 7th 2008

2. Yes, if it weren't for bad luck ... BREAKING NEWS! It can now be revealed how Channel 7 Investigative Reporter Steve Wilson discovered the unauthorized trip to Windsor, Ontario that resulted in the jailing of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick for violation of the travel restrictions on his felony bail bond.
Kilpatrick told the Court he was called to Windsor on short notice because his personal presence was required in negotiations to "save the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel deal" and "two-thousand jobs" in the City of Detroit.

As fate would have it, 48 hours after Kilpatrick returned that day the Windsor nightclub stripper with whom Kilpatrick had been "negotiating" turned up on the Detroit side of the tunnel, drunk and demanding to see "Detroit Huggy Bear."

After closer questioning by the U.S. Border Patrol and based on the stripper's physical description of Huggy Bear as "a real big guy who kept asking if I'd seen any Channel 7 TV trucks in the area," the Border Patrol Officer concluded she must be talking about Steve Wilson and gave him a call. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ivy Leeg at 9:06AM on Aug 8th 2008

3. Yes, if it weren't for bad luck ... BREAKING NEWS! It can now be revealed how Channel 7 Investigative Reporter Steve Wilson discovered the unauthorized trip to Windsor, Ontario that resulted in the jailing of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick for violation of the travel restrictions on his felony bail bond.
Kilpatrick told the Court he was called to Windsor on short notice because his personal presence was required in negotiations to "save the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel deal" and "two-thousand jobs" in the City of Detroit.

As fate would have it, 48 hours after Kilpatrick returned that day the Windsor nightclub stripper with whom Kilpatrick had been "negotiating" turned up on the Detroit side of the tunnel, drunk and demanding to see "Detroit Huggy Bear."

After closer questioning by the U.S. Border Patrol and based on the stripper's physical description of Huggy Bear as "a real big guy who kept asking if I'd seen any Channel 7 TV trucks in the area," the Border Patrol Officer concluded she must be talking about Steve Wilson and gave him a call. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ivy Leeg at 9:12AM on Aug 8th 2008

4. Luck has nothing to do with it. He screwed up, he is a Thug that was elected Mayor. De-troit deserves what they vote for. They knew he had lots of baggage but elected him anyway. He is a liar, cheater and crook. No wonder he was elected

Tired of poor me attitude at 1:07PM on Aug 8th 2008

5. I was born and raised in Detroit, but now live in Florida, retired. About four years ago I returned for a visit, the first in about twenty years. I was astonished to see what had happened to the city I once loved and admired.. It looked like Beirut!

The people of Detroit have got to get rid of the local politicians who are robbing you blind, stealing your tax dollars, and letting the infrastructure of the city go to pot. If you do not rise up and elect people who will honestly serve you, then you will get a continuation of the corruption that you are now receiving.

Robert Berns at 2:18PM on Aug 8th 2008

6. I mean really, come. Seriously, come one. For years and years it has been the same old story, the same old song and dance, as the actions dictate of many Detroiters, regardless of skin color: 1) it is my fault, someone else did it or made me do it; 2) I cannot assume responsibility for these actions; 3) please give me ONE more chance...I promise to not screw up again!...and on and on and on it goes......Hizzzoner is simply another Detroiter...an example of what the city has become; ...a thug....a punk.....a statistic...he had fallen into a "lucky spot" (as a politician, having the gift of gab") but as they say, and you may fill in the blanks here: "once a ******, always a ******....." and that IS the truth....

dave poindexter at 10:21PM on Aug 8th 2008

7. It's funny how people talk about DETROIT, but it will be fine. This is a problem and it will be dealt with but every city goes thru something and we have to keep in mind that the economy plays a part also it's called the MOTOR CITY.
I was just in ORLANDO FLORIDA on business and it doesn't look any better crime is up high there that's all that was in the news.
Wrong move Sir.

lynn at 8:18AM on Aug 9th 2008

8. Well first as a netive Detroiter, I will say to the writer of this article, "What are your suggestions to better the city of which you were born and raised? It is easy to mock and ridicule and so challenging for one to use intellect to find a solution." Yes the city is facing many challenges now, but so is the entire country. Yes Detroiters need to vote for better politicians who have the city's best interest at heart. But we as Americans need to vote for politicians nationwide that have our country's best interest at heart which includes taxing companies that ship American jobs overseas. That is the basis of the problem in Detroit and many cities like it.

DNice at 2:54PM on Aug 9th 2008

9. After living in Detroit 41 years and moving not far from Detroit, when traveling and am asked where I live, I always say I live in Detroit.

In fairness, Kilpatrick did a lot in the state legislature at a very young age and was set aside as a great legislative figure. So much so that he got the support of many white suburban authorities; they were standing on his mother's front porch endorsing this man for Mayor. The only baggage he had when coming into this position was his youth and the credibility of his father who worked for and very closely with Ed McNamara (Eddie Mac) who pimped Detroit near to death as Wayne County Commissioner.

His problem is he got the big head. He thought he was Kwame, the Teflon mayor and nothing he did would stick to him or present any negative consequences. Firing people who should be demoted, and costing the city $9 million it doesn't even have, buying navigators, and using city funds for personal pleasures. He is not an unintelligent person, but the fact that he would even text his woman the things he allegedly (innocent until proven guilty) did is just plain arrogance and quite frankly stupid. DUMB AND STUPID.

As a mayor, he is not behaving like a grown mayor, but a very immature, spoiled going to have it my way little boy, proving what I said when he was endorsed in 2001: He is too young and immature for the responsibility of being mayor of Detroit, period. I had no idea about his inability to keep "homey" home or his insatiable desire to party and his insatiable appetite for women. I had no idea about him and Ms. Beatty. I had no idea about him and Ms. Slowinsky.

Short and sweet: It is time to step down Mr. Mayor. You are no longer in control and your vision is very clouded and skewed. You had an opportunity to man up and you were doing good running things under pressure. But now you are creating emergency meetings that did not exist to go to Canada. The past two-three weeks, you have dropped your drawers and shown your boyhood. And, I find it difficult to cast any shadow of doubt on your post Ivy Leeg, not that you care on way or the other.

In closing, I understand when he became Mayor he asked his father-in-law, what do you think of me now? Kwame, please don't ask him that now because you might get oops upside yo' head.

Catowl102885 at 9:12PM on Aug 9th 2008

10. It seems like the bad black mayors get way too much press. I'm a white former Republican and I tend to think that Harold Washington of Chicago may have been the best mayor the United States has ever had of any color. Harold was a black liberal but what he did transcends race or party. He attacked graft with an honest conviction that I've never seen in practice.

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Harold was a good man who should be celebrated for his accomplishments. I can understand the instinct of black people to rally around one of their own when they feel like he is under attack. It just seems a shame that mayors like Marion Berry and Kilpatrick fill the black press while mayors like Harold Washington are not celebrated.

Michael Long at 2:49PM on Aug 11th 2008

11. Mr. Kilpatrick should do us all a favor and just go home, lock himself behind closed doors and let his attorneys do their jobs and get him the best deal they can for his prison term.

Moneydiva at 2:46PM on Aug 17th 2008

12. This all started with an allegded pary at the Mayor's Mansion where a strpper was assulted by Kwame's wife Carlita. When an investagtion into the party was started the the deputy cheif of police he was fired. Well the deputy cheif filed a Whistleblower's lawsuit and won for $8.4 million. It was during that trial that the mayr and is former chief of staff both perjured themselves on the stand. Not only did they lie about there affair. They lied about having the deputy chief fired.
Now that I have explained the story. It's such an embarassing time for the city.
I was born and raised in Detroit and I supported the Mayor in his first term but I started to see a pattern. A pattern of unaccoutability. So over time I really lost faith and all respect for Kwame and his mother Congress woman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick. As his mother it seems that she has ok'd all of his wrong doings as a child and he thought that he could continue that as an adult. Example, my son broke the neighhbor's window throwing rocks. Was he supposed to be throwing rocks? No. I did not tell him it was ok and let him continue to throw rocks. He had to go to the neighbbor, apologize and pay for the window. Not only that He was on punishment for 3 months. I held him accountable for his actions. The City of Detroit needs to hold him accountable for his actions and yes he should be punished. We should not continue to make excuses for him and support his arrogant behavior and say that it's ok. It was not about the sex. I am not sure why everyone conitnues to say that. No one cares if he was sleeping around. HE LIED UNDER OATH. That's the bottom line. HE CONSPIRED TO HAVE A MAN FIRED. The city had to pay out 8.4 MILLION DOLLARS for his lying. That's what the messages showed.
It is not ok. I sympathize with his family but I sympathize more with the horrible image he left our great city. I really feel sorry for the people that think this has all happened beacuse he is black and he's young. Wake up people.

Cher W. at 6:38PM on Sep 4th 2008