It's About Time

From the Detroit Free Press:

Telling Detroiters "I've always said that you need to stand strong for the City of Detroit...but sometimes standing strong means stepping down," Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick delivered a televised speech that was part-apology, part campaign speech.

As his mother, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick watched, Kilpatrick said, "I want to emphasize tonight that I take full responsibility for my actions ... our challenge now is to put the anguish and the turmoil of recent months behind us."

Kilpatrick then proceeded to take light jabs at Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who he said put his removal above the many other problems facing the state. He said, though, that he would continue to support her.

“I'm stepping down because the new spirit of this city, the new expectations and standards that we've set for excellence in the past six and a half years has been tangled up in what I believe is the pursuit of many people's own political ambitions, even our governor, Jennifer Granholm, who I wish well,” he said. “Rather than focusing on the huge issues that are facing our state, from the record home foreclosures, the lack of affordable healthcare, a record unemployment in our state, Kwame Kilpatrick was at the top of her list,” he said. “I wish her well and hope that the same tenacity, the same professionalism, if you will, and intensity that went around putting together a quasi-administrative court will also be the same tenacity to solve the problem of the people of the state of Michigan.”

The nerve of this guy. My sympathies to Detroit residents for this debacle and my congratulations for FINALLY getting this scumbag out of office.

Gore endorses Obama in Detroit

Michigan might matter this election!

DETROIT - Al Gore made his debut in the 2008 presidential campaign Monday night, encouraging voters to back Barack Obama because "take it from me, elections matter."

The former vice president's speech at the Joe Louis Arena was part endorsement and part blistering attack on the man who denied him the White House eight years ago.

"After eight years of incompetence, neglect and failure, we need change," Gore said. "After eight years when our Constitution has been dishonored and disrespected, we need changes."

Hey Al? BJ Clinton wasn't President the last 8 years you know.

Are You Smarter Than A Sixth Grader?

For Monica Conyers, I'd have to answer "No".

Isn't She Precious

I'm glad I don't live in Detroit, and if I did, I think I'd deny it.

Cockrel brought a special investigative hearing into the police whistle-blower lawsuit settlement to a temporary adjournment Friday after Conyers interrupted him and the two got into an argument.

Conyers, wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, demanded that Cockrel respect her and twice called him Shrek.

"You're not my daddy," Conyers yelled. "You do that at home, not here. Give me some respect 'cause I'm tired of that. You may not do that at home, but you gon do it up in here.

"Grow up!" she continued. "Control your house and you'll know how to treat women better."

Cockrel responded by saying that Conyers had little room to talk about the issue of respect and interrupting others.

Monica Conyers gets into physical bar brawls and threatens to shoot. Cockrel is right on.

Moments later, Conyers interrupted Cockrel as he was questioning Carl Edwards, an independent Detroit attorney who was testifying at the hearing. Cockrel reminded Conyers that he had the floor and banged his gavel repeatedly.

When he threatened to adjourn the meeting, she responded: "Do it, baby. Do it. Do it."

As the two yelled at each other, residents attending the hearings yelled, as well: "You're disrespecting the citizens!" and "This is a shame!"

Conyers later told the Free Press that she does not have a temper, and that her Shrek moniker for Cockrel was spontaneous.

"My position is about the Shrek is ... he's a big guy ... the president is a big guy," she said. "I felt as if he was trying to bully me into not letting people know the information.

Unbelievable.

The exchange.

Wash That Man Outta Your Hair

This is disturbing:

TROY -- The husband of Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow told authorities that he used the Internet to arrange a $150 sexual tryst with a prostitute at a metropolitan Detroit hotel, police said.
Thomas Athans, 46, co-founder of the liberal TalkUSA Radio network, was stopped by police who were investigating Internet-based prostitution at the hotel, according to a police report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press under the state Freedom of Information Act.

Athans, in a statement issued by his attorney, apologized and said he "fully cooperated with law enforcement. My family and I are dealing with this matter in a personal and private way."

Stabenow, in a separate statement, said it was "very disturbing and serious. Obviously it's a deeply difficult and personal matter."

Senator, your hubby sucks.

Kwame Kills Kareer

Finally!

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and former chief of staff Christine Beatty were charged today in a 12-county indictment with perjury, obstruction of justice, misconduct in office and conspiracy because of their conduct in last year’s police whistle-blower trial, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced.

Kilpatrick is charged with eight felonies and Beatty with seven. They are: perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office.

Worthy said the perjury charges accuse the two of lying during a whistle-blower lawsuit about the firing of Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown and about their romantic relationship.

See here.
And here.

Charges against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty include conspiracy to obstruct justice, a five year felony.

Worthy said Kilpatrick is also charged with a count of misconduct in office and perjury in a court proceeding, a 15 year felony. Beatty will face separate perjury charges, Worthy said.

"Our investigation has clearly shown that public dollars were used, people's lives were ruined, the justice system was severely mocked and the public trust was trampled on," Worthy said.

Justice hurry up!
Hip-Hop Mayor faces 15 years.
Perjury, conspiracy, misconduct.

Kym Worthy announcing indictments.
Kwame Kilpatrick's statement to the media.

Clinton Machine Grinds On

Stealing Obama's votes

Make no mistake about it: Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer wants to make damned certain you never have a chance to cast a vote for Barack Obama. So does Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

They, and the ruthlessly ambitious Debbie Dingell, want to be behind-the-scenes kingmakers. They want to deliver the Democratic presidential nomination to Hillary Clinton, for the sake of their egos and their careers. But it isn't turning out the way they planned.

They are in trouble now, and starting to panic. The nomination is slipping away from Clinton, and from their grasp.

Having stupidly botched the primary, they are now fighting desperately to keep from doing the right thing.

Michigan needs a new round of voting. The national Democratic Party agrees, and wants the state to hold caucuses.

But our local party bosses say: No way.

Pfft. Democrats.

Whaaaat?

Metro home sales up by 15%
Detroit leads gains with almost double amount of closings over same period last year.

Sales of residential and condominium units in Detroit nearly doubled in January, compared with the same month a year ago, and the region overall got a nearly 15 percent bump, according to real estate data firm Realcomp.

The city of Detroit led the gainers, posting a 45.5 percent increase in the month, with 736 closings.

Seven Realtors who deal primarily in downtown Detroit area property said they have enjoyed some of their recent best sale months in December and January. Sales of houses and condominiums in Detroit jumped by a 33.9 percent in December 2007, compared to December 2006. No other market in the Metro Detroit area came close to that kind of increase last year, according to Realcomp.

Realtors credit tumbling prices, low interest rates and sales of foreclosed properties or properties hoping to avoid foreclosures.

Looks like the recession is on .hold again.

Monica Conyers, Lady of the Lame

DETROIT -- An aide to Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick filed a police report Thursday claiming Monica Conyers, the short-tempered City Council president pro tem and wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, threatened to get a gun and shoot him at a city pension board meeting.

But a spokesman for Conyers says she was the real victim in the hubbub.

According to the police report filed Thursday by DeDan Milton, an assistant to Kilpatrick, Conyers "threatened to shoot (Milton) with her gun" and made "several aggressive movements" toward Milton "in a threatening manner."

Milton also reported to police that Conyers said she would "have my brothers (mess) you up."

David Clark, chair of Detroit's General Retirement System, backed up Milton's account.

"She ran at him," Clark told The Detroit News. "She told him she would get a gun if she had to and that she has four brothers and they would whup his a-- if she asked them."

Ah, Detroit. That liberal cesspool of brotherly love and government officials to lead the way. How embarassing.