Another Sexting Scandal in Detroit?

I wonder if the extent, scope and breadth of the casual culture of corruption that existed among the black elite during the Kilpatrick years will ever be completely known to the public. Kwame Kilpatrick's text messages appear to be offering another window on the kinds of shenanigans he was getting up to. The Detroit News is reporting today on the revelation of a relationship of a personal nature between Kwame Kilpatrick and Sheryl Robinson Wood, a partner in Venable LLP, a business law firm based in Baltimore and with offices in D.C. and elsewhere. Wood was the monitor of a consent decree entered into between the City of Detroit and the Justice Department regarding problems with the Detroit criminal justice system's handling of prisoners. Reportedly paid $287.00/hr, Wood was paid $10 million dollars through 2006 for her work as monitor of the consent decree.

Kilpatrick lobbied hard for the appointment of Wood to the monitor position, according to City Council members. The text messages, which have not been released to the public, reportedly indicate an inappropriate personal relationship between Wood and Kilpatrick and some exchange of information regarding the litigation surrounding the consent decree. References to going to dinner are apparently included in the texts.

The text messages are in the possession of the U.S. Dept. of Justice and confirm that there is an ongoing federal investigation into Kilpatrick and corruption and I'm willing to bet right now that this is not going to be the only shady set of circumstances to emerge from that investigation. The texts and apparently statements and admissions from Wood herself appear to be pretty damning. According to the Maryland Monitor;

"In an order filed Friday, Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan wrote that he had learned through “certain documents” and a subsequent conversation with Robinson Wood that she “had engaged in conduct which was totally inconsistent with the terms and conditions of the two Consent Judgments in this litigation.”

“Specifically, it has now become readily apparent to the Court that the Monitor had engaged in undisclosed communications, as well as meetings of a personal nature, with the former City of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick during the term of the Consent Judgments, which included inappropriate discussions with him about this lawsuit,” Cook wrote. “Under these circumstances, the Court finds that it is absolutely necessary to suspend all monitoring of this case immediately.”

This looks as though it may be another scandal replete with the same sort of tawdry elements that were present in the relationship of Christine Beatty and Kilpatrick. If so, it will be another cautionary tale for professional black women about the decisions they make and could become a story every bit as tragic in terms of its impact on a family. Ms. Wood is married to Wesley Wood, a business owner and candidate for the State House in the 44th District of Maryland. They have two young children. Like Beatty, this may end up another case where we are left wondering, "what was she thinking" and "what the heck was Kilpatrick doing to make educated, intelligent, married, professional black women with young children behave so foolishly?".

However, those questions are really only the titillating eye candy on the surface of this mess. The real question that should be raised is how black electorates in Detroit and elsewhere seem unable to muster the will to hold accountable in any way elected officials they know are dirty.

Harry Reid The Craven Dances With Burris the Buffoon

Reid has signaled his cave, noting that if Burris returns with proper credentials, he'll be accorded some measure of respect. The idea is being floated that Burris won't run again in 2010 and this would be the compromise. Thats a BS promise from Burris. Why become a senator through this crap process on the appointment of a corrupt politician only to step down 2 years later? Burris wants to keep that job, don't front. Two years from now, he'll say despite earlier understandings, the people of my district urge me to stand for election.

A CNN columnist said today that Burris should be seated simply because the administration doesn't have time for this mess. There is a certain soundness of logic there. However, I still say Burris should be left at the curb because he is not the best that Illinois could have. Anybody willing to flip flop within days on his public statements about the governor, willing to accept an appointment and tarnish his reputation by being associated with this mess, lacks good political judgment. He has become a Blago tool. Now we are not talking about Blago, we are talking about Burris. He's been played and is left to sputter after being turned away from the Senate chamber about how he will now confer with his legal team. Blago certainly can't come to his defense. Pathetic. The icing on the cake for why he should be dissed? Shameless race card playing. This 70 year old fart is still playing from a 20th century political playbook, but we've entered the 21st century. Thats the best set of political cards he's got? This is the sorry putz who wants to step into the seat vacated by Obama, the man who is clearly the new gold standard of black political leadership? Burris isn't fit to lick the One's boots. His sorry, tired, old negro thinking butt is a sorry choice and the citizens of Illinois deserve much better. If its got to be about race, there are far more qualified brothers to support. Leave this sucker out.

The Danger of Continued Republican Leadership

Cheney must keep records, judge orders - CNN.com

The battle for the preservation of records and documents produced by the Vice President is a little window on the reason why, despite my doubts and concerns about Obama on foreign policy, the economy and his social positions, I do not believe that Republicans deserve nor should be permitted another term in office.

In a lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) against Cheney, the office of the President and the National Archives and Records Administration, CREW filed to have records of Cheney's activities preserved. Cheney's response to Congress epitomizes why Republicans should be removed from power:

Cheney chief of staff David Addington has told Congress that the vice president belongs to neither the executive nor legislative branch of government, AP reported. Instead, he said, the office is attached by the Constitution to Congress. The vice president presides over the
Senate.

So let me get this straight. The Office of the Vice President is actually a fourth branch of government!! Clearly its not part of the judiciary, and according to Cheney, its not part of the legislative nor the executive either. The arrogance, mendacity and duplicity in such a statement is simply breathtaking. An argument such as the one made above is a complete twisting of any commonsense understanding of the constitution and our system of government. The average man on the street would call check on this. There's no other way to view an argument like the one above as anything other than a naked attempt by the Vice President to wield power and escape accountability, and to do so in a way that distorts the balance of power in our government and threatens our democracy. People prepared to knowingly commit such distortions should be removed from power before they are successful in twisting government so far out of wack, our democracy is lost.

What Fate Beatty?

Whats your your opinion on Beatty?

This is the portrait of a woman staring up at the world from the bottom of a very deep, dark place. Kwame Kilpatrick cut a deal this past Thursday, negotiating a plea agreement that lands him in jail for four months, on probation thereafter, and requires a million in restitution. He's made his deal. Christine Beatty, his former lover and co-defendant, has nothing. No deal, and quite possibly no remaining cards to play. We have urged Ms. Beatty repeatedely to run, not walk, run, to Kim Worthy's office and cut a deal for immunity while she still had time and bargaining chips. Alas, she never took our advice, and now she is paying the price, mega big time. I look at this picture and I think almost anyone feels some degree of compassion for Beatty. Then I think about it a little and my heart hardens. Foolish woman! What have you been thinking? Were you really so blinded with love for this thug that you could not act in your own self interest? Linking your criminal case to his, being defended by the same firm. Right from the very get go, you lost your job while he kept his. He made it abundantly clear that however much he may have liked you, he was not letting go of his wife or his family. Were you so enamored of him that you could not see the momentum building towards his eventual defeat? Were you so hopeful that your continued silence that helped shield him would someday be rewarded with his love that you could not recognize the erosion of your own position? Your marriage is over, his stands intact, for what its worth. A commenter at the Free Press, ricky234 put it well;

"He [Kwame] didn't throw her under the bus. She is lying down in the street waiting for it to run her over. She could have cut a great deal by turning on Kwami but NO, her love for him prevented that. But now that Kwami's love for his wife is stronger than ever (at least that is what he says) she is left hung out to dry. She put herself in this position, she put Kwami before her children. She put Kwami before her freedom."

According to the Freep, Beatty has another week to strike a possible deal to settle the perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office charges that could put her in prison for up to 15 years. At this point, I don't know that she has much to bargain with. Assuming her lawyer is of any real use, there may perhaps be some compelling reason why they did not seek to cut a separate deal for themselves before Kwame cut his own and removed a great deal of any leverage she may have had. When Granholm announced she was proceeding with the hearings, that should have been a wake up call. Maybe Prosecutor Worthy has more than enough evidence to have her way in court with all of them and therefore Beatty's info was not all that valuable anyway, if she could not give them anything they did not already have.

Beatty is on the short end of the stick in a sex and corruption scandal in which as a woman, many can argue, she got the very worst of it all while the man who used her suffered much less. I met Beatty during my years in Detroit back in the heady early years of the Kilpatrick reign. She and the rest of them were always a bit drunk with the wine of power and influence, but for all that, she was human enough. She has and is paying a high and painful price for years of truly bad decisions that have cost a marriage, her finanancial security, her reputation and quite possibly her freedom and time with her two children. Her crimes seem borne more of utter foolishness over a man who is a master manipulater than malice, so in the end, I'll hope for her sake that she can yet find a soft landing. I'd say she should find a ghostwriter and start working on the memoir now. She's going to need the money.

Whats your your opinion on Beatty? Do you feel sorry for her a little, or is it all just desserts? Unfair, or to be expected?

Kwame's Out - Top Staff Bailing

Kwame Kilpatrick entered pleaded guilty to felony charges in his perjury case and no contest in his assault case. His plea requires his resignation, which he has tendered effective Sept. 18th. He has to pay a million dollars restitution, probation for five years and he will be disbarred. With this plea deal, at least one portion of this sad saga comes to an end.

Now comes the fallout. Within hours of the announcement of his plea deal and resignation, Police Chief Ella Bully Cummings announced her resignation. I always liked Ella and she was easy to look at. I was dissapointed by the fact that she lied for Kwame on command as well, most notably in the Navigator scandal. With Kwame's exit, she bails, presumably before Cockrel gives her the axe. Also announcing her departure is Sharon McPhail. This woman is a real piece of work. Kwame lied with dispatch, and this woman made an Olympic sport out of spinning his BS to the public. Kwame would tell an absurd lie, and McPhail was the closer, arguing his case with vigor and even conviction. Early on, watching her lie with such fervor to the citizens of Detroit was almost amusing, because it was such an absurd production every time she opened her mouth. After a while though, it just became a disgusting spectacle to watch this woman purposefully set out to decieve the citizens of Detroit on Kwame's behalf. If there is anyone who I will enjoy watching shuffle off the stage as much as Kwame, its McPhail. Her role in this mess has been truly disgraceful. These are only the first to cut and run now that Kilpatrick has gone done in flames. Over 100 of his appointees are facing the axe. Some of them might not be deserving of it, but no one could blame Cockrel if he took office and made a complete sweep of any Kilpatrickite remaining in the administration, a deBathication of Detroit if you will. Well, however it goes forward, let the cleanup of Detroit politics begin.