State of the City...........hollow message

I could only shake my head as I listened to the last minutes of the message that Mayor Kilpatrick gave on the state of Detroit. It started off the way it should have, and later deteriorated into a petty tirade. As usual, he lambasted the media for his problems. To my surprise, his statements prompted long time WDIV broadcaster Carmen Harlan to make a personal commentary. She let the mayor know that his problems were of his own doing, and were not the fault of the media. I must say that WDIV (Channel 4) has been the most charitable of the three local news stations, especially when they were the station chosen to originally broadcast his January 30th "apology" at his church.

I think that the media has been very lenient with Mayor Kilpatrick, especially The Detroit Free Press who has the text messages. Although they have already revealed some salient details, they have held back which I feel is best option right now. WCHB Radio Host Mildred Gaddis made a valid point on her program today. She suggested that until Mayor Kilpatrick has been formally charged by the Wayne County Prosecutor, holding back the text messages would be in the best interest for any future legal proceedings concerning him. He could demand a change of venue for a potential trial because his argument would be that potential jurors could be influenced by the text messages published by the Detroit Free Press.

I just hope the Wayne County Prosecutor is ethical, and is able to build a solid case against Mayor Kilpatrick when she formally reveals the charges against him. On another note, seeing Carlita Kilpatrick who has maintained a low profile lately, made me pause. Observing the outfit that she wore to the event had me wondering if she was trying to make a political statement. Most of the rest of Kilpatrick clan was dressed conservatively.

But with Mrs. Kilpatrick's attire of a white pantsuit with a black blouse, I could not help but think of widely publicized image of Al Pacino in the movie "Scarface". Was she trying to let folks know that she was on top of the world? Or was she rebelling against the image consultants that her husband recently hired?