In keeping with the trend of giving honor to Coleman Young (the City-County Building and a rotting Airport have been named in honor of hizzoner), I was only mildly surprised today when Kwame Kilpatrick played the race card as part of his multi-pronged strategy at saving himself from the mire of scandal he finds himself sinking into. Specifically, he accused WDIV investigative reporter Karen Drew of asking a racially motivated question when she asked Kilpatrick about Candia Milton, the Mayor's new chief of staff owing the city thousands of dollars in back taxes. Drew, Kilpatrick suggested, only asked the question because Milton is a black Detroiter. This all comes a day after the City-County Building (or Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, if you prefer) became off-limits to reporters and Drew got manhandled by a member of Kilpatrick's security detail. This is classic Coleman, playing the race card to his advantage, deflecting criticism--making the blonde TV reporter the villain. It's just another prong in Kilpatrick's well-crafted public rehabilitation--the religion card has been played, the family card has been played--it was only a matter of time before Coleman's card was played.
The sickening part is that WDIV-TV--given exclusive access to Kilpatrick's contrition speech, has barely touched any of this. Steve Wilson, who's built his career at WXYZ by chasing Kilpatrick, gave more air-time to Drew's run-in at the City-County Building than Channel 4 did--and they ran nothing today regarding Kilpatrick accusing Drew of being a racist. I love Detroit, and Detroit deserves better. Any outlet with a public voice--The News, The Free Press, 2, 4, 7, WDET, The Metro Times--everyone should be tearing this story to pieces to get at the truth--Detroit and this entire region deserve nothing less.
Friday, February 1, 2008
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