Nick's Blog

Sounds like there's more to this probe than I thought. Ken Cockrel Jr.'s Chief of Staff was apparently caught on tape taking a $2,000 bribe. He just resigned.

The bribe apparently didn't work. Kenny voted against the deal they're investigating. Unless it was a bribe to get him to vote 'no.' Which is unlikely in the Skeptic's opinion -- the major opponents of the contract were Southwest Detroit neighborhood organizations. Most of them have trouble making payroll consistantly. They have other things to spend $2,000 on.

The other opponents -- unions representing city employees -- could get that kind of cash together with some work, but I doubt they'd waste it on a mere Chief of Staff. And there's no way in hell they'd bother bribing Kenny. The man didn't get to be Council President by being bought. He got there because he's one of the few Council members who works hard, and frequently seems to be the only one with common sense. Pissing off his voters for a fraction of his salary just ain't a Kenny thing to do. And those Southwest Detroit neighborhhod groups are his voters.

OTOH, an out-of-state company might not know that. They'd think Chief-of-Staff to the Council President is a fancy title, and $2,000 ain't much when a $47 million contract is on the line.

Apparently the FBI thinks a $47 million waste disposal contract was approved only after several COuncil members took bribes. Monica Conyers is one of the suspects. Ken Cockrel Jr. isn't.

Conyers is notorious for supporting the Mayor, but fought him when the scandal first broke. She's also known as the women who called Kenny Cockrel "Shrek" on-camera. IMO she's just mean.

That said, the Freep probably wouldn't have published this article if Conyers was not currently supporting the Mayor. They published a fawning piece on Kwame Kenyatta after he came out against Kwame. This is despite the fact Kenyatta supported a blatently racist proposal to create an African Town business district. Supported by City Loans, only avaliable to blacks. Idiots. Who's more likely to import African art -- white South Africans, or some chick whose afraid of leaves?

Back to the subject. I doubt there's widespread corruption on the Council. Conyers is a nasty person, but she's also a flake. Flakes are supposed to change their minds for no apparent reason.

Besides there is very little actual corruption in Detroit. In corrupt sities public employees do their jobs. It's hard to take bribes to issue permits if you never issue any permits.

So I bet they find nothing. I doubt the investigation is poklitcally motivates. Monica is married to John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Mr. Conyers could issue Articles of Impeachment against Dubya, so going after his wife would be remarkably syupid politically.

Without it her Presidential ambitions die.

Party loyalists are a pretty important demographic in a primary race. Many of them will blame an Obama loss on her refusal to drop out of the primary earlier, and the divisive nature of this primary race. Why would they encourage a repeat by supporting Hillary again? We aren't stupid.

That might be hyperbole, but it's a point the Hillary should be considering. Her best counter is being nominated for VP. That way fewer people will blame her for any loss, and if Obama wins she'll be the heir apparent as VP. It is true that the Vice Presidency does not offer her much. So she's got tricky political calculations to make.

Obama's calculations are easy. Hillary means Bill, and Bill means drama. The latest problem is a new bimbo eruption. Vanity Fair implied Bill Clinton is sleeping with the Hon. Belinda Stronach, Gina Gershon, and several other women. The piece is a clear hit job, and most of the accusations are getting no play in public. But Ms. Gershon took umbrage, and threatened to sue. This made it official news. Then there're the other problems.

Add in Hillary's other problems -- she's highly divisive even within the party, and the GOP base would be energized by her presence on the ballot -- and Obama's decision is easy. Just say no. Hillary's best chance at the White House is campaigning hard for Obama. She can run again in 2016. She'll be 69, but Reagan was older.

Kwame tried to address the crowd at the Red Wings victory parade, but got booed. Dude, quit already.

Monica Conyers is another embarrassing Detroit pol. At one of the Common Council's meetings she repeatedly interrupted Council president Ken Cockrel, going so far as to call himm "Shrek." A 13-year-old has come to national attention for scolding Conyers.

The Governor could end this all by firing Kwame, and she's finally started laying out the procedures for his ouster. Madam Governor, please hurry the process of getting rid of Kwame.

It annoyed the hell out of me. She lost, she should admit it.

Right now I think Obama should ignore her. She lost, until she admits that publicly she should not be considered for any post at all in an Obama administration. Especially Vice President. VP's are not supposed to do their own thing, they are supposed to be good little minions of the President. I don't think Hillary could be anybody's minion, and I'm positive she'd be a very bad minion if her strong-arm tactics were rewarded by Obama's camp.

So just ignore her. If asked about making her VP he should simply say "She isn't running for Vice President," if somebody wants to know whether she's earned it he should point out "I believe I have earned the nomination, that means I have earned the right to pick my running mate."

In general I'd be very wary of making her nominee even if she was going to be a good little minion. Bill just got re-accused of adultery, and he managed to make it frontpage news by calling the reporter involved a "scumbag."

Bill Clinton sexcapades are NOT "Change you can Believe in."