In a courtroom this morning, Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obstructing justice by committing perjury. He will spend four months in jail, pay up to $1 million in restitution, and serve five years' probation. [...]
The deals also call for Kilpatrick to turn over his state pension to the City of Detroit, which paid $8.4 million to settle two whistle-blower lawsuits three former cops filed against the city. [...]
In a rushed monotone, before a standing-room only audience, Kilpatrick told Wayne Circuit Judge David Groner: "I lied under oath in the case of Gary Brown and Harold Nelthrope versus the city of Detroit ... I did so with the intent to mislead the court and jury, to impede and obstruct the disposition of justice."
NewsBusters writer Tom Blumer chronicled the New York Times's inability to name Kilpatrick's party, but the NYT & Free Press aren't alone in their decision to keep Kwame's party out of the ongoing scandal. CNN's report on the case also fails to note Kilpatrick's party affiliation. In describing Governor Jennifer Granholm's foot-dragging inability to act on the Detroit city council's recommendation that she remove Kilpatrick, CNN failed to point out that she, too, is a Democrat. What's this? A Democrat failing to remove another Democrat from office? Good thing prosecutors did their job so Granholm wasn't forced to do hers.
Instead, they quoted her seemingly waxing nostalgic over the loss of Kilpatrick to scandal.
"Today, this sad but historic story is coming to an end," Granholm said.
"It's very important for us as a state and as a city to turn this page together. There is much work to do. It is my profound hope that we can now write a new history for this great but embattled city."
The governor had been trying to determine whether to use her constitutional power to dismiss the mayor.
Someday, maybe, when reporting scandals, the media will acknowledge the party affiliation of everyone, and not just Republicans.
(h/t: John Cook & Andrew Rosengard)
