Mayor Kwame, still under the microscope

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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The sexy text message scandal that blew up over Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick seems to have simmered down some. The Detroit Free Press has this story, examining whether he can salvage his political life:

The two sides of the mayor often appear to be in conflict.

Days before the text message controversy broke, Kilpatrick spoke to the residents of Asheville, N.C., at one of the city’s biggest civic events, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Association’s prayer breakfast. His speech about taking responsibility for one’s community drew a standing ovation.

But some of the applause has died down since it was disclosed that Kilpatrick, who stayed at the Grove Park Inn, shared an expensive and romantic massage with someone who wasn’t his wife.

“He’s a tragic figure with a fatal flaw,” said Nathan Ramsey, chairman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in Asheville, who also spoke at the event. “You hate to see somebody with all that talent make those mistakes.”