Indicted Detroit Mayor Seen as Obama Liability

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is, like Barack Obama, a charismatic black Democrat. He’s also facing multiple felony charges and recently spent a night in jail for violating conditions of his bond. The GOP thinks he could hurt Obama in Michigan come November, the Detroit News reports. Kilpatrick and Obama have never been close associates, but the Tennessee Republican Party has begun running ads showing Obama praising Kilpatrick. The clip predates Kilpatrick’s legal trouble.

Democrats are also wondering if Kilpatrick, a superdelegate, can or should attend the national convention. One judge briefly removed Kilpatrick’s travel restrictions and GPS tether yesterday, but another reinstated them three hours later. If he does go, Kilpatrick will be “an onion in the salad,” says one Democratic consultant. “People will have to make a decision on whether they want to stand there and smile or run away. I think they'll run away.” (More Detroit stories.)