DETROIT (AP) - Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has lashed out at his opponents and the news media in the aftermath of the scandal over his exchange of sexy test messages with a former top aide.
It happened Tuesday night at the end of his State of the City address, which till then had only a brief allusion to the text-message controversy.
The case has led to a criminal probe of whether Kilpatrick lied under oath when he denied the affair.
After an hour-long prepared address focusing on development plans and economic initiatives, Kilpatrick said he and his family have received threats and racial slurs in recent weeks.
He says Detroit broadcasters are putting their own ratings ahead of his family's safety with their intense coverage of the scandal.
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Kilpatrick went off script when he lashed out. Below is the transcript:(Ad lib text is bold/italic)The challenge for all of us in public office is to rise above our differences -- to rise above our human frailties – and maintain our focus on working together to move this city forward. Ralph Waldo Emerson said big jobs usually go to the people who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.
President Cockrel, we have much more serious issues affecting the future of this city than whether we’re going to attend a speech.
I love you [Cockrel] and I love what you've done for our city.At this moment in our history, we must turn
to each other, and not
on each other.
And finally tonight, and this may be the most talked about part of the speech after laying out all of that. But I feel that I cannot leave this auditorium with my wife and my sons sitting there without addressing this issue.In the past 30 days, I've been called a n----- more than any time in my entire life. In the past three days I have received more death threats than I have in my entire administration. I've heard these words before, but I've never heard people say them about my wife and children.I don't believe that a Nielsen rating is worth the life of my children or your children.This unethical, illegal lynch-mob mentality has to stop.And it's seriously time. We've never been here before. And I don't care if they cut the TV off. We've never been in a situation like this before where you can say anything, do anything, have no facts, no research, no nothin and you can launch a hate-driven, bigoted assault on a family.I humbly ask members of council. I humbly ask the business community. I humbly ask the religious community. I humbly ask the brothers and sisters of the city of Detroit. I humbly ask that we say no more together. I humbly ask that we say no more together. I love this city with every part of my being and I will continue to stay focused on building the next Detroit. God bless you. Detroit, I love you. ©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
