Detroit Free Press - Little Decorum During Congressional Debate

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Detroit Free Press - Little Decorum During Congressional Debate

Lively debate hits on mayor, experience -- and a brassiere

It began with a flurry of verbal haymakers and ended with the television host begging the three congressional candidates to stop talking over one another.

Just another day in the race between U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a Detroit Democrat, and the two Democrats who want to defeat her on Aug. 5 -- state Sen. Martha Scott of Highland Park and former state Rep. Mary Waters of Detroit.

It's the first serious challenge to Kilpatrick, a five-term congresswoman who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, since she was elected to the east side seat that extends from the Grosse Pointes, through a big chunk of Detroit that hugs the river and ends Downriver. And it is clearly linked to the problems of Kilpatrick's son, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who has been charged with perjury and other counts in connection with the settlement of a whistle-blower lawsuit against the city.

After opening statements, the discussion on WDIV-TV's (Channel 4) "Flash Point" program quickly turned to the controversy.

"Character and trust is clearly an issue in the race," said Waters, who has a television ad showing Kilpatrick vigorously defending her son when he ran for reelection in 2005 as a list of felony charges against him runs on the screen. "I understand that it's your son, but you're also a congresswoman and you have a responsibility to the people you represent."

Kilpatrick bristled, saying she loves her son and the judicial process will handle the issue.

"But I'm running on a 30-year proven record," she said.

Kilpatrick wasn't the only one to be taken to task on the show, hosted by anchor Devin Scillian. Waters chided Scott for living outside the district.

"Why should you ask people to vote for you if you can't even vote for yourself?" she asked.

Scott pointed out that you don't have to live in the district to represent it and that 75% of her state Senate district is in the 13th Congressional District.

Kilpatrick, who sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee and claims to have brought $500 million back to Michigan and the district, quizzed both Waters and Scott about their knowledge of Congress.

"How many appropriations committees are there in Congress? How many departments are there in the federal government? What department has the largest bill before the appropriations committee?" she asked.

They didn't know.

"But I'm a quick learner," Scott said.

Waters disputed Kilpatrick's claims, saying, "Anybody who goes to Congress can bring home the dollars."

But Kilpatrick had a ready response to Waters. "You can't even carry my bra."

Kilpatrick first won the seat by beating embattled incumbent U.S. Rep. Barbara-Rose Collins, now a Detroit city councilwoman.

In addition to Waters' ad against Kilpatrick, Scott sent out a mailing, saying, "It's time for a change" and listing her opponent and her son -- "Congresswoman Kilpatrick (Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's mother)," for voters who might miss the nuance.

Kilpatrick has said her son's problems are having an impact, according to polling her campaign has done. And she's still waiting for an endorsement from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, who mentioned her name at a rally in Detroit, but offered no official endorsement.

But the incumbent has big advantages in the race, especially in fund-raising.

Campaign finance reports filed earlier this week show she has raised more than $700,000 in this campaign cycle and has $481,000 in cash available for the two weeks leading up to the primary. Neither Scott nor Waters had filed campaign finance reports yet, but neither is expected to raise anywhere near as much as Kilpatrick.

In the next two weeks, influential Democrats in Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will come to Michigan to campaign for Kilpatrick. Others scheduled are U.S. Reps. James Clyburn of South Carolina, Charles Rangel of New York and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi.

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