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By RightMichigan.com Posted in Breaking News | Detroit | John Conyers | Michigan | Monica Conyers | Placido Polanco | Tigers | www.RightMichigan.com — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Cross-posted on Right Michigan at www.RightMichigan.com.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop.  That's the best way to describe the continuing drama with the all-Democrat Detroit City Council.  Several council members remain targets of a federal investigation into a bribe backed multi-million dollar deal with Synagro to handle waste and build an incinerator.  Members and their staffs continue to be questioned and, sometimes, video-taped accepting funny money. And in the best Democrat tradition there isn't a one of them standing up and taking responsibility for his or her actions, although responsibility could be forced upon them somewhere down the road.

The Associated Press reports this morning on the investigation and it's potential fallout:

The same forfeiture of office provision the council is using to try and remove Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick also applies to council members, Cockrel Jr. said.

"I think our credibility would be seriously questioned if we didn't try to hold our own members to the same standard we are trying to hold the mayor to," he said.

The council has not, as a group, discussed the issue, he added.

Cockrel voted NO on the Synagro deal, by the way, and isn't a target of the investigation although one of his staff members was caught red handed taking a payoff to fatten his own wallet.  The real targets, though, seem to be folks like Monica Conyers, the wife of Congressman John Conyers (although he doesn't know it sometimes), the woman who labeled Cockrel "Shrek" and the woman who berated a grade-school girl who'd had the gall to suggest name calling was inappropriate for grown-ups.

But for a woman who's made her reputation speaking disrespectfully to anyone and everyone and generally ignoring any societal rules for good behavior Conyers has gone entirely silent during this investigation.  Her long-time political advisor Sam Riddle is no longer in her employ and her lawyers are keeping the FBI at bay.  While most of her council associates have spoken with federal investigators Conyers has not.   Someone turned on the lights and the woman scurried.  

Failing to get away as cleanly was Detroit Fox 2's Fanchon Stinger, a longtime member of the mainstream media who remains on "administrative leave" after the station discovered she was secretly on the Synagro payroll placing ads and setting up clandestine meetings for the company with folks like Conyers.  (Aside: it's always been a personal goal to use the word "clandestine."  Knock that one off the "to-do" list...)  Secret meetings in church offices.  Which isn't seamy or seedy at all.  But apparently it pays well... the Detroit News reports:

Stinger has had several luxury cars registered in her name.

She is the registered owner of a 2007 Rolls Royce and is also registered as leasing a 2008 Lexus LS 460, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.

Other public records show Stinger has had a 2006 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, a 2005 BMW 7-Series and a 2002 Jaguar S Type registered in her name in the past.

A new Rolls Royce retails for more than $300,000 without extras and the 2006 Ferrari for more than $250,000.

Stinger, who joined Fox 2 as an investigative reporter in 1997 and became an anchor in 2004, was paid about $325,000 a year by Fox 2 Detroit in 2005, according to divorce records.

What is it they say in those TV commercials?  Vroom Vroom?

All of this Detroit nonsense can leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth.  Well, anyone outside of Detroit.  They'll continue to elect Democrats exclusively and then wonder why nothing changes.  But there's a tolerance threshold for this sort of nonsense everywhere else and I think we've just about reached it.  So how about a little brighter news to counter all of the sludge... har...

What's more American than baseball?  How about a naturalization ceremony at a baseball game where one of your gold-glove heroes takes the oath, recites the pledge of allegiance and officially becomes an American citizen?  That was the scene last night at Comerica Park where the Tigers' all-world Dominican born second baseman, Placido Polanco joined ninety-nine others in pledging their allegiance. According to the FREEP:

"I wanted to be here in this country - it's a country of opportunity," Polanco said Wednesday afternoon. "I work here playing baseball, and baseball has been very good to me and my family. God bless America."

I know I'm a guy and guys are supposed to be tough and when they aren't they aren't supposed to admit it but I think I'm physically incapable of attending one of these ceremonies, listening to one or reading about one without getting watery eyes.  Well put, Polly, well put.  A perfect post-Independence Day refresher.