Verbatim: Detroit Style

Posted by Minni

I am a subscriber to Time magazine and every week I break into the new issue and head straight for the briefing section to read the "Verbatim" page which is top ridiculous one-liners of the week in news quotes (which I find hilarious). So I decided to create my own pathetic little mock "verbatim" page on my blog weekly. You're probably thinking, "how original." I'm probably thinking, "I know."


Only difference is I'll try to keep it concentrated in Michigan (specifically Detroit) politics since I eat sleep and breath them these days. I can only hope state and city politics aren't carcinogenic, but at times I wonder. This week I have a lot of quotes about the Cobo deal because it was a hot topic in the city.

But I digress. Let's get down to bizzniss:

VERBATIM March 6 2009

"He never called me."
Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers said of Detroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel on the Mildred Gaddis show. Background: Ever since she called him "Shrek" they've had a rocky relationship. Maybe he's just not that into her

"It was a tragic circus, a festival of ignorance that confirmed the No. 1 obstacle to Detroit's progress is the bargain basement leaders that city voters elect."
Detroit Free Press Columnist Nolan Finley wrote in an editorial in which he dogged the entire Detroit city council for the way they're handling the Cobo hall transfer. Many where quick to call him a racist. Hey, at least the guy's honest.

"He's pimping his father's legacy."
Detroit political consultant Sam Riddle said of interim Mayor Kenneth Cockrel's push to finalize the Cobo regional transfer deal.

"Kiss the employer based insurance goodbye."
Health care specialist on NPR talking about the economy and health care. This one pretty much speaks for itself.

"It's like a sub teacher coming in and giving a final grade."
Caller on "Inside Detroit" said about interim Mayor Cockrel's push for the Cobo deal in his short tenure since he took over for former mayor Kwame Kilparick.

"Cobo Hall Hijacking."
A segment on Mildred Gaddis' show that turned the Cobo drama into a little mock daytime drama plot. Er ... she's not biased or anything.

"I hope it all goes forward smoothly."
State Senator Hansen Clarke on Cobo Deal. He added, "I hope pigs can fly."

"Don't let Obama fool you, now. I'll never feel safe driving through Livonia."
Black Detroit City truck driver said referring to a predominantly white suburb of Detroit.

"Nolan has a tendency to be offensive when talking about Detroit."
Radio talk host Mildred Gaddis said of Detroit Free Press columnist Nolan Finley, who called the city council crazy, cheap and stupid in a recent commentary.


"Barbara Rose Collin's craziness gets in the way of the real issue."
Mildred Gaddis referring to the Detroit city council woman who is known to wear gaudy dresses and tiaras to council meetings and who sang "Onward Christian Soldiers" at a recent city council session.

"I opened my newspaper and every article except maybe one calls us crazy, stupid, monkeys in a zoo."
City Council Woman Barbara Rose-Collins told Detroit residents during a special session intended to override the Mayor's veto. She was referring, most likely, to Nolan Finley's controversial piece "Elect a crazy council; get crazy results." And, oh yeah, OC ececutive L. Brook Patterson is racist because he made fun of her precious tiara.

"Going after Barbara-Rose Collins' tiara. ... and I want the fist. That's all I want."
Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson's response to Collin's charge that he was trying to steal Cobo from the city.