PATTERSON, SUPERINTENDENTS DEFEND DISTRICTS

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick says remarks he made about rampant drug use
in suburban communities were misunderstood.

"The mayor has nothing against Birmingham or Bloomfield," said Howard
Hughey, Kilpatrick's spokesman. "There is no interest to disparage any
community. He was just trying to illustrate that there are the same social
ills in the suburbs (as in Detroit)."

Kilpatrick's remarks, which came during a debate Thursday with challenger
Freman Hendrix at the Detroit Economic Club, were in response to a question
about teaching character.

He said, "If you want to show somebody dignity, you don't set up dignity
class. I know it sounds good because these 'savages' need it. But in
Birmingham and Bloomfield and all these places, they do more meth, more
ecstasy, and they do more acid than all the schools in the city of Detroit
put together."

Hughey stressed that Kilpatrick is concerned with the children of Detroit.

"Here in Detroit, we're trying to give kids the same access to opportunity
so they can have hope and aspire to higher things," he said. Patterson
wasn't buying Kilpatrick's explanations of his original statements. "His
clarification was not good enough," Patterson said. "He's trying to rewrite
half his answers. He shot from the hip without any information." When
questioned what he thought might be behind the remarks, Patterson answered
quickly. "It's about a candidate who has found himself behind in the polls."

At a Friday press conference, Patterson and superintendents from Birmingham
and Bloomfield Hills expressed outrage over the remarks, and asserted
students in those districts do less drugs than students nationally.

A testy Patterson asserted, "The phones have been ringing all morning.
Citizens expect me to defend them when we're under verbal assault. I was
insulted by those remarks ... and impugning the reputation of two fine
school districts."

Bloomfield Hills Superintendent Steven Gaynor and Birmingham Superintendent
John Hoeffler defended their schools.

Hoeffler said he felt Kilpatrick's statements "denigrated and dishonored"
the students of his district, he and pointed out efforts where suburban
school districts and students strive to work in cooperation with Detroit
Public Schools.

Kilpatrick, 35, trails Hendrix, 54, in the polls and is seeking re-election
while presiding over a city with a staggering $300 million deficit. Hendrix
outpolled Kilpatrick 44 percent to 34 percent in the August primary.

Patterson emphasized he has not endorsed either candidate.

"Check back, and you'll see there are no Patterson fingerprints in this.
I've assiduously avoided the campaign. I have to work with whoever is elected."

Patterson seemed baffled by the sudden switch by Kilpatrick, with whom he
said he shared a cordial relationship.

"We've had lunch, shared some giggles. It's been a good working
relationship," he said.

"This came out of the blue."

Pollster Ed Sarpolus of EPIC/MRA in Lansing said that, while the polls show
nearly an even split among black voters between Kilpatrick and Hendrix,
both of whom are black, the vast majority of whites and other minorities,
which account for about 20 percent of the voting population, prefer Hendrix.

As a result, Kilpatrick may be trying to create an "us versus them"
mentality and label his opponent as the suburban candidate in an attempt to
swing the black vote in his favor, Sarpolus said.

"Mayor Kilpatrick doesn't care anything about suburban relations right
now," Sarpolus said. "He just cares about the election. The problem with
comments like this is that they're only made for the moment. ... it's a bid
for political survival."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.