Governor pressured to remove Detroit mayor

DETROIT, July 7 (UPI) -- Calls for Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to remove Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from office have so far gone unheeded, but that may change, observers say.

As Kilpatrick's criminal corruption case drags on, and with some members of the hostile Detroit City Council now mired in their own allegations, pressure may increase on Granholm to invoke her constitutional authority to remove public officials accused of serious misconduct, The Detroit News reported Monday.

Because of this, the relationship between Granholm and Kilpatrick, both Democrats mentored by Wayne County, Mich., political kingpin Edward McNamara, is being closely examined, the newspaper said. Analysts say their relationship is a rocky one, with a history of bruised feelings and intense competition.

And yet, Granholm and Kilpatrick have also partnered in other efforts. The up-and-down nature their relationship is making it hard to predict how Granholm will ultimately react to demands she remove the mayor from office, the newspaper said.