Obama’s attempts to distance himself might help, but he risks siding with the forces that some Detroiters see as enemies out to disenfranchise them. After all, Kilpatrick only agreed to his plea deal after Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm began historic hearings Wednesday to consider forcibly removing him from office. It’s no coincidence that on the day before Granholm’s hearing, a graffiti artist scribbled this on the limestone walls of Detroit’s city hall: “The white man wants Kwame gone to take the rest of Detroit’s money.” Among the Kilpatrick die-hards in Detroit–still a significant minority–Obama could be viewed as a traitor. “People are upset he waited until the last minute and then piled on,” says political consultant and Kilpatrick supporter Adolph Mongo.