Believe it or not, people are having a hard time forgiving Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick for possibly firing the police chief over an affair with his chief of staff that he lied about during a trail that cost the city millions of dollars.

Detroiters looked past claims of partying with exotic dancers, cronyism and a red Lincoln Navigator leased for his family with taxpayers’ money. In 2005, even as polls showed an older, more traditional challenger ahead, voters re-elected Mr. Kilpatrick, who had been among the youngest mayors to run a major American city and whose unique draw, in part, was his sway over young voters.

But forgiveness seems uncertain now.

Ah, the people. Jerk them around long enough, and eventually they catch on. [NYT]