This sounds to me like the ploy of a desperate man who is down in the polls.

This is not his fault; he was not ready. Getting elected and being ready to do the job are two different things.

This is about who knows how to manage a big-city budget.

If you want to get a problem solved, the first thing you have to admit is that you have a problem. The city of Detroit is teetering on bankruptcy.

Anytime you talk about the possibility of threats, his car was vandalized as I think many of you reported. We?re very concerned about that and we fully expect the authorities are keenly aware and will be looking into them.

The learning curve that was so steep for my opponent when he came into office caused this situation to be exacerbated beyond what it should have been.

I think it was critical. I think it was significant. I think that it came at an important juncture in this campaign.

This election is far from being over. The celebration is far from being ended. And this 21-month journey is very much alive, it is well and the hope for this city -- the promise that we can indeed be a city that we can believe in again -- is on schedule.

It has been a labor of love for me. I have not tired. I am energized when I am around the citizens of Detroit.