The Mighty Ficano Money Machine Has Blown A Gasket

Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano did not throw his big annual fund-raiser this summer, and contributions to his political action committee have all but dried up, report M.L. Elrick and John Wisely in the Free Press.

Insiders told the Free Press that Ficano is unsure about seeking a fourth term in 2014. In addition to factors ranging from severance and pension controversies to whistle-blower lawsuits and a federal probe of some county operations, Ficano is getting conflicting advice from advisers.

Maybe Ficano can take some solace in this observation from Bill Balenger, editor of the newsletter Inside Michigan Politics: "So far, this is not Kwame Kilpatrick. He may look terrible through being incompetent and gullible rather than being outright evil."