A Wayne County Circuit Court judge ruled that embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick can attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver despite having already spent time in jail for violating the travel restrictions placed on him by the court.

The Obama campaign, on the other hand, is hoping Kilpatrick will stay away. The mayor faces eight felony charges of conspiracy, perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office over his testimony in a civil trial that revealed his affair with an employee as well as two felony counts of assault in a separate case.

He is a superdelegate who has committed to supporting Obama, but the Obama camp would rather he not come to the convention. A spokesman for the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate said that they are concerned that Kilpatrick will be a distraction from what should be a celebration of Obama’s candidacy.

Can’t say as I blame them. Many analysts have argued recently that Kilpatrick’s legal troubles may be the reason why Obama is running so close with McCain in Michigan when he should have a much larger lead. I think they’re right. Kilpatrick is not only proving to be an albatross for the city of Detroit, he’s hurting the Obama campaign as well. The sooner he resigns and slinks away into obscurity, the better for everyone concerned.