I am so sick and tired of these smear tactics.

The worst part is making public about something that was resolved privately.

Shame on Allan Alley and shame on Mr. Plant for his baseless and purely political accusations.

Well, absent the obvious inappropriateness, Westlund and Boone seem to have resolved this like adults and have been very mature about the whole thing.

Ben Westlund didn't exert political pressure or have someone threatened to try and cover anything up.

Politicians, like people, sometimes make mistakes. What I object to (and what sunk Packwood) is when they use the power of their office to lie, cheat, or threaten people to save their skin.

The only continued wrongdoing here is someone's insistence on violating Boone's privacy to dredge up an decade-old story.

Come on Floyd!

You are really backing away from a measure that will save people's lives just because of a few people on their computers?

I'm a biker and I'm always offend by people not wearing their helmets for two big reasons: A.) Helmets protect from serious injury and help drive down health care costs B.) When adults wear helmets it makes it much more likely that children around them will, too.

It is important legislation and should be push forward regardless of what the "Living in Mom's Basement" crowd says.

Didn't Bob Packwood lose a Senate seat for this kind of crap?

No. He was surviving the scandal just fine - until it was revealed that he visited the home of a teenage intern and tried to force himself on her, at the doorstep.

That, combined with Bob Dole's presidential campaign, is what finally did him in.

Unless Ben W. was a serial abuser, this will be a non-story.

I am frankly amazed at the speed that the campaigns this season have progressed...we've gone from silly season to disgusting smears in lightning speed, and that's usually only in the last month of the cycle. For the love, we've only just hit August! Though, I guess if the Republicans had to campaign on actual issues...they know that they’d lose big time.

First, this happened over ten years ago.

Second, this was raised by some political operative with a campaign motive...i.e. if Boone was concerned about Westlund now do you think she would have endorsed him? Of course not, but the fact the two resolved the issue privately YEARS ago isn't relevant to a smear.

Third, SHAME on whoever it was who released this PRIVATE matter to the media...Women (and men) who are the victims of harassment should have the utmost protection of their privacy and (as the righties over @ OR Catalyst said) "the right to self-direction...[in order to reach a] resolution that meets their personal values". So once again a woman gets run over...all so someone could try to win a political campaign. If I were Boone, I'd be after the leaker's balls.

Fourth, Westlund owned up to his behavior and apologized. I appreciate the candor...too many people/politicians lie, refuse to admit guilt, or "fake"-apologize. Thank God we're learning creatures...otherwise we'd never have progressed. Unfortunately, part of learning is making some mistakes...oh how I wish it wasn't so. However, the sign of maturity is not never making a mistake...it’s apologizing (and forgiving) when stupid mistakes occur.

I would feel differently if Boone didn't think that things were resolved, or if Westlund hadn't admitted fault and apologized, or if this wasn't fed to the (willing) press (that just eats up scandal) by an operative with a campaign agenda.

My 2 cents.

"this happened over ten years ago"

Anyone who has followed Westlund's career knows he has grown over the time he has been in office, but when first elected was somewhat of a smartaleck. I should know--he once defeated a friend of mine in an election. I have seen the difference between the early years and the more recent, more serious years. We need more people who have grown while in public life.

I agree with John C. and JTT.

I believe a big part of the story is how this became public. Was it someone feeding it to the media on a slow news day? Could it be that the vague statements of the Alley campaign like "elect someone with business background, not a legislator" weren't working? Whether or not the campaign was directly involved in this leak, it does seem suspicious.

Hey Piccolo, get a life and go back to your own site...this is the progressive water cooler. Freakin' moonbat.

Packwood resigned months before the first primaries of the 1996 campaign. Dole announced in April 1995, Packwood announced his resignation in early September of the same year, after the Senate Ethics committee had recommended his expulsion. I think you can pin Packwood's downfall on himself.

Yes, you've got the timing down exactly right. And yes, it was well-known at the time that the GOP Senate Majority Leader didn't want the Packwood thing hanging around his neck as he was preparing for a presidential campaign.

Think back a year ago, the primaries were in full swing. Same for 1995.

The Ethics Committee - always split evenly D/R - had been deadlocked. Then the intern came forward:

As the Ethics Committee was deliberating Packwood's fate this August, a woman came forward who had been a 17-year-old intern when she was grabbed and kissed by the senator.

Dole released the Republicans, and they voted to expel him from the Senate. And Packwood resigned.

And yes, we can pin Packwood's downfall on his behavior.

But it took Bob Dole to force him to resign. Otherwise, he would have likely been able to hang on. Keep in mind: the charges first surfaced in December 1992. He didn't resign until nearly three years later.

"A.) Helmets ...help drive down health care costs"

So, I can buy a pack of cigarettes and smoke them while I'm riding my bike and eating a keilbasa and a maple bar, as long as I'm wearing a helmet.

The No. 1 killer in America is heart disease. Until the government starts mandating a healthy diet, these "drive down health care costs" arguments for relatively minor factors like bicycle head injuries are just red herrings. neither cyclist in Portland's two high profile deaths woul;d have been saved by a helmet.

"B.) When adults wear helmets it makes it much more likely that children around them will, too."

I don't remember getting a check in the mail for being your little heathen's role model.

I'm a biker and I'm always offend by people not wearing their helmets

Minding other people's business seems to be high tone, well I've got all that I can do just a mindin' my own.