Let's face reality - there's not just a double standard, there's multiple standards and elected leadership has always been held to a much looser standard than the rest of us - particularly once they're elected! Sam knew that and he temporarily dodged the bullet in order to GET the job. Who among us wouldn't if they could? He's still got the chops to do the job, he's clearly remorseful, he's apparently done nothing illegal, and thus it really wasn't any of our business to begin with. Get over it and get on with it. He can always be recalled in six months.

Just what we need, another web poll which, due to it's self-selecting unverifiable nature, proves nothing.

I don't care if the result is 90% pro-Sam or 90% anti-Sam, there is nothing of value which can be reliably determined from a web poll.

I'm sure the webmaster can check my IP address and tell you just how many times I voted in this poll just now -- but can they know for sure it's the only one?

Web polls on lesser issues might be entertaining for some... but no matter which side people are on regarding resignation-as-a-remedy, can we agree that the situation is serious enough not to be distracted/confused by useless web polls?

I didn't think Bill Clinton should have resigned, and he didn't. What we have here is exactly the same concept, with the only difference being that Sam is gay. If you think Sam should resign, but Bill Clinton shouldn't, you're probably a bit bigoted.

This is about a private matter. Sure, I'm still pissed at Sam for getting me to believe that the original rumors were just part of a bigoted smear campaign...that kind of stuff makes me think twice about anyone making that kind of excuse for awhile. I can't really know if he lied to protect himself or if he lied to protect Breedlove, but either way it doesn't matter. He made me feel like a sucker, and that's something that will take a long time and a lot of hard work to make up to me and everyone else in the same boat.

It's even more legal than with Bill Clinton, Sam Adams did NOT lie under oath. Barney Frank got in trouble for very similar reasons very early in his career too...and people came to forgive him for it. So did Bill Clinton. So have a whole lot of politicians. Demanding that Adams resign would make most of us no better than Republicans. If you really want to hold onto the majority, you've got to learn to be better than Republicans.

Good news, everyone!

The current, completely unscientific, already-done-elsewhere web poll now shows a clear 50%+ majority (70 votes to 67 votes), thinks Sam Adams should not resign.

Clearly this matter is now settled and we can all get back to work.

My enduring thanks to BlueOregon for upholding the time-tested tradition of facilitating good public outcomes via hastily distributed web polls.

A virtuous person would resign voluntarily for winning an election under false pretenses, regardless of the misdemeanor.

S.A. should resign with dignity, check himself into Prevaricators Anonymous, and work in the private sector for a few years. He could and should retain his dedication to civic and public service. In a few years, he can, should and would return to PDX government with dignity, renewed energy, and I suspect a reservoir of goodwill and understanding.

The problem with the recent apology is that S.A. does not allow for atonement. He wants us to forgive and move on on his terms. Genuine apologies (defined by apology scholars) require remorse and a willingness to accept a punishment beyond shame.

There's already a scientific poll. A clear majority still approves of Sam's job performance, while a bare plurality thinks he should resign. And there's no double-standard for me, so stop accusing folks of things without evidence for crying out loud. I find sex scandals amusing, but not opportunities for moralizing and self-righteous demands. It obviously wasn't smart for a politician to have sex with an 18-year-old, but it's also not illegal, and it's also not my business. It was wrong to lie about stuff that wasn't my business, but that's still not my business. And while you can argue that you can't trust him to tell you the truth about who he bangs, he maintains that he didn't have underage sex, and to this day, nobody has ever alleged that he did. So it's his word against ... no one disagreeing with him. You're perfectly free to make up your own version of events and and express outrage, but then you can't fault Sam for having done the same.

I think the results of this poll should be limited to folks who replied in the first few minutes, because web polls on contentious issues tend to just become dumping grounds for traffic directed from other blogs, radio talk hosts, forum posters, etc. And obviously that's not representative of anything but the folks outraged enough to try to "freep" a web poll. While the snap results are no more scientific, at least they're more representative of the natural traffic for the site.

Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #15082

Someone said that this poll is accurate. Wow if this was from a random sample explain to me the high number of blacks in the sample pool.

7% of poll respondents were black, while Portland was 6.64% black as of 2000. SurveyUSA uses scientific polling methodology. Web polls are unscientific, because they are entirely dependent on self-selected sample biasing.

Anyway, if you took black people out of the poll like a little Nazi, Sam's numbers would improve. While African Americans as a group are overwhelmingly Democratic, as a group they also tend to be more socially conservative, especially on sexual issues like gays and abortion.

Nice poll. Just the way Sam would want it handled. A manipulation to mislead.

Here's the one from bojack

Should Sam Adams resign as mayor of Portland?

Yes 83% 754 No 17% 154

For resignation Oregonian Tribune Just Out WW Portland Police Association Marc Abrams 80% of voting Portlanders

Here's the one from bojack

Thanks, Howard, for commenting on one baseless, unscientific web poll, by referring us to a different one.

How useful. How enlightening. How did we ever get along without web polls?

And I should clarify that my "Sam's numbers would improve" assertion is based on the numbers in the crosstabs, not my general observations of African American opinion research. I just wanted to explain for people who might think "What the hell did Sam do to piss off blacks, aren't they supposed to be Democrats?"

Darn, this is a tough one.

Don't care if he had sex with a consensual adult.

Don't care if he flirted with a teenager.

Don't care if he lived about his sex life.

Lying, consensual sex and flirtation are not illegal.

In some situations like Monica Lewinsky, a gentleman has a constitutional right and duty of honor to lie their ass off. So it would be to protect the privacy of Mr. (or Master if you insisit) Breedlove.

But in the final, stoical analysis, if Sam had told the truth he would not have been elected. So I just don't know what to say other than it is his time to walk that lonesome valley.

He should ask his conscience what to do and stick to it.

The city will survive in any event.

And I should point out that newspaper editors don't decide who our mayor is, no more than they decided Steve Novick should be our senator. The rest of the citizenry's voices are just as valid. I refer you to the above scientific poll. Just because loud voices dominate quiet ones in blog comments and on talk radio, doesn't mean loud voices dominate quiet ones on merit. And right now, the loud voices are largely among those who are still outraged.

Sam denigrated his opponents and lied! Period! Would he have been elected had we known? And it’s not about him having sex and being gay! It's about Sam Adams having sex while he was tutoring a young man in his care! And really can it be proven that the young man wasn't 17 years old at the time of his injudicious decision? Can we have a little virtue here or has the Moral Relativism of Liberalism going to “As Usual” step aside and do nothing as long as the person is Liberal and Gay? Whatever happened to the moral excellence that our nation once expected from our government leaders, has it changed with the words “what is is”?

Adams is a disgrace and should have the fortitude to resign immediately. He's clearly dishonest and has betrayed the public trust that was graciously bestowed upon him. The situation is a huge embarassment for the entire state, not just the City of Portland. Get lost, dude. And the sooner the better!

These attacks on Sam Adams are 100% anti-gay.

Beau Breedlove was an ADULT. Breedlove worked for a Oregon state legislator in congress and Adams worked at the Portland mayor's office, 60 miles away. There was no abuse of power, no mentorship. What they did was ok. The reason Sam and Beau mislead was because of reaction just like this.

"Whatever happened to the moral excellence that our nation...?" - James Vincent Pick up a history book James Vincent instead of living a fantasy.

James, it's ridiculous to denounce moral relativism when it regards sex. And it is beyond argument that this regards sex. Sexual morals are now and have always been relative. Relative to societies, relative to eras, relative. In other cultures and in other times, Sam could not be mayor because he's gay. And Sam would also be immoral because he had sex outside of marriage, repeatedly and unrepentantly. Until just a few years ago, it was illegal in many states for him to have sex with a man at any age. Morals about sex are relative.

As for lying, every human being on the face of the Earth has lied, including every politician in recorded history. That doesn't make it right; it is wrong. But newspapers do not demand resignations every time a politician lies. They simply do not. Moralizers are just as vulnerable to holding double-standards as the tolerant, and arguably more so.

As for tutoring, Sam was not his tutor. He claimed their friendship was more of a mentorship when denying it was ever sexual. It was a false denial. As it stands, their friendship was not sexual until it was legal, and to this day, no one has ever alleged otherwise. That doesn't make it in any way a remotely smart thing for a politician or anyone to do. But there is clearly no universal prescription for which type of consensual sex requires resignation, or which type of lie requires resignation, because our society has demonstrated that, and it has demonstrated that through its history of not demanding resignation for all lies or for all consensual sex.

Moral relativism is a reality, not a sin. You can claim stricter morals, but not universal ones. And no one can claim to be without sin.

An excellent commentary on the real issue here:

http://michaeljfaris.com/blog/2009/01/why-were-almost-always-talking-about-the-wrong-things-when-we-talk-about-sex/

I love the commentary...it appears everyone uses Bill Clinton as their crutch when their hero is going down. Sam Adam's is a human being you know, but when your caught in a lie, you generally get grilled. When you earned your reputation being ruthless and cunning you deserve it back 10 times over. The story isn't over either...we may find a tip becoming an iceburg.

I applaud Willamette Week for breaking the story and would appreciate a good Dept. Of Justice investigation.

For the record, as a gay person who thinks Sam was out-of-his-mind stupid for doing this, but who also thinks it doesn't disqualify him from administering the city's business, I 100% disagree with "Truth" for asserting that opposition to Sam is 100% anti-gay. It isn't. Surely anti-gay people are opposed to Sam, but it does not follow that people opposed to Sam are therefore anti-gay. Plenty of gay people have called for his resignation, too, though that can have just as much to do with anti-gay prejudice, or more precisely, fear of it. But that is also not true 100% of the time. And it isn't constructive to not listen to people because you have prejudged them as being prejudiced.

"Fascinating that the buzz poll is being condemned for not being scientific. We've run a number of these over the years, and this is the first time I've seen major complaints. Why now?"

I've always disliked anonymous web polls. However, in this specific case, web poll results are being widely cited in discussions on numerous blogs around town, being touted loudly as if they mean anything at all.

@Truth:These attacks on Sam Adams are 100% anti-gay.

Bullsh*t

Jeff, it's probably because this is a more contentious issue, and because we've already seen other polls on this subject that are wildly out of sync with each other and with scientific polling results. That may only be a reflection of wildly different natural audiences for the sites featuring the polls, or it may be a result of people directing others of like persuasion to vote -- freeping, as it were. I'm not as concerned when it's about a less critical question, but when people have their pitchforks out and The Oregonian is citing Internet opinion in headlines about whether Sam should stay or go, I think a web poll is less of a light diversion, and more of a gas-soaked rag. NW Republican, Oregon Catalyst, Victoria Taft, anyone care to drop by and set it on fire for us?

I'm one of those gay people who feel Sam should resign. That’s not to say he isn’t a good man, but his actions call into serious question his better judgment – which I think is seriously lacking. I will not however support a re-call. I will not in any way associate myself with the crazy right wingers that I’m certain would hijack the re-call process as a way to promote an anti-gay agenda. I know there are well meaning people in Portland who would vote to re-call the mayor, and I certainly respect their right to do so. But in good conscience, I will not.

Resignation, yes. Re-call, no.

By the time everything is said and done, Sam Adams is going to be a registered sex offender.

Adams has already admitted that he discussed having a sexual relationship with a minor. That's sexual misconduct with a minor. That the same charge ex. Jail Blazer Ruben Patterson was busted for. Ruben Patterson now has to re-register as a sex offender every time he gets traded.

This is a no-brainer. "Just Out" is screaming for Adams' head. Basic Rights Oregon put out a statement making it clear they they washed their hands of Adams.

Adams needs to resign yesterday.

I could give a rat's ass one way or the other.

Can't you bozos find something more important to do?

Frank, if the discussion was "no, you're underage," it was the right thing to say, not a sexual offense. There's no need to make up facts or predict the future, unless you believe the facts as we know them are not sufficient to justify your position.

Frank said, "Basic Rights Oregon put out a statement making it clear they they washed their hands of Adams."

Here's a link to the actual statement: http://www.basicrights.org/?p=502

It looks like they're trying to "step back from the fray", as they put it, and they are NOT calling on Sam to resign at this time. They conclude with:

"The question now is whether Sam can rebuild trust with Portland voters. That will determine his path forward. He’s going to have to work hard at it, and only time will tell."

That's a far cry from your characterization of "making it clear they they washed their hands of Adams".

I don't agree with everything in their press release, but they're trying to avoid the "fray" and remain calm, while you're trying to rope them into it.

James X "...Frank, if the discussion was "no, you're underage..."

I consider that scenario unlikely enough to be be considered "beyond a reasonable doubt." There's enough for a jury to vote to convict on a sexual misconduct w/ a minor charge with just the information Adams has already admitted. By Adams own version of events, Adams and Breedlove were sleeping together within a month of Breedlove's 18th birthday.

Neither I nor "Just Out" newspaper needed to make up anything to figure out the facts already presented by Adams himself make it likely a jury would be able to vote to convict right now.

Two things, Frank...

First, I checked all the top-level entries on the Just Out blog, and could find NOTHING about them stating what they've heard would "make it likely a jury would be able to vote to convict right now". Care to provide a reference, or will it be just as mischaracterized as your previous reference to Basic Rights Oregon?

Second, the Just Out blog is now reporting "Basic Rights Oregon Wants Sam to Stay" -- see http://blogout.justout.com/?p=5996

how old were these guys?18 and over? so what is the big deal? is sex your thing? go to a porn site and leave this alone.

Bob... don't even try it. I read ALL of Basic Rights Oregon's statement, and there isn't one word in the whole statement saying they think Sam Adams should remain mayor of Portland. If even Basic Rights Oregon finds themselves in a position they refuse to defend Sam Adams, they have washed their hands of him.

First of all, you've admitted that you're just guessing. Second, there will be no trial unless an investigation finds criminal wrongdoing. Third, the burden would on the accuser, or in this case the state as there is no accuser, to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, not on Sam to prove innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. But taking those leaps temporarily, why is it unlikely that Sam said no? Because from third-party accounts, Breedlove, as a 17 year old, appeared to have a romantic interest. If Sam didn't oblige, it's hardly unreasonable to think he did this by saying no.

But in any case, the court in your mind doesn't have jurisdiction in the outside world.

Bob R.... "Just Out" newspaper publicly called for Sam Adams resignation.

Bob R,

Of course these polls are self-selecting, unverifiable and prove nothing. The only reason I posted the other ones is because this BO poll showed up here and IMO is more unrepresentative than the others.

If I were you I'd be more upset that Adams lied and so recklessly contibuted to the "homophobic stereotype that gay men cannot be trusted with young people."

When Adams lied on TV.
"This is one of the worst smears you can make against a gay guy. It preys on the homophobic stereotype that gay men cannot be trusted with young people."

I have never been a big Sam Adams fan because, well, I just don't like him. However, I voted for him because his policy positions were clearly better (i.e. more progressive) than his opposition.

It seems to me that this is still the question: are we better off with him, or are we better off without him. Clearly - at least it seems clear to me - we are better off with Sam Adams, even if he is politically seriously weakened for awhile, than we are with any of the people who are likely to replace him. (To be quite cold about this, I'm taking it for granted that Steve Novick wants nothing to do with it, but rather we'd get a bunch of Sho Dozono / Jim Francesconi lookalikes. Shudder!)

This decision is about us, the voters. Sam Adams works for us. OK, he screwed up. OK we disagree virulently on how badly or in what ways he screwed up. Fine. Bottom line is, do we progressives want to remove Sam Adams from the mayor's position and accept whatever else comes from that?

To me that seems like an unacceptable cost, and Sam and the progressive electorate are just going to have to gut it out together.

James X... No, I'm sorry. That's incorrect, but thanks for playing.

The correct answer is "Sam Adams has stated he talked about having a "relationship" with a minor."

That one statement alone is all that's needed to establish probable cause. That gets Adams arrested for sexual misconduct with a minor, and begins the criminal investigation and evidence gathering process.

JamesX: May your children date 40 year old pervs. So it is open season on interns? I mean, if is ok for Sam, then it is ok for everyone, right? He cant dismiss his anyone on his staff for boffing the interns now. 42 year old men and 18 year old women interns dont mix. 42 year old women and 18 year old male interns dont mix. Why dont you get it? The fact that he became the gay male stereotype in his position is incredibly stupid, and shows he will follow his dick versus do the right thing. If this is your idea of tolerance, please. If you have any 18-21 yr old children let me know, I am 50, so that should be OK for you, right? God what a DORK.

Random thoughts about this: All of my gay male friends (of all ages) tell me all the time they have crushes on Sam and would love to date him. I don't think Sam is a predator, he is the object of lust of many men. I agree with Steve Duin's column today. Have a recall election this fall. Let Sam try to rebuild trust with employees of the city and with the public. Amy Ruiz is being unfairly smeared in this. She is as capable and smart as 99% of the staffers in city hall and was a good hire by Sam. On the other hand, Mark Weiner is sleazy, but is such a darling of WW and Kari that he is getting a pass while Amy is slimed. Are Randy and Dan Saltzman (and others) going to fire him as their political consultant?

Frank, the absence of evidence is not evidence of presence, to adapt a phrase. BRO saying "take a breath" does not imply "and scream bloody murder when you exhale." They are not abandoning Sam, they're withholding judgment. That seems quite fair, considering they're representing a diverse group of opinions. Just Out represents its editor and those who have opinion columns. There's plenty of history of Just Out's editor saying things that are unrepresentative of the gay community. It's not as though most gays read it, or agree with it.

Anyway, I refer everyone back to the scientific poll, if people are actually interested in what the general public is thinking.

Hey ddave: Get your facts straight. Beau was never an intern for Sam. He worked at the capital which is where Sam met him.
If the investigation proves he was 18 when they had their relationship - then he was a consenting adult and none of our business.

Frank -

Clearly you did not visit the link I provided, which says:

Frazzini said the earlier conclusion that Adams must rebuild trust with voters remains true, but that BRO’s board “took a couple of deep breaths and took a couple of steps back” in now stating affirmatively that Adams shouldn’t resign.

“We condemn what he did, but we support him going forward,” Frazzini said. “Emotions are high and the disappointment is palpable … but the time has come for cooler heads to prevail.”

And with regard to Just Out, you have provided ZERO evidence of your assertion that they said anything resembling "make it likely a jury would be able to vote to convict right now".

So much for "don't even try it."

You do critics of Sam a disservice when you ignore facts and make sh*t up.

Frank, now you're not even judge and jury, you're hosting a game show. ddave, I've been 18, and I've had sex with older men. And we've all had sex with people or parents wouldn't approve of. Howard, the smear was that because Sam was around a 17-year-old, he had sex with a 17-year-old. Folks are still arguing that, and still no one has alleged it.

This isn't about sex, and it isn't about gay or straight.

When asked why he lied, Adams' response was that if he hadn't it would have hurt his chances to get elected.

Without the lie:

Bob Ball would have been in the race.

Possibly many other contenders would have been in the race.

The outcome of the race might well have been different based on the voters knowing the facts.

Many on this site have complained for eight years that Bush stole the election.

How is this different?

Bob R... Poor attempt on your part at distraction by playing semantics. My... how well you've learned the lesson from right wing extremists to distract and play semantics when you have you evidence supporting a position you are taking

"Just Out" newspaper called for Sam Adams resignation.

Basic Rights Oregon, as an organization chose to issue a statement that washes their hands of Sam Adams (although the director may disagree with organization's decision)

From the WW article...

"...They met again in the spring and early summer of 2005, including a lunch at the downtown Macaroni Grill and a dinner on June 9, 2005, at the Lotus Cafe near City Hall.

Adams had also said that he and a friend drove down to Salem for Breedlove’s 18th birthday party on June 25, 2005.

Adams, now 45, also acknowledged then that his encounters with Breedlove distressed his staff, because they looked inappropriate...."

"...Since then, WW has spoken to three Breedlove acquaintances. All spoke on condition of anonymity. All three say Breedlove told them he had a physical relationship with Adams in 2005, although the men were unsure of whether it began before or after Breedlove turned 18.

Two of them say Breedlove told them about the relationship in early summer of 2005..."

Let's do some math... what's one month after Breedlove's 18th birthday on June 25th. August. August ain't gonna be remembered by those two friends of Breedslove's as "early summer."

I'll stick with my it looks real fracking unlikely Sam Adams told Breedlove he had no interest in any kind of ralationship 4 times on at least 4 different dates we know they went on they went on in June of '05.

Happy second page of comments, everybody! I lose interest past page one, so I'll see you all later.

Kari... Adams' situation is far, far worse than Clinton. Monica Lewinski was young, but she was 3 years clear of being a minor. The more information we get, the more it's becoming clear Adams was having sex with Breedlove while Breedlove was still a minor.

Sorry, Frank, it isn't about semantics. It's about the fact that you attributed something to Just Out which they never wrote, and you attributed a position to Basic Rights Oregon which they do not hold, and you ignored all evidence to the contrary.

Now you're running to new arguments without addressing your failed arguments, and thus moving the goal posts. I don't play those games -- I may respond to others in this thread but I'm done with your distractions.

Laughable.

All you progressives hand-wringing on whether Beau was an adult or not are missing the point.

Mayor Adams LIED and had others LIE so he could get elected. He duped the process because he didn't trust the voters to overlook what seems to be either a poor choice or a minor criminal act.

If Mayor Adams was a republican, you would be howling for his head but since he's a progressive, you throw up smokescreens like those opposing him are homophobes and "all people like about sex" or Bill Clinton did worse etc.

The issue is that he WOULD NOT ALLOW the truth out to the electorate when it would possibly damage his campaign.

He should do the honorable thing and resign.

The rest of you should take a look in the mirror.

Bob R... "it isn't about semantics"

Pul-leeze. You're done nothing BUT play sematics. Just one bad attempt at parsing to the next. You're stomping off the thread becasue I called you on it.

"also thinks it doesn't disqualify him from administering the city's business,"

OK, here's my problem Sam (and his hey-boy Randy) could have said along its no one's business and buried it.

Instead Sam decided (call it hubris or idiocy) he'd rather go on the offensive and air it out. Bob Ball only told Randy. Sam opened the door. Sam lied and did it to win the election.

Sam has poor impulse control and will lie about anything now if he wins this. The Tram will only cost $10M, the CC Hotel will make a pile of money . . . all to get what he wants.

We are only asking for a person we can trust as much as the average guy in the street. This garbage about everybody does it makes as much sense as Bush saying we should torture terrorists because they'd do the same to us - It is the worst justification for reprehensible actions.

Kari: "I'm sorry, I seem to have missed the evidence you're suggesting exists."

From the WW article...

"...They met again in the spring and early summer of 2005, including a lunch at the downtown Macaroni Grill and a dinner on June 9, 2005, at the Lotus Cafe near City Hall.

Adams had also said that he and a friend drove down to Salem for Breedlove’s 18th birthday party on June 25, 2005.

Adams, now 45, also acknowledged then that his encounters with Breedlove distressed his staff, because they looked inappropriate...."

"...Since then, WW has spoken to three Breedlove acquaintances. All spoke on condition of anonymity. All three say Breedlove told them he had a physical relationship with Adams in 2005, although the men were unsure of whether it began before or after Breedlove turned 18.

Two of them say Breedlove told them about the relationship in early summer of 2005..."

http://wweek.com/editorial/3511/12113/

1) Sam admits having lusted after a 17 year old boy, being "flattered", and interested enough to go to his 18th birthday party.

2) Sam systematically lied about it, lied about his reasons for lying about it, and employed public resources to cover up his lie about it, and pressured the barely-not-rape-victim to lie for him.

3) Sam lied about in a way that was damaging to not only his political opponent, but also to his barely legal fuck buddy, and didn't seem to care as long as he got what he wanted.

4) What kind of moron who is seeking the office of mayor would make such stupid decisions with his dickhead to begin with? What does that say about the integrity of our mayor?

Perhaps the most relevant consideration is not whether his conduct was moral or immoral, legal or illegal, but whether, in the wake of his admitted dishonesty, he can still lead effectively. If, for whatever reason, he has lost the ability to effectively influence politics in the direction his constituents elected him to promote, shouldn't he resign for the good of the cause? If, on the other hand, he can still effectively manage the city, then shouldn't he stay?

This is not about sex; this is about an elected official telling the truth. He could have very EASILY told the truth. It may have cost him a few votes and been somewhat humiliating, but he still would have won the election. Even if he had lost the election but told the truth in the process, at least he would have done the honorable thing.

Instead he lied to the media. He lied to his friends and supporters. He lied to the citizens of the city of Portland. He asked the young man to lie on his behalf. In fact, one of his campaign consultants coached the young man on how to lie to the media. I cannot for the life of me see how that is acceptable. Being gay should not immunize him from such blatantly dishonest behavior. If I were to engage in such behavior at work, I would be fired.

It would be very easy for me to give SA a pass as I too am a gay man and supported SA’s mayoral effort. Sam is a very bright individual with a great deal to offer the City of Portland. But I’m deeply troubled by the fact that he would undertake such an elaborate ruse to deceive the public. There was no rational reason for it. No job is worth being dishonest, most especially elective office. Had he been honest about it, this would not be an issue today. Gay or not, I sincerely feel he violated the public trust and he made a mockery of himself and bought dishonor to the office of mayor. In my heart to of hearts, I wish he had simply told the truth.

Thanks Leo, and good luck. I told Frank the facts about BRO three times already, and he continued to repeat the falsehood and accuse me of playing "semantics", which is why I no longer respond directly to his screeds.

Lee... I'm sorry you are hard time dealing with this and are so far into denial about this issue, but that's your baggage to deal with, not mine.

Basic Right Oregon put up a statement about the Adams scandal that says not one word saying they think Adams should remain mayor of Portland. Here's the whole text. Read it.

http://www.basicrights.org/?p=502

"We have been hearing from many of you since the news broke that Portland Mayor Sam Adams lied about his relationship with a young man he claimed to have mentored. It is clear that emotions are running very high and here at BRO, we feel the need to take a deep breath and step back from the fray.

Here is what we know: Mayor Adams exercised poor judgment. It was wrong for him to lie about a relationship. This is profoundly disappointing.

We also know that Mayor Adams has a long history of leadership and service. He has built public trust over his career as a civil servant and community leader for more than two decades. Sam has fought for equal rights for the LGBT community for a long time. He’s testified before the legislature, led rallies and demonstrations, and most recently blazed a path as the first gay mayor of a major American city.

Here at Basic Rights Oregon, we fight for equality. And that means equal rights, equal opportunity and also equal responsibility.

Mayor Adams is being subject to the same public scrutiny as any elected official in the same situation, and that’s appropriate.

When someone breaks new ground — as Sam has — they must carry heavy burdens and responsibilities.. As a public figure and a gay community leader, Sam Adams is no exception to this rule.

This situation is not about gay or straight. It’s about personal responsibility. Sam has himself made this very clear in his public statements.

The question now is whether Sam can rebuild trust with Portland voters. That will determine his path forward. He’s going to have to work hard at it, and only time will tell."

NOT ONE WORD from Basic Rights Oregon saying Adams should remain mayor of Portland.NOT ONE WORD.

The director is apparently not speaking for the organization on this issue. Basic Right Oregon's statement washing their hands of Adams has not been altered one word since it was posted yesterday.

Go look for yourself Les.

I said earlier that I wouldn't respond directly anymore, and for this reversal, to those who care, I apologize... but since Frank continues to spread falsehoods, they must be corrected.

Frank says: "The director is apparently not speaking for the organization on this issue."

But the linked article actually says:

"Frazzini said the earlier conclusion that Adams must rebuild trust with voters remains true, but that BRO's board "took a couple of deep breaths and took a couple of steps back" in now stating affirmatively that Adams shouldn't resign." (emphasis added for Frank)

If the primary BRO web site is updated tomorrow, will you take back your accusations?

Furthermore, you still haven't retracted your falsehoods about Just Out's statement.

If you want to criticise Sam's lies, that's fine, but do so from a position of factual evidence, not made-up crap and denial of current events.

Howard:

For resignation Oregonian Tribune Just Out WW Portland Police Association Marc Abrams 80% of voting Portlanders

Bob T:

One would think Adams should stick around so long as at least three of the city council members vow to work with him, but if this list and the pressure grows it might be enough to make him too ineffective a mayor. Wow, what a term -- might turn out to be even shorter than William Henry Harrison's term as President in 1841.

Bob Tiernan Un-Affiliated Voter from Portland

Bob R.

-Just Out newspaper said they want Sam Adams to resign.

-Basic Rights Oregon posted a statement washing their hands of Adams. Nowhere is there a word on the BRO website anywhere saying they think Adams should remain mayor of Portland.

That's the facts. It's your choice whether you wish to accept reality or not accept reality.

Frank reiterates, as if it matters, "Just Out newspaper said they want Sam Adams to resign."

Nobody ever denied that. However, in case you ever pay attention to anything anyone writes, Just Out did NOT write anything like the original assertion you attributed to them:

Neither I nor "Just Out" newspaper needed to make up anything to figure out the facts already presented by Adams himself make it likely a jury would be able to vote to convict right now.

Earlier, I gave you some wiggle room by stating that you were spreading a falsehood. But your continued insistence on repeating the falsehood makes you a liar. At least Sam Adams had the common sense to admit to his lie once he was caught in it. That's why, given the right circumstances, there is at least partial hope of redemption for him and perhaps his career in office. You, however, continue to dissemble.

Nowhere is there a word on the BRO website anywhere saying they think Adams should remain mayor of Portland.

You accused me of playing "semantics", yet here you repeat your deliberate ignorance of links provided to you, where Basic Rights Oregon's director has clearly stated "BRO's board "took a couple of deep breaths and took a couple of steps back" in now stating affirmatively that Adams shouldn't resign."

Just because it doesn't appear on BRO's own press page yet doesn't make the published media interview inoperative.

Or are you going to call Willamette Week unreliable? I'd like to see you try, given your reliance on their reporting otherwise.

Kari C... you NAIL IT with your 2:26 pm post.

Bob R.

80 posts deep on this thread...

...you're down to feigned outrage over parsed half quotes of mine you intentionally took way out of context a page of comments 40 posts ago...

...but you're still posting that feigned outrage over and over and over again...

...because that's all you can post. You've got nothing else....

...but if Bob R can't be right, Bob R. is gonna "win" by out-endurancing the people that are posting facts on the thread....

"Two consenting adults"? Yeah, right.

If this little affair of the mayor's was no big deal, then why did he lie about it and why did he ask his boy crush to lie about it? And what's the deal with this Mercury reporter who was offered the apparent sinecure despite not having any credentials for the job?

Whether or not Sam and his Beau truly counted the days until the boy became legal, or whether they technically broke the law, we'll never know, because Sam's credibility is shot. But this much I do know -- all of you people who condone the affair will hopefully never have children who, at 18.0 years of age, enter into relationships with 40 somethings. If you do, you'll have a kid that needs plenty of therapy, and you'll know in your heart that the 40-something is, indeed, an even sicker person who cares not for your kid's welfare. Eighteen year olds may not be "children" but they're hardly adults -- there are middle grounds in life.

Personally, I'm just thankful that in my city, we just inaugurated a progressive President who "gets it," and isn't willing to put his Willie over his ability to govern. It's time that Democrats send messages to their politicians that they must sacrifice some privileges if they hope to be a statesman in this nation. One of those privileges is the right to engage in the kind of personal conduct that will cause them to lie about it publicly and engage in a complex and ugly cover up.

So, should Adams resign? Only if the City of Portland's welfare matters. If not, then sure -- let him stand up for his "principles" and hold the City hostage while he makes a statement that any politician has a God-given right to screw any so-called adult he wants to, and do whatever it takes to protect that right (including lying, Government payoffs, and whatever else comes down the road). Talk about a pathetic "cause."

I understand the 'consenting adults' argument although I question the judgement of someone over 40 engaging in a sexual relationship with a teenager. I also understand there are lies and damn lies and the Mayor would not be the first to lie about sex, I could live with that if that's all there was to the story, but it's not.
The Mayor pro-actively engaged in a cover-up, not only paying consultants to lie, but to coach Breedlove on how to lie more effectively and to attack Mr. Ball's reputation. The investigation will uncover the circumstances which led to the hiring of Ms. Ruiz, but regardless, her reputation and career have suffered a crippling blow and she is just one of many who will pay the price for the Mayor's inexcusable lack of judgement and self serving behavior.

A person in a position of influence should not use that position to have sex with a 17 year-old, gay or straight and then lie about it. If that is what's happened he probably shouldn't be mayor.

I've been going back and forth with this question yesterday. I can see arguments on both sides. Today, I'm firmly in the "should NOT resign" column. Why? Maggie Rudy's letter in The O this morning had a great point that I agree with. Something to the effect of:

"It will benefit us all to have Adams start his term with a lesson in humility."

If he stays on, this just might make him a better mayor. I say we keep him and give him 4 years to redeem himself. I'm sure the next election will be more competitive than the coronation last year.

Frank appears outraged:

80 posts deep on this thread...

You've waded plenty deep into this thread yourself.

...you're down to feigned outrage over parsed half quotes of mine you intentionally took way out of context a page of comments 40 posts ago...

Not feigned... and I invite everyone to see the full quote you posted which I dispute. Your quote is still false, no matter how much you quote of it.

...but you're still posting that feigned outrage over and over and over again...

Not feigned... I'm outraged because you never acknowledge your original falsehood. You try to shift the argument, try new arguments entirely, ignore current facts -- but you never admit the original information you quoted, and continue to spout occasionally, was plainly false.

...because that's all you can post. You've got nothing else....

I've posted plenty else and have had varying levels of discussion with many people. You, however, can't see past your own keyboard.

...but if Bob R can't be right, Bob R. is gonna "win" by out-endurancing the people that are posting facts on the thread....

My endurance comes from having reality on my side.

I think this scandal could turn into a whole new revenue stream for Portland:

1) Sam Adams Day Care: Progressive Dems could drop their little ones off at this day care where they would be groomed from an early age on the benefits of homosexuality and the politics of the left.

2) Sam Adams Massage Parlors: This would be a juice bar setup where teens could go for birthday parties, or whatever. They would be treated to hot oil massages by influential gay men in Portland.

3) Sam Adams 2009 Calendar: This would be provocative calendar that could be distributed to high schools, boy scout clubs. It would contain quotes about Morality from Sam and of course a look at those beautiful Abs.

We really need to think about the possibilities here not just the negative side of things.

KEEP PORTLAND SICK AND WEIRD!!

The press has no business asking about our leaders' personal lives. Why not lie? "It ain't nobody's business, but my own." This is Portland's old prudish roots showing...how tiring. Hang in there Sam. Surely Sam's lie pales in comparison to the Oregonian's double talk about global warming...on the one hand they argue that its real (agreed), yet on the other hand they assert that a new 12 lane bridge across the Columbia does not make it worse. Hello?

Enough! You are clearly demonstrating how this country knows how to crucify people(and enjoy it) but we know nothing about the practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. It's time to evolve.

Doug L. proves yet again that for many Sam critics, it's about the sex. Not one use of the word "lie" in his entire comment... just made-up stuff about gay sex.

As I have stated elsewhere, this is not about the sex.

When asked why he lied, Adams said he lied because he didn't want to hurt his chances in the election.

Bob Ball was trashed and Sho was subjected to one of the dirtiest campaigns I've ever seen.

And it wasn't just Sam. Heck, the Adams campaign coached Breedlove on how to lie effectively about the whole thing.

He took advantage of that boy on many levels.

Seems like people's opinions on what the mayor should do are based on what they see as the core issue:

1. Adams' lie affected the vote; he would have lost had he told the truth (i.e. he stole the election).

2. It's all about the sex (age difference, homophobia, allegations of sex before 18, etc.).

3. It's not about the sex (none of anyone's business, they were both consenting adults).

4. Abuse of power/influence (whether an 18 year old - though legally an adult - can have consensual sex with someone in power and/or over 40, claims that Breedlove worked for Adams, etc.).

5. Doesn't matter whether it was legal, the fact is, Adams lied.

Personally, I don't think you there is evidence to support #1. The next time around, people can vote. Regarding #2, unless there is proof that Breedlove was under 17, it seems to me to be just prurient speculation. On #4, I have seen no evidence that Breedlove worked for or reported to Adams. As for the age difference, I refer to #2 above. #5: Big deal. A politician lied about a personal matter? I'm shocked...SHOCKED I tell ya! I go with #3 unless I see some real evidence to the contrary. I'll give Adams the chance to dig himself through this PR mess. If he can't, we can vote him out when it comes 'round.

-tl (in sw)

Posted by: James Vincent | Jan 22, 2009 3:42:57 PM

Sam denigrated his opponents and lied! Period! Would he have been elected had we known?

Yes. That's the bit that makes his judgment seem really poor. That and the cynicism of it all.

Am I totally out of it? Was there a significant chance it could have cost him the election? Surely, simply stating that it is off-limits couldn't have. He took the easy way out and has left us with a difficult problem. Kind of like OHSU. The only thing that has ever bothered me about the man is how badly he wants to be Mayor. Perhaps the real poll question is, "would you support a recall vote"? Not, "do you support recalling Sam", but "do you support having a recall vote"? Since the poll is at 50%, one assumes there is more than 50% support for a recall vote.

Given that, there's no way this can't put Portland through more. He needs to decide how much he can ask of us after bearing none of the burden at the time, nor dealing with it responsibly afterward.

Not living in Portland, I'll just say I never understood his wide appeal. From what I gather, he is quite good at understanding government workings and getting things done. That said, when I've seen him on TV, he's always struck me as someone without much personality, who seems to keep his emotions in check. Don't know if he's different one-on-one, but from my perspective he didn't seem to be a very effective salesman for policies he had to sell to the general public.

I'll give Adams the chance to dig himself through this PR mess. If he can't, we can vote him out when it comes 'round.

This "PR mess" comes as Oregon in general and Portland in particular slide into a deep recession. Sorry, I'm not willing to have the City be effectively rudderless while we twiddle our thumbs. The idea of Randy Leonard as acting mayor is no comfort to me whatsoever. And it's not as though life ends for Sam Adams if he resigns. Some politicians make a botch of things and then go on to make valuable contributions in other endeavors. Does the name "Jimmy Carter" ring a bell?

Anyone interested in asking Sam Adams to resign, there is a website collecting signatures, notwithsam.com .

Full disclosure: the site is being run by local campaigner Adam Berg .

darrelplant: You're assuming he actually learns that lesson from this incident. Maybe he learns the lesson that if he lies about something long and hard enough and covers up that he can get away with it for a while until it's a fait accompli.

I said it might make him a better mayor. If he learns the lesson you outline there's always the next election or if he's REALLY bad - the recall option.

Like I said, regardless of his performance I'm sure he'll have more than token opposition next time if he stays on. That's more than enough incentive for him to be on his best behavior.

He lied to protect himself, asked Breedlove to lie to protect himself and unfairly accused Ball of lying to protect himself. And you think this man is capable of leading Portland? Yes it was probably none of our business, but yes Sam irreversibly screwed the pooch so to speak by lying about it instead of simply refusing to answer questions about his private life.

This isn't about Sam or his allies. This is about Portland and our leadership and who we need to improve this wonderful city. Sam is no longer that person. Will a recall campaign be good for Portland? That last thing any of us should want is our collective attention diverted from the important issues at hand.

sam should have stuck with sodomizing farm animals, not school boys

To me the issue has nothing to do with sexual orientation. The issue is an older person of power having a sexual relationship with a young, impressionable intern. Whatever the gender, it is just wrong and not the type of behavior we will tolerate in public servants. But worse than that is the betrayal to Portland, which has embraced Adams. He rewarded the citizenry by bold lies to the media, to the public and to colleagues. We will NEVER feel the same way about him. I know that Adams has skills and ideas and energy. But he can no longer lead. We have lost our faith. We have lost hope. He has relegated himself to just another bureaucrat, not the mayor of our great city.

Sam's vision of transforming Portland to Sodom and Gomorrah has taken a giant step forward - throw in a circus midget & a chicken and his dream will come to fruition.

I've thought this over for a long time having heard rumors for quite a while. These are the things I do not like about Sam's response:

I don't like that he called opponents (whistle blowers or how ever you want to see them) bigots. Shaming others this way is very bad form.

I don't like that Sam flew back to Portland and missed his chance to put our begging bowl before congress for a piece of the bailout - which we will need. He put his personal political career first, and then on top of that did not show up for work. At least he should have stayed and put Portland first, and coincidentally been seen doing good for the city.

Here's my other consideration:

WW is a creepy disgusting grotesque publication. It should not be allowed to take out whoever strikes their fancy. They should not be given that power. Sam would/will be a good mayor and we cannot afford a change in leadership now. We cannot be lead by WW who's main mission is to destroy people.

So my conclusion is that Sam Adams should stay and fight for his seat (learning a few lessons along the way).

Oh.

My.

God.

Breedlove named his dog "Lolita".

You can't make this shit up.

I'd want to know if Sam ever met the dog, before they got involved seriously. I can't imagine sleeping with someone without getting to know their dog (or cat) first.

The problem is, "inbf", is that Adams seems to be preoccupied the "seats" of 17 year old boys.

He should resign immediately.

Well I started out down the middle stoic about this.

And then I read a lot of sanctimonious horseshite- like The Oregonian banner editorial and "Don't Be A Prude..." opinionation from a pink-toothed prude and other namby-pamby, goody two-shoes shrill calls for his resignation

And I thought about the bitchy little gotcha crotcha articles in the Willamette Weekly sub-tabloid.

And I thought about how if Breedlove is old enough to boast of his conquests, he's old enough to ...whatever.

And whereras my life has one consistent campaign which is an abhorence of chickenshitness in any of it's self righteous man or womanifestations...

So I declare here and now as one confirmed hetro dude that I continue to support Sam Adams, am militantly disinterested in his sex life and utterly antagonistic to the impotent organs of so-called news that fetishize this non-story and wish that these moralizing sermonizers would just go away.

Move on Sam, you got a city to run.

If Amy Ruiz is qualified to be the mayor's advisor on sustainability and urban planning, why cant she cite a single qualification that relates to that title?

If she is instead, hired to do PR for Sam's positions on those subjects, why would she insult all those in the planning profession in Portland so cavalierly? (She said there were 1 1/2 million planners in Portland and she" just happened" to not be one of them...and implied that having been educated and/or employed in urban planning and sustainability was irrelevant to advising the Mayor on it!

<h2>Is this discussion over yet? He won't resign.</h2>