Sam Adams is getting a "legal" pass, so far, on this one. Take a look at what's happened to an LA coach at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

It seems there is a very 'telling' triple standard at work in these things: 1, for elected homosexuals supported by a swarm of hostile, militant, homosexuals; 2, when the older homosexual's "victim" is a boy-toy; 3, vis a vis when the pedophile is an older man having sex with a young girl.

My personal opinion in why this exists reaches very disturbing conclusions.

First, "normal," fully functional human beings understand the utter vileness of pedophilia and will demand the offending pedophile be drawn and quartered no matter his or her pedigree.

On the other hand, it seems that with the accepted range of unnatural sexual acts in the homosexual playbook, pedophilia may seem tame.

Isn't there a national organization (NAMBLA?) that is advocating "No boy-child's behind, left behind?" And don't these people actually go out into public howling for the "legal" right to do these horrific things to little boys?

In Portland, Oregon, the howling mob of perversion is intent on shoving their perversions in your face until you accept it as "normal" and as an acceptable act of "love."

If that sociopath Sam Adams resigned, his loving supporters, who made him their "poster boy," would do an Edward II on him then set him on fire! In the name of equality and love, of course.

Truth be known, Sam Adams is probably more terrified of his psychotic "supporters" than he will ever be of the "normal" people who show up at city hall with posters calling for him to resign.

I'm quite certain Sam Adams is well aware of the story of the "end" to Edward II of England.

Words like dishonest, unethical, inappropriate, sleazy, creepy & ick came to mind when presented with the recent Sam Adams affair, but pedophile? Swarms of hostile, militant homosexuals? Not so much on the latter.

No doubt his reputation will be permanently tarnished by this episode. So be it. Time to move on, lay down the torches, picket signs and pack 'em in the trunk along with the rest of the theatrical props. Was it proper for Sam to nail some barely legal tail? Hell no. Is that in itself grounds for dismissal? Not hardly. Perhaps I'm overly cynical, but I require some serious malfeasance before I call for his ouster.

Wow. Just wow.

I can't believe there isn't more indignation from "progressives" that their Mayor has lied, over and over again, slandered two gay men after they accused him of lying (alleging one was homophobic, and guilty of the same crime he accused the Mayor of; alleging the other tried to rape Beau Breedlove, despite the fact that the accused was the point man for the Human Rights Campaign and the Victory Fund).

But very little criticism from the BlueOregonians.

Hats off to Allworth for speaking truth to power. Check your brakes before you drive on any steep hills, Jeff.

I must say I am confounded. First, how is the base post an opening to another debate about should Sam go? Which brings up, just what is it about.

When I saw the Willy Week coverage, I took it to be meta-blogging. It could be about how BO is influential, and is using that influence to try to keep Sam in office. I can only make sense of the charge that they're milking the situation- considering their range I can't believe they're out of subjects- by thinking that supporters of Sam don't want anything more said. If so, then you're doing what the blog post may have implied, which, while I would have rather seen something on the fall of Blago, is sweetly surreal.

I said BO in the majority was going to be a ride on the merry-go-round. Maybe the new tag-line should be "is your head spinning yet". Reading back I believe Carla has already plead guilty.

On the subject, I say, no harm, no foul. It would have been nice to have had a preemptive meta-post discussing the subject and the situation you found yourselves in, and, imo, would have been a nice change from just talking about what happened in the men's room.

The real issue here is that Sam Adams is out of control. Look at the terrible, destructive, dishonest things he has done to try and maintain power. We already know what he did to Bob Ball's reputation. When his former boyfriend, John Vezina, confirmed that Adams had cheated on him with the boy, Adams responded by accusing Vezina of being a "rapist." Literally! -- http://wweek.com/editorial/3512/12138/ -- At this point, Adams seems capable of almost any desperate Machivellian awfulness. We have too much to be proud of in this city, to let ourselves been torn down by this unbalanced individual.

There's more to Oregon than Metropolis. Can we move on?

Please?

Because, quite frankly, Oregon, could give a rat's ass.

Yeah, well, when I see the mayor of PDX getting away with stuff that would get him fired in a lot of private sector jobs, then I get annoyed. Sorry, but if he'd come clean when it happened, it would have been NBD.

From NY Times Outposts by Timothy Egan JANUARY 28, 2009, 10:00 PM The Great Gay Hope

PORTLAND, Ore. — The politician was in his 40s, a rising star, a man with the pilot light of ambition burning bright. The intern was just 17, sorting through emotions about his sexuality, a boy who said he needed someone to mentor him in the political world.

They had an affair, just kisses at first, the teenager said. And then, after his 18th birthday, sex, and a relationship that was hidden from the public eye.

Came the mayor’s race and allegations of the affair. The politician, with the sturdy patriotic name of Sam Adams, denounced the rumors as scurrilous — they played to the worst stereotypes about homosexual predators, he said. How dare you.

The storm passed. The new year opened with Portland as the largest city in the United States with an openly gay mayor. At the same time, people flocked to theaters to watch a film by Portland’s own Gus Van Sant, the story of Harvey Milk, the pioneer gay politician, treated as a second-class citizen for most of his life.

It all came crashing down over the last two weeks, a bonfire of pride, lies and hypocrisy. The mayor admitted that he had lied about the affair, had smeared his accuser, and had urged the boy — a kid with the improbable name of Beau Breedlove — to lie as well. He did it all to get elected, he said.

Sam Adams, mayor of Portland, Ore. (Ross William Hamilton/The Oregonian, via Associated Press) “I want to apologize to the gay community for embarrassing them,” the 45-year-old mayor, now contrite, told his city last week. Three newspapers — including a popular gay paper — called on him to resign.

Sam Adams was the Great Gay hope. Mayor today. Senator tomorrow. And beyond?

“I personally gave Sam Adams my vote, my support, my friendship and my money,” wrote Marty Davis, publisher of Just Out, the city’s gay newspaper. “In return, he took my trust.”

So now, instead of breaking barriers, Sam Adams has stirred old hatreds. Daily, people have gathered outside City Hall to shout at one another and wave placards.

“Pedophile!”

“Bigot!”

This week, after seven days of soul-searching, the mayor said he would stay on the job, though he faces a criminal investigation by the Oregon Attorney General.

“I know I have let you down,” the mayor said in a videotape message to the city. “And I ask your forgiveness.”

Portland is The City That Works, a slogan not just emblazoned on official vehicles, but taken to heart by its citizens. It is perhaps the most European of American cities, literate and small-scale urban, a pleasant surprise around every corner. And it is often a city of firsts, doing things well and sensibly before any other.

But with the betrayal by Sam Adams, the city now offers an old lesson in timeless and tawdry human weakness. The story of Sam Adams is not about gay predators or gay anything, because Portland has seen this civic morality tale once before, with a heterosexual mayor.

It’s about why voters should never give their hearts over completely to politicians. As a class, they are inherently insecure — a character flaw at the base of all politicians, from Bill Clinton to Bob Packwood. And they lie, with rare exceptions — a hard thing to say at a time when the doors of possibility are open to leaders yet untarnished.

Some years ago I watched Neil Goldschmidt completely dominate a room of fellow politicians. He was the Great Jewish Hope — Portland mayor at age 32, transportation secretary for President Jimmy Carter at age 39, and then governor of Oregon.

People who saw Goldschmidt in his prime wondered when this guy would make history and become the first Jewish president. He could talk a dog off a meat wagon. He was smarter than anyone in the room. The great mystery around him was why he stepped off the political ladder.

The answer came years later, when the Willamette Week revealed that Goldschmidt had sexually abused his babysitter, starting when she was 14 and he was the married mayor of Portland. Mystery solved. The newspaper, which won a deserved Pulitzer for the story, also broke the lies of Sam Adams.

When Goldschmidt finally came clean under the newspaper’s pressure, he characterized it all as a distant mistake. But it was not anything like that. It was serial sex abuse, and if it happened now Goldschmidt would likely be in prison and a registered sex offender.

Sam Adams is no Neil Goldschmidt, his supporters say. He’s closer to Bill Clinton, a gifted politician lying about sex, these sympathizers say.

“I may have been 17,” Breedlove told The Oregonian, by way of asking people to forgive Adams. “But I was an adult and I knew what I was doing.”

Nobody at age 17 knows what they are doing, which is why they should never be having sex with middle-aged men, especially those in powerful positions.

Now Adams, with the support of some in this immensely tolerant city, will try to carry on — the first openly gay mayor of a major American city, with an asterisk.

That footnote holds a lesson, the words a wise Portlander told me long ago: Heroes are hard to come by, he said, especially when the lot you have to choose from is the human race.

"can't believe there isn't more indignation from "progressives" that their Mayor has lied, over and over again"

Although it may come as a shock, there are people who voted for Democrats in the last election and may consider themselves progressives but don't live in Portland.

Thus Sam Adams is not "their mayor".

Yes, this is a sad story all around. But my outrage goes to those who think a juicy sex scandal is worth twice the attention paid to all the unemployed Oregonians.

I'd like to see problems in this state solved, and don't see how expressing an opinion about a mayor in another city solves anything.

Of course, there are those who think BO is just for Portlanders.

So, Posted by: JennGorasm | Jan 29, 2009 5:11:44 PM, I agree with Ten Bears. There is more to Oregon than Portland.

I have two very dear friends who have teenage daughters that were victims of sexual abuse at the hands of older men. They are devastated by this.

People like Kari and his clan who have never been victims of predatory sexual behavior (in any form, being "finally 18" doesn't f-ing make it ok!!!), simply can't understand how wrong this is (apparently, based on the way they are defending it). Trust me, if you had your 18 y-o daughter fucked by her professor who is 42, or talked into kiddie porn, at that moment it would all become very clear how and why it is wrong. The power and age dynamic are a very real effect. Maybe it isn't criminal, but it is definitely NOT something we as citizens or progressives should accept!!!! You don't know!!!!

My first love in life was violently raped by a much older man she trusted. Yeah, this is different and consensual, but it brings it all back just the same.

You're wrong on this one Kari and Carla. You don't get it. You haven't been close enough to a victim of Sam's kind of behavior to get it. This isn't Clinton/Lewinski. This is very different and disturbing and wrong and sick and disgusting. It's not about the homosexual, it's about the lying and power and poor judgement. If you are saying I'm just sensitive to sex, or can't accept people lying about sex, then YOU DON'T GET IT!!!

I've seen the promising young lives of people permanently harmed by the actions of people like Sam. If you think that is BS, then you don't realize what a problem predatory sexual behavior is in society.

WW have descended from snotnoses to scumbags.

The Mercury look like The Atlantic in comparison.

It's clear that Adams is being given a pass in PDX because he's gay. I dont know how it could be viewed any other way.

engineer wrote: "It's clear that Adams is being given a pass in PDX because he's gay. I dont know how it could be viewed any other way."

John F. Kennedy and Arnold Schwarzenegger were both given passes for being straight. I don't know how it could be viewed any other way.

Whatever.

Obama is a natural leader because he is emotionally mature, disciplined, cautious, deliberate and fundamentally receptive to the transferred aspirations of other people, aspirations that people willingly give over to him.

The loathsome nature of these conversations about Sam Adams (re: what does age of consent mean, what lies are acceptable, who it's acceptable to lie to, who is getting paid to say what, how is this similar or different from other sex scandals, etc.) are by themselves a sufficient expression of the total failure, the total collapse, of Adams' functional effectiveness as a civic representative. What a spectacle.

It's insufficient to compare Adams to the disgraces of Mark Foley, Dave Vitter, Larry Craig, Jim West, Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer et al. We're in a new era of American political expectations. If you want to fully understand what a ridiculously inadequate public servant Adams is compare him to Obama. It's time.

Obama is a natural leader because he is emotionally mature, disciplined, cautious, deliberate and fundamentally receptive to the transferred aspirations of other people, aspirations that people willingly give over to him.

The loathsome nature of these conversations about Sam Adams (re: what does age of consent mean, what lies are acceptable, who it's acceptable to lie to, who is getting paid to say what, how is this similar or different from other sex scandals, etc.) are by themselves a sufficient expression of the total failure, the total collapse, of Adams' functional effectiveness as a civic representative. What a spectacle.

It's insufficient to compare Adams to the disgraces of Mark Foley, Dave Vitter, Larry Craig, Jim West, Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer et al. We're in a new era of American political expectations. If you want to fully understand what a ridiculously inadequate public servant Adams is compare him to Obama. It's time.

Wow. That posted three times. Does that officially make this an echo chamber?

The kid was young, but calling Adams a pedophile because he went for him is too easy and dumb. The kid seems to have known exactly what he was doing with Adams. Still, it's amazing that a guy with as good a chance as Adams had at being mayor would also imagine he could hustle the public into accepting the kind of relationship he had with the kid, Breedlove. And maybe he will, being the 'shrewd' politician he is. I guess we're not supposed to laugh at this sort of thing, but in one sense, the whole scenario is hysterically funny.

when I see the mayor of PDX getting away with stuff that would get him fired in a lot of private sector jobs...

Actually that's the EXACT opposite of what would happen. I know many, many people in the private sector who have lied about their personal/sexual lives, not a single one of whom has been fired or even asked to quit. Only with elected officials are we allowed to yell down from our high horse and point out someone else's personal flaws. Now, go pull that plank out of your eye.

This whole episode is a big social Rohrschach test, calling people out on their willingness to invade and judge other adults privates. Who'd have thunk the Family Research Council would find so many recruits in Portland? We've got a whole new "family values" gestapo on the make.

Glass houses, folks. "Loathsome" is a weapon. That's all I'm saying ...

And before anyone else gets as misty over pack-a-day smoking Chicago pol Saint Obama as triple-hitter thomas up above, you should google "Obama affair" and ask yourself how big a shotgun you want for the circular firing squad the Puritans for Progress are forming for us.

What? Is that coffee I smell?

By staying on as Mayor, Adams has effectively told us that accepting his culture overrides basic human common sense to the point that his actions disgustingly encourage and strengthen his culture and that it is now socially acceptable to do what he did regardless of ethics and common sense.

While he has apologized, he still has to answer for his doings, eventually, when he departs from us years from now. We can forgive, but we will not forget.

I have a 17-year old daughter, who will turn 18 next month. What Sam Adams did to another 17-18 year old may not be worthy of jail time, but it is worthy of our complete contempt, and it makes him unfit to be Portland's Mayor.

Ten Bears, whether you like it or not, Portland is representative of Oregon as far as the rest of the world is concerned, unless Something Really Bad (e.g., teleplay-friendly multiple murders) happens elsewhere in the state. ...So if you're insular, by all means, complain about the tempest in a teapot.

I'll spare the scathing epithets (well-deserved though they may be) because anyone who can read has figured out by now that Adams lied like a champ and pressured his lover into doing the same. He negated the trust of a great number of smart and dedicated people in the process. It's not absurd to believe that he engaged in character assassination.

Even if there are still people who will trust Adams farther than they can throw him (which is, I reckon, a prerequisite to accomplishing anything as a politician and magistrate), is this someone we want staying Portland's course, much less setting it?

I think NOT. The guy's demonstrated willingness to talk out both sides of his mouth for a measure of personal prestige or gain suggests a quality of character fit for a grifter, not a leader.

We'll throw a parade as we send eighteen year old boys to kill for Uncle Sam ... but god forbid they kiss him.

"Mainstream culture" is SO screwed up it's funny.

Portland’s crisis of leadership over the Mayor’s sexual relationship with a teenager and subsequent events has metastasized to its other elected officials at all levels of government.

The vacuum of leadership is broader than the focus on City Hall would have one think, reaching also to the turtles and ostriches among the Multnomah County Commissioners and at the Oregon Legislature, where the sordid affair began, answering the question of how many leaders can dance on the head of a pin, Oregon-style.

The Williamette Week and other news organizations have noted the mealy-mouthed, deer-in-the-headlights responses of each of the City Commissioners, both collectively and individually failing to assert anything even faintly resembling leadership, each needing time to sort out what this all means in terms of their future re-election hopes, slip-sliding away….

I served as former senator Avel Gordly’s chief of staff through the 2003-2008 legislative sessions, where my responsibilities included the safety and general wellbeing of every person working in her office.

Senator Gordly never failed to remind me that the safety of her interns was paramount, and I took her instructions seriously. It irritated the heck out of them, but I always insisted on knowing when our interns were arriving at the Capitol and when they were leaving, even though none were minors.

If our interns had been minors, I would have brought anything odd to Senator Gordly’s immediate attention, and she would have swiftly taken appropriate action.

As a father of both sons and daughters, I am not much interested in parsing the issue in the ways that many others want to, on whether the sex was technically legal. I see it in another way….

A middle-aged man from another city, an elected official actually, shows up at your son or daughter’s 18th birthday party, bringing along a date and a story about a mentoring relationship for cover….

Next thing you know, he’s screwing your child now that the jailbait issue has been put to bed, so to speak….

Even worse, it’s all in public, because beyond his violation of your family’s trust, it’s about the middle-aged man from another city’s job, and he has his share of vocal supporters and there are many people who just want to get on with business as usual….

The admission that the middle-aged man from another city was dating multiple partners at the time, that he saw his relationship with your man/child as casual and short term is a dimension that only a parent can understand, and few of the Mayors supporters appear to be actual parents.

There is no question in my mind that Sam Adams has the smarts, the charm, the ideas and the in-depth knowledge of the machinery of the city to have been a great mayor for Portland, and it is sad to lose those qualities….

Apologies and remorse, however, will not overcome the practical realities that Mayor Adams has imposed on the community.

It is unthinkable that he would be a welcome visitor to any of Portland’s schools, public or private, for a good long time. Juxtaposing the Mayor with 17- and 18-year olds is just not going to work….

As Portland’s chief ambassador, the interview videos and everything else will precede him everywhere he goes, coloring the discussion of the business of Portland in every aspect.

This is too steep a price to pay, although the Bangkok-Portland Sister City relationship might be on a fast track now, and Portland’s Cherry-Poppin’ Daddies might see a surge of bookings, plenty of material for a new CD here….

Sam Adams has given a great deal to Portland over his many years of service, but it is time for him to let it go and resign the office.

And it is long past time for our elected leaders to stick their heads out of their shells and lead, if they still can….

Sean Cruz writes Blogolitical Sean: www.blogoliticalsean.blogspot.com

Yup, Kari. Fully understand. The rest of this thread seems to be on automatic.

Tell me folks, when those Flash movies appear in the sidebar with some provocative question, like, "Was George Bush a good President? Yes. No.", do you click on them? Politics as reflex. This surpasses Louisiana's politics as entertainment, imo.

Is there a strategy among opponents to keep talking until he quits? If so, that's where I part company. At this point, it's an agree to disagree proposition, from where I sit, until any recall vote happens. I think to do otherwise is to be guilty of the same selfish, manipulative politics that we've accused Sam of. We've been preaching the consequences of behavior. What are the consequences of being able to whine a mayor out of office? We've spoken our minds. In six months we can recall him. Between then and now, please tell me what continuing to hold all discussion hostage to the already stated premise that the behavior was unacceptable, hopes to accomplish. Just what? Is this the blogging equivalent of a filibuster?

Oh, and on a posting note, could you include (without the dashes) <-b->-NEW-<-/b->, before something you have to say that you think hasn't been said/posted, oh, let's say 10 times. At least it will answer the question most readers must have, "do they really think we haven't heard this before"?

No one who says he has to go, has yet explained where it can be shown that critical effectiveness has been lost.

I love these passive constructions. "MISTAKES WERE MADE."

I've been developing the theory, to the contrary, that a major humbling of Sam Adams may be exactly what the Council needs in order to create a more balanced power structure.

Aside from pointing out the specious use of "theory" when what the writer actually means is "speculation", let me say that removal from office would be an appropriate humbling. Good lord, the only substantive power the mayor has is to assign who's in charge of each city bureau. Otherwise, he's just one of 5 city commissioners. "More balanced power structure," my eye. I'm uninterested in tweaking the knobs and having the mayor spend the rest of his slinking around and being "humble". (As an aside, who here spent the last 8 years thinking, "a major humbling of George W. Bush may be exactly what the federal government needs in order to create a more balanced power structure"?)

I want a different mayor: one with some professional and personal ethics.

The vacuum of leadership is broader than the focus on City Hall would have one think, reaching also to the turtles and ostriches among the Multnomah County Commissioners and at the Oregon Legislature

Which - to translate this stealth political ad - means we should instead elect the author of these words, Sean Cruz (Senate District 23 write-in loser), who recently penned the following words of enlightened leadership on his blog:

Learn what Mr. Naughty will do next to Inspire the Children! Juggling! Bareback riding! Magic tricks! Sword swallowing! Surprises galore! Memorabilia and trinkets for sale! Free candy! Join the Mayor’s Men’s Room Parade, every two hours (must be 17 to enter)!

Some really impressive leadership skills ya got goin' there Sean. Way to bring folks together! Yeah, I want YOU running City government.

Asshole.

And you bet your ass I spent 8 years hoping for Bush to be humbled. A humble person can admit mistakes and pledge to change course and make things right. That never happened with Junior..

Methinks you and I both spent the last 8 years wishing Junior were somewhere other than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, not still sitting in the Oval Office but being "humble".

By the way, I hear that the Illinois state legislature has recently developed a theory that a major humbling of Rod Blagojevich may be exactly what the state needs in order to create a more balanced power structure.

Here's where Egan goes off the rails in the NY Times post:

Nobody at age 17 knows what they are doing, which is why they should never be having sex with middle-aged men, especially those in powerful positions.

He is displaying the arrogance of the old as well as a most unjournalistic tendency to overgeneralize. Plenty of 17-year-olds know exactly what they are doing. And the persuasive argument for not having sex with middle-aged men is that it's illegal. Not that that has anything to do with this case, according to the testimony of those involved.

The editors of Blue Oregon "not agreeing" on Adams is not news. That would bring up the question of how much of the Adams story as reported is not news, or even blogfodder.

In politics we say "follow the money". It is the same in media, the more trees felled and advertising supported web site hits, the more ad dollars.

By the same token bullying people into making statements that can be framed sensationally is not journalism. Journalism is the framing of insight in the context of a balanced view of a complicated subject.

Carla's post opens the door to a meta-discussion about the media's role, which is a good thing. I'm fascinated by Nigel's role in this and his subsequent reaction to the public reaction.

Nigel continues to post small stories on the various minutiae of the larger story. He always includes a new detail, but the overall issue is still the same. He's trying to keep the issue alive, which makes sense given that he's a journalist. It's fair to ask, however, whether there's anything newsworthy about Blue Oregon's reaction to WW's story.

Nigel seems shocked that Adams didn't resign. From his interview on Think Out Loud, it's clear that Nigel is personally invested in this story. He spent 16 months pursuing the story, and he needs to justify that pursuit. He was asked why this was such an important story, and he said it's because he wants a Mayor who he can support and be proud of, and he couldn't support Adams because he had lied to him. That's a pretty personal response for an objective reporter.

Jaquiss has been hostile to the suggestion that his initial questions about Adams and Breedlove were out of line. I think he's troubled by the real possibility that Portlanders will shrug this off. Thus, he writes a story about BO's reaction to the story because it 1) keeps the story alive and 2) publicly shames BO editors. I won't be surprised to see Jaquiss go after any prominent person who comes forward in support of Adams over the next few weeks.

There's a journalistic lesson here. Jaquiss is obviously a good reporter, but even good reporters can get swept up in their own hype. Maybe this will eventually bring Adams down, but I wonder: Can Jaquiss recover psychologically if it doesn't? If Portlanders vote to keep Adams in office (assuming there's a recall in July) it will force Nigel to ask whether the initial story about sex with an 18-year old was worth pursuing in the first place.

There is nothing wrong with two forty-year-old men attending a 17 year old's eighteenth birthday party in order for one of them to have sex with him a few weeks later.

And it's especially okay if one of them is a city commissioner who is looking after the best interests of his city...making sure we have bike paths, green buildings and trams.

Anyone who disagrees with that is clearly a homophobe. Please move on.

I would have taken the same position if this incident involved a heterosexual predator visiting the Capitol and picking off an underage legislative intern.

The fact is that a heterosexual predator would have had few defenders and supporters, and would probably have resigned already.

It is not true that there has been very little criticism by "BlueOregonians." There has in fact been a lot of criticism. I would say we're pretty evenly divided on the issue of his resignation. The city as a whole is less divided -- most would like to see Adams go. It is unfair for Carla to accuse WW of trying to "get as much mileage as possible" out of Adams' reprehensible behavior. I'm not a fan of WW, but I think they are doing their job. Adams lied blatantly to WW's reporters; why shouldn't they continue to dig?

I'm surprised The Oregonian or WW hasn't done an article on the tension that must exist in the Adams household, where Adams and his partner, Peter Zuckerman, who made his mark as a reporter covering a story about the Boy Scouts and a coverup of a multi-state case of child molestation in the Grand Teton Council, have to come to terms with Adams' "grooming" of an underage boy, his groping and kissing of the same boy in a men's room at City Hall, and his subsequent conquest of the same boy after the boy turned 18.

@ Total Collapse "And before anyone else gets as misty etc., etc. …"

Yikes! It's rumor mongering, personal insult, slander and a rigid demand for party loyalty all rolled into one! What a fine critique of Obama and a ringing endorsement of Sam Adams. Oh bravo, sir! [slow and heavily sarcastic clapping] Bravo!

I am going to make whatever contribution I can toward removing Adams from office. Good luck with your end of the

I said early on that Sam Adams should be held accountable in 2012. That was before his Oregonian Editorial Board Interview and other WW pieces on this topic.

I changed my position, after learning more information, to that of one calling for his immediate resignation. I stick to it now.

Here is my reasoning:

1. There is a clear distinction between private life and public life.

2. Once one becomes a public figure (be it politician, celebrity, sports star, etc.) one cannot expect for their private life to be "private" due to the fact that they are a public figure.

3. Public figures who are popularly elected are supposed to represent the best in each and everyone of their constituents whether it be a board room, bed room, a fund raiser, etc.

4. Publicly elected officials (I put city commissioners in this category) who act contrary to the best in each and everyone of their constituents needs to explain fully why they acted the way they did, why they admitted when they did and not prior, and exactly how they will rectify an egregious misjudgment on their part.

That being said, I do not apologize for any one of my comments on Sam Adams.

Sam Adams can still lead. A recall petition that I will vote "yes" to recall Sam Adams can go forward 6 months after Sam Adams took office.

In my opinion, the precedent being set by Sam Adams supporters is illogical and utterly immoral.

The precedent is: "An individual who does not run on family values or espouses their religious and ethical standards in the public sphere is automatically forgiven."

If that is the standard, then what are the standards that you propose for publicly elected officials to hold, while they are in office? Can they follow Sam Adams lead in having an affair with a 17 to 18 year old girl so long as they come out after they have won the election, apologize for it, and still hold their office because that "lie" that they concealed to get elected is not currently impacting their performance now?

If that is the standard, then we are all dwelling in Hell right now where there are no standards applicable to us and every standard applicable to our enemies.

I meant "does not espouse.."

Sorry for the confusion. I have had a couple of beers in me :)

Kari's initial take that this was dating gone wrong was annoying, but you know what? I think we're all way ahead for having Kari in the blogging game. And I don't get the outrage about the lying. I mean "lying politician" is sort of redundant. For me the problem has always been hiring the Mercury reporter for a job she wasn't qualified for by her own admission. Not just any reporter but one in a position of writing about this. That to me smacked of a Nixonian abuse of power. Of course, if it was underage sex - and it sounds like a text message trail is shaping up - that's a big problem for Sam. Especially after portraying himself in such noble terms with the mentoring and the refusal to break the law.

   One tip for Sam: Don't compare yourself to Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa and Dr. Martin Luther King. Another politician already tried that this week and it didn't go too well.

Anyone reading the convoluted rationalizations for Sam Adams would think he committed no crimes.

It is not okay for someone substantially older in a position of perceived authority to "make out" with a minor between the ages of 16-18. If Sam Adams were a teacher he'd be subject to the following laws under state guidelines:

163.415 Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree 163.435 Contributing to the Sexual Delinquency of a Minor

Anyone reading this might think that minors over 16 are "fair game". Even if the actions are consensual, other laws apply if one participant is "significantly older" (>4 years) &/or in a position of authority according to state judicial guidelines.

In any corporation, if an adult were found "making out" in a company restroom with a 17-year-old high school intern, they'd be terminated. They would also probably be prosecuted under the above laws.

Sam Adams misused his authority to hire reporters for jobs where they had no experience. This constitutes a misuse of public funds and constitute bribery if these same reporters were working on a story to expose his unlawful actions to the public.

Sam Adams may be guilty of a number of laws but we'll never know because the Michael Schrunk, Multnomah County District Attorney won't investigate or enforce the law where it might inhibit his future political ambitions.

There are at least two witnesses who have indicated that Beaulita told them that he was having sex with a "politican from Portland" before his 18th birthday. Only one of them spoke with KATU news.

So the "after the boy turned 18" justification is quite possibly going to fall like a house of cards over the next few days or weeks.

Text messages, phone records, and email are likely to provide more precise dates/times/frequencies of their encounters. If you believe it was just two pecks on the cheek before the Main Events, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn you may be interested in...cheap.

What a bunch of whining losers! Sounds like you need to get some.

Which is worse? Sam lying or you fucking your city's business in the asshole?

"Adams didn't actually hire the person, rather he OKed it done by someone else. And she approached the Mayor's office to apply, not the other way around."

Puh-leeze, Adams has shown he is a sociopathic liar who says whatever he needs to cover himself. WHy start believing him now?

BTW - TJ - Congrats - You are only down to 75% of your blog comments being on taxpayer time.

Beau Breedlove tells of his romance as a 17-year-old with Sam Adams by Brent Walth, Anna Griffin and Ryan Frank, The Oregonian Sunday January 25, 2009, 12:02 AM

TJ>The facts speak for themselves. Mayor Sam Adams repeatedly violated the law by having sexual contact with a minor. The Oregon statutes and judicial guidelines are clear as well as federal guidelines for Megan's Law. The District Attorney's decision to look the other way exposes his cowardice and hypocrisy.

Do you honestly believe that the laws don't apply to Mayor Adams or his request to hire unqualified applicants for government jobs is moral and ethical? Or his slandering political opponents?

You can do all the rationalizations and equivocating you like. It doesn't excuse illegal and unethical behavior by Mayor Sam Adams.

That's your idea of a great politician? That's pathetic.

Portland has the Mayor THEY voted for.

For those of us that live in the burbs, we can take joy in knowing that the decisions PDX makes are largely going to bear fruit for that city.

You can almost hear the next business with a lease expiring in downtown PDX deciding to move to Tualatin, can't you?

PDX becomes a liberal island of incoming Gov't transfer payments. Congrats liberals, your dream is coming true! Let your dishonest mayor lead you on.

I'm still waiting on his public apology to Mr. Ball. Is Ball a homophobe like Steve M implies?

Posted by: sean cruz | Jan 30, 2009 2:51:17 PM

I would have taken the same position if this incident involved a heterosexual predator visiting the Capitol and picking off an underage legislative intern.

The fact is that a heterosexual predator would have had few defenders and supporters, and would probably have resigned already.

Bugger yourself with your goddamned litmus-test nouns until it bleeds!!!

Again,

To all the spineless Sam supporters on this issue, let us know your feelings when a 42 year old starts dating your 18 year old. If you cant recognize right and wrong on this incredibly simple point, your agenda has transcended your morals. I would not put up with a friend pulling this crap, and I will be damned if I will put up with it among our elected officials. It is wrong, and actually sick on many levels. Sam, the complete stereotypical gay predator, may he meet YOUR kids in city hall bathrooms.
This is NOT a person that can lead me anywhere. Yuk!

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