Middle-aged Mayor Has Sex With Teenage Intern

[Barry]

http://wweek.com/editorial/3533/12744/

This is the big buzz in Portland these days.
Basically the story is this: when Sam Adams was still a city council member, he had a sexual relationship with a legislative intern. Sam Adams is 42 yeas old, and he is gay. His campaign slogan was Moving Portland Forward. During the campaign, allegations of this sexual misconduct were brought forth. Mr. Adams countered with the position that this was simply the same old ugly hateful tactics gays have had to face since time immemorial. This put the matter to rest. His victory in the May, 2008 primary was such a landslide that there was no general election in November. He was simply sworn in as mayor in January, 2009. Shortly after the innauguration, the young man Mr. Adams had the affair with come forward through the media. The mayor held a press conference at which he apologized to the people of the city of Portland for lying to them. There was mention in the media, not by the mayor himself, of a hot and passionate kiss in a City Hall restroom while the intern was still a minor, but the mayor claimed that the sexual aspect of their relationship did not commence until after the young man had turned 18. The state attorney general conducted an investigation, the report on which has now been released. The attorney general found that there was not sufficient evidence in the case with which to prosecute the mayor.
I wonder what people in other parts of the country and world might think of this case. A middle-age man swapping spit with a teenager in a City Hall bathroom? A 41 year old man having sex with an 18 year old? How "forward" is this? And it also seems to me that the case has been handled entirely differently, both by the media and the legal authorities, as well as the public, simply because it a gay relationship we're talking about. Like no one wants to appear to be gay-bashing. What if it was a young woman? A teenage girl? These are questions I have for you people. Your opinions matter.
Mine is that the mayor should step down, but as yet he has made no move to do so. And it doesn't seem that he will. It's not that he had sex with a minor or near-minor. It's that he lied and used his gayness to get elected. He said that these allegations were latent gay-bashing when in fact they were not. They were true and he was lying. He didn't just lie to us, the people of Portland. He played upon our emotions and our wanting to be politically correct.
He used us. And he knew it when he did it. That's worse then sexual misconduct or error in judgement. For it was not unmindful. He did it on purpose, for political gain, because he knew he would not be elected if he didn't. For this error in judgement, not the other one, he needs to step down.

Peace,
Barry

[mtmynd]

Barry...

Knowing of this story only thru your words, I'd have to say the mayor should step down. Lying to his constituency and, as a Mayor, lying to the public is sound ground for a no-trust issue which would call for his resignation.

Part 2 ... the gay issue and an affair with someone 23 years younger than himself propels the Mayor into a position of being a public official that challenges that public opinion and trust both directly and indirectly, which, IMHO, would make the no-trust issue even more pertinent.

Dump this character for the sake of trust and honesty! I'm sure there is another gay person in your city that is responsible and honest and would be a good mayor.

[Barry]

Thank you, Cecil, for commenting. Here's my prediction...The mayor has let it be known through the media that his two houses - the one he lives in and the one he rents - are facing "foreclosure", that word all too on the media tongue these days, due to the legal battle he has ongoing with the forces wishing to bring him dowm...The evil forces. I predict that the poeple of Portland will mount an effort to save the mayor's houses from the evil minions of the devil who would see him thwarted. They will give this man their money. Becuase that's how Portland is: utterly misguided in her efforts to be the model city.

That's my prediction.

Peace,
Barry

[hester_prynne]

Whoa! what a story....I hadnt heard about it up here in Seattle. Did he used to work for Goldman Sach's?
I don't get it. I mean portlandites oughta be out there, takin back their votes and telling this dude they made a mistake.
H

[Barry]

There is a recall drive, but it's woefully underfunded and doesn't appear to have even gotten off the ground, much less gained any serious momentum. It's my contention that this is the result of collective fear of coming off as anti-gay and collective desire to appear politcally correct, in the face of which the facts don't seem to matter. How lame and weak.

Peace,
Barry

[still.trucking]

I heard about it but I have not kept up with the story. I thought he was out of office already. Seems like there is a double standard for gay and hetero, what else is new.

[Jacob]

I'm all for punching a gay man in the face, just as I'm all for punching a straight man in the face. More over, straight or gay woman, or bi or whatnot for both sexes. It's not politically incorrect to make this action against someone should they deserve it. It IS pollitically correct. Or should be.

[Barry]

I'm with you, Jacob...People are people and deserve to be punched or caressed as their behavior merits...regardless of their gender or "sexual orientation," as we politically correctly put it.

Peace,
Barry

[e_dog]

Mayors gotta git in touch wit da peops.


Gay marriage.