It's politics, the same politics that Sam Adams has spent his adult life playing, that keeps him a arm's length from Wyden. If Vitter was the mayor of the largest city in Wyden's constituency, he'd probably get the Adams treatment.

By the way, love the sign on the reader board above the Eagle in N. Portland:

"Beau Breedlove find a daddy and go away"

Now we have to listen to this over-rated, over-the-hill hack from Seattle go after Oregon politicians?

Dan, how would Seattle have handled this scandal back in the '90's? You know, the last time you were relevant.

Blabby,
When was the last time one of your comments was put together using your brain instead of your machine that you press that spits out the same tired lines over and over and over.

Dan, Ron Wyden is a good senator. One reason he's so good is that he works with morons from the other party as necessary to get things done for Oregonians.

Aside from that unpleasant necessity of his job, he probably (and wisely) prefers not to associate with liars and people who are politically radioactive. That's another thing that makes him a good senator.

You need to get over this Sam Adams thing. Whatever the psychology of homophobes in the Portland electorate, Adams *knew* that voters in the election in which he was running would care about the affair and he chose to lie for his own political gain. That's fraud. I've got little sympathy.

But Adams' fraud doesn't affect you, because you live on Capitol Hill in Seattle. It does affect me. Leave my progressive senator alone.

Don't go away mad, Dan, just go away.

Aren't there some predatory jerks in public life in Seattle you could be defending instead?

Why does it matter where Dan lives? Explain it to me...

wait for it...

like I'm a five year old.

Garrett, when was the last time you wrote about something other than me? Stalker. I don't love you! You have to move on!

Kiala, it's relevant where Dan lives because we're perfectly capable of assessing our own representatives. People from elsewhere can worry about their own housekeeping.

Although, if Sam supporters really want to make this about Adams vs. Wyden, I'm all for it. I know who wins that face-off.

This particular political issue affects EVERYONE's politics, not just Portland's.

Dear Ms. Blabby,
Congratulations on your recent appointment to the US Department of Relevance. We're very excited to have you representing Portland!

I've put together a list of things you'll need to familiarize yourself with before getting started.

1. Research - I know this is a pain in the ass, but if you go out there declaring things relevant / not relevant willy-nilly not only will you look like an asshole, but you'll also look like an asshole.

2. What relevant means - some people think it means "I like..." or "I agree with..." but the textbook definition actually reads "Working for a newspaper publisher who has two local papers, and covering political and social issues for both."

See silly? There's no geographical component to relevance... it's an easy mistake to make.

Husband and wife commenting on the same post. How cute.

"This particular political issue affects EVERYONE's politics, not just Portland's."

How so?

@Blabby

I can't help but love you.

You said: "People from elsewhere can worry about their own housekeeping."

Funny how your tune changes cause I don't remember you standing up and telling Lars Larson to get the f*** out of our city or those tools from Lake Oswego and Tigard who camped out in front of city hall with anti-Sam signs.

I think I did comment on Lars' carpetbagging. I don't think it makes sense for non-Portlanders to get involved.

Those who own a business here have a legitimate stake. Those who work here have a semi-legitimate stake.

I just want all of PORTLAND to vote on a recall, the sooner the better. As I've said multiple times, if Porltand agrees with you guys, so be it.

The laws and morality surrounding this issue are relevant everywhere.

I mean, why do you think Footloose is such a popular movie?

Footloose was popular because of... well, I'm not sure why. Good soundtrack, dancing in a warehouse, John Lithgow.

It's interesting how differently people interpret "the laws and morality surrounding this issue".

It's my opinion that he is getting easier treatment because he is gay in a progressive city. I think that if he were straight kissing 17-year-old girls at City Hall that he'd already be gone.

Others seem to think that this is an intolerant homophobic witch hunt. Others just forgive him, and don't think it's a terminal offense.

Anyway, I think Portlanders need to decide what to do in the specific case of Sam Adams, with this specific set of facts. Letting it become an nationwide test case of "law and morality" is a distraction. Frankly, I think it lets him off the hook. This isn't about national cultural trends or the entire gay community, this is about the stupid choices of Sam Adams.

But Blabby. the way the law interprets this situation sets a precedent for all future laws including laws out of state.

To think otherwise is is either naive or just stupid. I don't think you either one of those, are you?

But Blabby. the way the law interprets this situation sets a precedent for all future laws including laws out of state.

To think otherwise is is either naive or just stupid. I don't think you either one of those, are you?

Hey, these are two totally different things. Vitter was wearing diapers, so that's like safe sex, amIrite? YA?

I'm fairly sure that it wouldn't create any precedent out of state. As our 18-year-old age limit, and definition of "sexual contact", etc. are all state law issues.

The greatest danger I guess is that kissing such as they have admitted could be permenantly defined as "sexual contact" in Oregon.

That seems a bit extreme. But on the other hand, if it isn't ruled sexual contact, then a middle-aged man kissing a 12-year-old girl for a minute would also not constitute sexual contact, and would the law then have no recourse in such a case? Dunno. Not a lawyer, I admit.

Anyway, I think the idea that this case is going to create some big national sea-change is implausible, and granting more importance to this than it deserves.

Someone else did the leg work but here is a list of many of those very vocal Anti-Sam folks. At least the ones who have the balls to say it publically.

http://www.back2stonewall.com/?page_id=855

What's awesome about these postings is that everyone's personalities and their deep-seated need to be seen as intellectuals is obscuring Dan Savage's really fucked logic. He's presenting a completely false dilemma and doing what, in this whole Sam situation, pisses me off the most: trying to make people feel ashamed - by hook or crook or logical fallacies - for being pissed at Sam.

Fuck you, Dan. Maybe you're a good sex columnist, but completely muddled when you have a personal investment in a controversy it appears (both Sam's relevance to you personally, and that you are close to one of his staffers).

Ron Wyden is a solid senator. I doubt he's perfect, but there are other politicians that make the list before him on that score.

Don't listen to the lame-os, Dan Savage. Portland loves you and you can comment on us or visit us any time you like. Hell, if I had a nice place, you could stay on my couch.

Until Portland gets its own super-relevant sex columnist, I think it's the right and proper thing for you to take up the slack.

Thanks again for all the help with this stupid scandal.

- Jennifer Howell

So we're going to whine when Dan Savage wants to comment on Portland because he's not from here, but we're also going to build a huuuuge bridge so people from Vantucky have an easier time taking our jobs. Make up your minds, jerks. ; D