signs (the one on the
right says, “No prying =
No Lying”.
(Photos © J. Maus)
Friday night’s rally in support of Sam Adams brought hundreds (500-600?) of Portlanders to City Hall. It was an astounding moment of cohesion for a city that had seemed to lose its way in the past few days.
The mantra of the night was “Get back to work!” On signs and on stage, there was a feeling of forgiveness and a sense that many Portlanders just want to see Mayor Adams take the reins of our city once again.
Emcee Mark Acito introduced several local business owners and other community leaders who came to the mic and simply said, “I’m with Sam”. It was a powerful message that seemed to crescendo as the event went on.
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Singer Storm Large provided a musical interlude, first with “America the Beautiful” and then with custom lyrics set to the Tammy Wynette classic, “Stand by your man” — but her version was of course, “Stand by your Sam”. Here’s an excerpt from the lyrics (read them all over at the Mercury):
- Sometimes it’s hard to be in Portland.
Giving all you got to this guy Sam.
You’ll have bad times,
He’ll have some good times,
Doing things that you don’t understand.
But if you love him,
You’ll forgive him,
Even though he’s hard to understand.
stickers with this
thought-provoking message.
There were a few (I saw two or three) anti-Sam protestors among the crowds, but, other than loudly criticizing everyone as being “disgusting” and other things, they didn’t have an impact on this event. An anti-Adams rally held earlier in the day on Friday was also not too well-attended.
Public support and momentum for Adams has grown considerably in the past two days. Hollie Teal, the woman who sparked this rally by launching the Sam is Still My Mayor blog on Wednesday, shared an interesting set of stats that shows a major shift in attitudes about the Adams scandal over the course of this week.
According to an “anonymous source” at City Hall, there have been around 700 emails sent to Mayor Adams since Monday (through the official TrackIt system used by the City’s website). On Monday, 80% of them called for his resignation. By Friday that number had shrunk to just 12% in favor of resignation and 88% saying he should stay.
Those numbers capture a shift in mood from Wednesday morning when I wrote that Adams’ prospects did not look good at all. Several advisors/friends I spoke to before writing that story, are now starting to feel like Adams’ mistakes are something they can forgive (but not forget).
The question remains; can this swell of support and the positive spirit that reverberated throughout this rally be enough bring Adams back from the dead?
He’s slated to meet with his fellow Commissioners Saturday morning and then make an announcement this weekend of whether he’ll stay or go.
I’m sure he’s watching the video from Friday’s rally and hoping, if he does choose to stay, that enough people will “stand by their Sam” to help get him through the tough times, and hard work, that lie ahead.
Where you at the rally? Did it impact your thinking about Adams’ future? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
— For a more thorough rally recap, read Matt Davis’ report on the Portland Mercury blog. For more photos of silly signs and faces from the crowds, check out the Photo Gallery.
UPDATE: Below is video of the event from The Oregonian:
| City Hall rally in favor of Sam Adams |
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The most poignant phrase from this post is “Adams’ mistakes are something they can forgive (but not forget).” For me, the “they” comes to mean “Portland”. This is how I feel. Sure, I cannot just gloss over and forget the lying aspect of this situation. However, I can forgive (if there is even a need to) a person who has done much for Portland. My thoughts are with Mayor Adams and I hope the news by the end of the weekend is news of still-Mayor Adams.
I wasn’t their. I am not in town. IF I could have been there i would have been. I will be there if and when Sam Adams has his vote to stay. He deserves to stay, and work to regain his support. Sam Adams history to Portland Oregon is to great to stop him now, being that this goes back a few years. We need to look ahead. Look at the past, Sam as done far to much positive back then, so he will do nothing but good now. History. History, History. Those who know history, know it repeats itself, Sam has good history.
Jonathan – I have a Permanente address in Portland. What I wonder is, if this doesn’t work out and he resigns is, do you think he would have a heart, and place, in our cycling world? I believe he has to much to offer to Portland, and some are just to blind to see it. I wish I fix all, I love Sam Adams, and I feel his lack of being honest was wrong, but it shouldn’t have been an issue. Being that, Sam deserves his past and a present.
Everybody email every one of the corporate shills listed here and tell them you want Sam Adams to stay as Mayor of Portland Oregon: http://biz.oregonian.com/newsroom/?act=cntc
I went to the rally tonight because I wanted for Portland and Sam to know that while I don’t condone his lie, I can forgive him for it. Like many others, I have been on an emotional roller coaster ride in the past several days, and I’m angry too. Those of you who have posted comments here and in other places are being heard, and you have some valid points. But I am willing to move past this. It seems to me that ending his political career over this issue would be a waste of a bright mind, and an inspired leader. I’m not going to turn my back on him 3 weeks after he took office for a scandal that began as a lie to protect his personal life. Sam needs to get back to work, doing the job that we put him there to do. At the rally the atmosphere was really uplifting, and I felt my anger washing away as Storm Large led us through “America the Beautiful” and “Stand By Your Sam.” I will stand by him, because he’s going to be remembered as a fantastic mayor….albeit with a regrettable *
Sam Adams did nothing regrettable. If lying to a $h¡t rag “newspaper” like the Willamette Weak is a crime, Sam should be COMMENDED for it. Good for him.
Agreed Hart.. The WW, Oregonian and Tribune are all in the same category in my opinion – a waste of paper. I occasionally get emails from some of their writers to write stories about the neighborhood I volunteer in – I never respond. We have local newsletters and newspapers that are far more effective at reaching individuals in our neighborhoods and less likely to screw the stories up. It’s sad that there’s a void in local news, but these news outlets simply aren’t worth the time of day.
I was there. It was truly inspiring.
After having forgotten for a few days I am once again reminded why I love this town.
At the rally, the suggestion was made to email all the commissioners ASAP to let them know we don’t want Sam to resign.
It was also suggested that we contact the newspapers that called for his resignation to tell them they made a mistake, but that we’ll accept their apologies too.
I went to the rally, and I was so happy I did. It made me pleased and very proud (again this week) to be American. I felt somehow part of politics, as the mayor’s constituent asking he get back to work. Because that is what I was doing.
I dragged a skeptical friend and by the end of the friendly and powerful, but succinct, rally, he was convinced to forgive (the good Christian that he is).
Memorable moments were Dan Savage waxing his love for and jealousy of Portland, Storm Large’s “Stand by Your Sam” and the great slogan signs. I also heard a very clear, and echoed through the crowd:
“He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone”
Give me one person in Portland who has not lied, and one person better ready and able to lead Portland, and you can work on a recall. But I will not work on that recall with you, because I voted for — and still would vote for — Sam Adams. I will give him the respect and that he deserves.
The media is always hungry for terrible, fearful, dirty, and disgraceful news, and what with the inauguration’s happy toll in Portland, they went into a nasty withdrawal. Happy news doesn’t sell! (Did anyone notice how the major news teams didn’t seem to be filming last night? They just stood there, uselessly. Were they looking for something more disorganized? Violent? Meager?) Let them suffer as we reject their pathetic attempt to stir us with news of wing-nuts who oppose Sam Adams. Our mayor’s past sex life isn’t news. It isn’t our business. And we’re wasting our time making it his business.
Get back to work, Mayor Sam Adams!
Sam made some huge mistakes, and I’m sure he is regretting them. He’s a very smart guy, and I’m confident he will learn from his mistakes and do better in the future. In a way, it’s good the get this “scandal” over and done with so early in Sam’s first term as Mayor. Now we can can all move forward and focus on the things that are really important to us here in Portland.
Mayor Sam, I forgive you and support you, and I know the overwhelming majority of my friends and neighbors do, too. Let’s get back to work!
Wow, what an amazing rally we got together in just a couple days. Hollie thank you so much for your leadership. Thanks Jonathan for you continued coverage.
I just heard that many business leaders are meeting today to decide what Sam’s fate is. Many of us here are business owners too, somehow we need to come up with a list of business owners that do support Sam Adams as our Mayor.
We have no time to waste, as Sam needs to make a decision probably by Sunday.
I will start.
I support Sam Adams as my Mayor
Carye Bye, Red Bat Press
Here are photos I took of the rally. We had tons of paper from the sign making Thursday, so I set up a sign-making station, and I loved how creative everyone was with their signs.
Being surrounded by smart, educated, hard working Portlanders last night who support Sam was incredible.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redbat/sets/72157612924351134/
Oh and email all the commissioners today of your support of Sam to be our Mayor. They are meeting individually with Sam today.
Amanda Fritz, amanda@ci.portland.or.us
Randy Leonard, rleonard@ci.portland.or.us
Dan Saltzman, dan@ci.portland.or.us
Nick Fish, http://www.portlandonline.com/fish/index.cfm?c=47691
My vote for best sign at the rally: Get over it Portland – He’s your mayor, not your boyfriend.
Seeing the range of people who crossed the stage to publicly support him – from the arts, literature, business owners, zoo bombers, etc – reminded me of why he would be a great mayor and why we should support him. What type of stuffed shirts do you think would stand up and support someone like Sho?
Who’s Sho? 😉
Do all of you believe that the Mayor and this young man did not have sex until his 18th birthday or are you willing to forgive him anyway even if he did have sex with a minor?
Just curious. This is not an opening statement to an argument from me.
I emailed Sandy Rowe of the editorial boar, no relation thank goodness.
caryebye said:
“I just heard that many business leaders are meeting today to decide what Sam’s fate is.”
Since when do *business leaders* decide a mayor’s fate? Isn’t that the job of the entire voting population? Where does that statement come from, caryebye?
Just curious.
I’m still pretty ambivalent about Sam and the whole deal…I mean what would your reaction be if it was your son or daughter getting involved with him? It would give me the creeps…. but if I thought my son or daughter was mature enough at 17 to make that decision and was not being manipulated… and also if Sam followed the Dan Savage rule of inter generational sex (which I believe is “leave them better off than you found them…”) ….
anyhoodle I was never very impressed with Sam in the first place (mostly cause he is so pro developer)….I think we could get a better mayor…I think that the bicycle community will thrive without him as mayor.
What City Hall looks like without Sam.
My favorite sign of the night read: Let the one who has never fucked a hot 18yo boy cast the first stone.
It could have been stronger without the “boy”. Less provocative, sure, but stronger.
Instead of worrying about who is having sex with whom, we (ok I don’t live in Portland) should be talking about who is getting killed. 42,636 people died in car accidents in the USA in 2005 and these people can’t have sex at all because they are dead.
http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/stats.html
Sam Adams has worked to give people safer alternatives to driving cars. If this work is stopped because of a sex scandal, how many Portlanders won’t be able to have sex at all because they died in car accidents?
While I feel great sympathy for Sam. I’m sure he would give anything to not be in this place, to be able to take back the relationship and lies that, now after confronted with the truth, he freely admits were wrong.
As a person who has worked in government for 15 years. I am acutely sensitive to unethical actions by our public servants and electeds that lead to devastating breaches of public trust. With out that trust we can not effectively govern and no substantive dialog exists between the public ant their government.
To me it’s clear that Sam lied for his own personal gain, smeared others and sanctimoniously acted in a way that put his benefits above that of the citizens. He violated government ethics and broke public trust. As a public servant elected or appointed we are rightfully held to a higher standard. Our ethics rules do not allow us (the servant)to determine under what circumstances is it OK to lie or act unethically regardless of what some electeds prefer to do, for example Blagojevich.
Where do we go from here? While I support many of Sam’s polices I question his ability to govern and lead. Unfortunately if not handled correctly in the public’s eye this will hang over his head for the duration of his career. In my estimation his young career is far from over. I would advise him to live to govern another day. For accountability sake, to atone for lying to get elected, resign now. Show that you are serious in your apology and set the example that it’s not OK for you or any public servant to lie, or act unethical for personal gain.
Clean the slate.
Continue to work for our community and run again when the time is right. He will get farther with more credibility and trust in this manner that attempting to stay under such circumstances.
Keep in mind that Portland will survive with out Sam or any official. They are not Portland we the voters are. Our values, issues and priorities are what elects our officials. We continue to set the agenda and we hold their license to operate.
We’ll get through this and I hope Sam can to in a manner that restores the most important element at risk here which is Public Trust, not his career.
Peace-
Accepting those with no integrity to lead us is what got us to where we are today.
We all would be fighting to keep our jobs if the Boregonian or the Willamette Weak put our sex lives on their front pages.
That’s the point everybody keeps forgetting: Sam did nothing wrong. To even consider resignation only validates the idea that the public has a right to know what a man or woman does in their bedroom.
Hart:
If this were actually about sex (Which it’s not, unless it turns out that beau was 17)then you may have a point.
It’s not about sex.
And should the Oregonian or the Willamette Week put my sex life, or any other aspect of my life on their front page, my job would still view me as has having the same high level of integrity that they see me as having now.
I’m young, but the decisions I have made in my life are good. I have nothing to hide. I have nothing to lie about, and I have the integrity to not lie about it if I did.
I refuse to live my life believe that everyone has something to hide. That’s a sad, pathetic, depressing viewpoint.
Count me as lucky – I’ve got hope.
500 people is “an astounding moment of cohesion for our city”?
What a bunch of crap! Will you be sure to retract that after his resignation?
This has nothing to do with his gayness. The “wait sam’s gay?” poster is so sad. Portland voted for him knowing full well he was gay. This is about him being a lying, pudgy pederast. A corrupt one at that!
Agreed Steve. And seriously, does anyone really care what Storm Large thinks?
I’d like to thank Scoutmaster Sam for dragging sustainability into the gutter. Anyone who thinks he’s done nothing wrong has warped values, period.
P.S. Any tips on where I can find a hot 17 year old to mentor?
I still can’t believe that cyclists are tying themselves to this trainwreck.
I refuse to give in to the notion that it is okay for politicians to lie. If you have conviction that your private life is off limits, then you refuse questions on your personal life rather than make up an elaborate lie.
I refuse to live my life believe that everyone has something to hide. That’s a sad, pathetic, depressing viewpoint.
Oh, really? Then tell everybody here right now the details of you last sexual encounter. You got nothing to hide? Bull$*¡T, kid.
500 people is “an astounding moment of cohesion for our city”?
There were far more than 500 Sam supporters in front of city hall last night, and considering this rally was organized less than 36 hours prior, and considering it was only advertised online, and considering it was held at 5pm when few people could get out of work in time, I’d say that speaks volumes as to where the public opinion rests, especially since the Sam haters could only gather a couple dozen lunatics who just want a chance to scream “faggot” through a megaphone.
Wow Hart, that’s some class. I could answer this question as Sam should have, which is “None of your business”.
My last sexual encounter was with my fiance. If you really want to know the details, be more specific in your question.
But if you really want to know the details, then it sounds like you’re the one with the giant problem.
To the troller named hart-
SInce you, nor Jonathan appear to be able to speak about this without grandiose hyperbole, I will have to take your crowd estimates with a sizeable grain of salt.
I think you are forgetting that every large local editorial board is calling for his resignation. These same boards SUPPORTED him as a gay mayoral candidate. The police association is calling on him to resign, and has alleged him to be in violation of the city’s ethics rules.
Oh yeah, Sam is under official investigation now for his alleged illegal activities. Hell, the local gay paper has called for his resignation!
But, i suppose a couple hundred dorks with bike helmets on?! represent an “astounding moment of cohesion”.
I have never been more proud to NOT be a member of the cycling ‘community’. Even though I ride a bike every single day!
To reiterate what others have said a million times: yes, he lied. But It was a question that never should have been asked in the first place, even of a public figure. And lying (about sex or anything else) is not a crime if not under oath. Should the lies or omissions or crafty words you have offered in the past about YOUR sex life disqualify you from YOUR JOB?
I’ve never seen such a feeding frenzy and rush to righteous judgement on the part of the mainstream print media. As Carl said the other day, can’t they just go about their job of going out of business?
People make the point that Portland can live without Sam as Mayor. Probably true, but we can live without the Oregonian too. There’s work to do. As another fellow said the other day, the time has come to leave behind childish things.
To reiterate what others have said a million times-
He lied about an alleged relationship with a minor. A perfectly legitimate question to ask, by the way. He then used that lie to attack others and accuse them of being bigots. Classy guy, eh?
It would also take a simpleton to ignore the absurd hiring of Amy Ruiz to a position she is clearly not qualified for.
He has clearly violated the city’s ethics rules by creating an ‘Appearance of impropriety”. Those are not my words, they are the words that Sam is beholden to as leader of our city.
I am done with this nonsense. I will just swing by in a day or two (after his imminent resignation) to say- “I told you so!”
Randy Leonard for mayor!
oh, and it is no hyperbole to say the crowd was 500 or more. It was at LEAST that. It was BIG, and it was all kinds of people.
I’m with Steve. Sam failed the most basic and perhaps easiest ethics exam.
1. Don’t have a sexual relationship with someone that might be construed as a subordinate, let alone an 18 year old that is 24 years your junior (had the kid even graduated high school?!?!).
2. Don’t indignantly lie to the electorate.
The least we should ask of those who manage our precious public resources is that they have a modicum of integrity. Sam’s support of the bicycle community shouldn’t give him a free pass.
To the troller named hart-
A guy whose only discernible reason for visiting this site is to post one anti-Sam diatribe after another is calling other people trolls?
hahahahahahahahaha
rixter, I have been on this site for years. WTF are you talking about?
My mistake then. I haven’t seen you post on anything other than the Sam Adams scandal (although, to be fair, that’s probably all anybody is posting on at the moment.).
Give me one person in Portland who has not lied, and one person better ready and able to lead Portland, and you can work on a recall.
We’re supposed to hold our leaders to a higher moral standard. George Bush was a “regular guy” that people wanted to have a beer with…and look where that got us.
Hey steve-
I was also at the rally. There was a wide swath of people there – not just bikey-folk, not just gay folks – and there were at least 500 people. That is not an exaggeration.
To your other points – the whole Amy Ruiz thing? Speculation. Beau being a minor? Speculation.
If you are so hell-bent on the TRUTH, you’ll wait for the results of the investigation.
But you don’t give a rip about the truth. Nothing criminal has been proven. You smell blood, and you go on the attack. Pedophile? Seriously? Give me a break. Inflammatory name-calling does wonders for your argument.
What we have is someone who lied about a legal consensual relationship. If you think that suddenly makes him unfit to be mayor, then you have the right to your opinion. Others have the right to believe that his apology (and public pillorying) is sufficient.
Let’s keep this focused on what we know ACTUALLY happened, and not on speculative clap-trap perpetuated by publications already known for their inflammatory “journalism”.
My wife and I attended last night. This was our first “protest” that we’ve ever been to so I was a little nervous having the possibility of being the only ones there, having others with different views yelling at us, etc. I was doing it more to support her than for any conviction on my part. We rode our bikes from N Portland to Downtown. We aren’t regular bike riders but have recently been trying to ride more and finding the fun and freedom in it. Man, it was cold last night.
The rally went really well and I got over my fears pretty quick. We bought green and orange tee-shirts, wrote messages like “PDX needs solutions not tabloids”, “Sam’s Personal Life NOYB”, and things like that on the shirts. We had fun.
As for where I personally stand… I can see both sides. I feel that Sam was asked questions that he shouldn’t have had to be asked. If there were legal issues then they should have been looked into at the time. Sam’s lie doesn’t get me since he wasn’t under oath and I feel that it’s not relevant to his job. Sam asking Breedlove to lie for him gives me a little twinge. But what’s swayed me to support Sam is the fact that I can’t begin to imagine what pressures there might be for a gay man, especially in politics. It wasn’t too long ago that being gay wasn’t even accepted. I’m not gay, but I can imagine the societal fears that someone like him must go through that could cause him to make some of the decisions that he made. Not being in his shoes, I can’t make judgements on what he did. I feel that he didn’t hurt anyone and none of this has anything to do with how he’d perform his job. So for the good of Portland, I’d like Sam to stay in office…that is if all these scandal loving, self righteous people could leave a man alone to do his job.
I am kind of afraid to weigh in on this for fear of ‘HARTS’ rath. Really he needs to get some perspective. Not everyone who thinks Adams should resign is an ‘anti-Sam” bigot. I have posted here that I think the punishment is too big for the crime but I am not sure he can be effective any more. I am sure that somebody else in this city can be as effective if not more than Sam Adams for the bike community. ” Hart” seems to take this really personal which is too bad since most of the posters I have read are pretty conflicted by this as it is a really sad affair. Perhaps you might calm down a bit.
QUESTION: “Since when is sex between consenting adults anyone else’s business?”
ANSWER: When you run for public office and your opponent accuses you in the press of having sex with a minor. Voters want to assess your character and judgment. Regardless if it was legal, many do care about the age difference and would consider that when voting. Sam knew that; so he lied, and in so doing circumvented the democratic process. He asked the teen to lie. He lambasted his opponent as the liar and hid behind the gay card. Then, when a Mercury reporter couldn’t decide who to believe, he hired her as his advisor on sustainability planning despite the fact she has NO qualifications for that in a city full of planners.
rixtir:
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you post. Where’ve you been?
OK, I’ll say my piece now. Maybe Sam should resign, maybe he shouldn’t. Tough question. But to all the newspapers who have called for his resignation, can you please show me how many times you called for the resignation of the biggest criminal ever elected to public office, George W Bush? Because if it wasn’t EVERY DAY since the facts came out about his letting 9/11 to happen (not in a conspiracy theory way, just the negligence), or his lying about the causes of the Iraq war, or his torture policy, or his spying on us, or his prosecution of the Iraq war long after Americans decided it needed to end, or his allowing Bin Laden to escape, or about fifty other things – each of which should have been sufficient to lead to his resignation, well, then you have no standing.
Sam screwed up big time. But the screw-up is many orders of magnitude smaller than what our ignorant, smug, lazy media allowed to happen for the past eight years. So, let’s look at this story with a little perspective. I wasn’t at the rally by choice, because I’m not all that sure I need to show much public support for Mr Adams right now. But I’ll be damned if the losers in the media think they have any say in this story. I think the best thing might be if he publicly supports a recall election, and we all get to make our personal choice to forgive him or not.
I have to say I read the article in that shitrag WW. IMO, what happened is that Adams ran across an opportunist in this 18 year old. No one is asking questions about that guy; do you wonder why everyone he fucks gives him a job? IMO, that is a prostitute, whose currency is different from your typical street trash.
I smell blackmail on Adams of the WORST kind. His mistake was not keeping clean when he should of. But of course, that probably would of meant that he couldn’t of run for mayor.
I say Adams keep your job!
If there is an investigation on pedophilia charges, you have to look at the people making those allegations.
And when you look at those people, you will see that they are scum, muckrakers, politicians who smell blood.
I’m with Sam!