Associated Press and The Oregonian in Portland both completely flunked the party-ID test on Portland's brand-new openly gay Democratic mayor having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old man and lying about it. The Oregonian story began:
Portland Mayor Sam Adams acknowledged Monday that he had a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old in summer 2005 and, on the eve of his campaign for the city's highest office, lied about it and urged the young man to lie as well.
Readers who weren't familiar with Adams could have been confused, since a Republican label later surfaced in the story:
Adams met Beau Breedlove in April 2005. Breedlove, then 17, was an intern at the Oregon Legislature for then-Rep. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer. Adams, 42 and a city of Portland commissioner, was in Salem on a lobbying trip. They struck up a conversation, and Breedlove called Adams soon after, hoping for both professional and personal advice on coming out of the closet in the political world.
Beyond the traditional drop-the-D reporting, there is the question if the national media will find this newsworthy. The easy guess is that if the politician is openly gay and the teenager is consenting, they will find it's not.
In 2005, when the mayor of Spokane, Washington was a conservative "anti-gay" Republican and a teenager said he was unwilling, it was a big national story, including an NBC interview on Today and an entire Frontline documentary on PBS. James West was ousted in a recall months later. The FBI cleared him of any criminal charges in February 2006, and he died of cancer that July. Even when he died, the AP found the Republican label.
(HT: Dan Gainor)
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Comments Policy
Wow, that is impressively disgusting
January 20, 2009 - 07:20 ET by hungarianfalcon-by the paper, that is. The party affiliation of the main subject of the article isn't newsworthy but the affiliation of the politician for whom his gay lover worked is?
Ethics in journalism? It's becoming more and more obvious that some serious call's to action are in order wrt the press on both a local and national level.
HF
Journalism 101
January 20, 2009 - 07:36 ET by AJBWell, the editor must have received an A+ in Journalism 101 at a public institution. Page 3, paragraph 2 -- "never, ever reveal the party affiliation of a liberal unless its a positive story, it embarasses the opposition, or both."
And we just need to get over it. The whole purpose of the gay movement is to legalize any and every kind of sex. So what? This guy had sex with a guy. Age doesn't matter anymore. Neither does species, neither does them being alive or dead. Please sign my petition to marry my dead grandmother, my sheep, my 13 year old neighbor boy and all of the Dallas Cheerleaders. Someone has to stand up for my choice!
slippery slope...
January 20, 2009 - 09:15 ET by sawing battayou're right, AJB.
Your rights have been and are still being violated by those who dont see the beauty and purity of marriage with a goat. how dare they in this day and age of "hope"..in the spirit of "unity" you should be able to marry your goat, or the 12 year old next door...heck, why not throw in inanimate objects as well? i want to marry my 401(k) so it gets the same protection from the government as my goat does/will. i know BHO wants to eliminate the tax benefits of 401Ks (there must be too much saving going on!). If i can just marry my 401k, then it might be protected and given equal protection.
wow
January 20, 2009 - 10:02 ET by AJBYour post opens up a whole new world for me. If we allow inanimate objects too, that adds to my list: dead grannies, children, men, women, gender confused (ala Rachael Maddox), sheep (who in their right mind wants to marry their goat? sheesh) and now my toaster, my coffee cup, and I like the 401(k) idea. FIGHT FOR MY RIGHTS TO MARRY WHOMEVER AND WHATEVER I WANT!!!
Cool...
January 20, 2009 - 07:42 ET by Radar_OneI saw this on Yahoo at midnight and emailed it in....wow that was a fast writeup. Thank you NB
Barack Obama= Half Honkey...ALL Donkey
Kansas City Star - (D - Missouri)
January 20, 2009 - 07:48 ET by flyingmonkeyThis is why we need to quit buying our local newspapers. Do not support these liberal rags by buying their papers so they can use those profits to promote liberal causes. Last week, Mary Sanchez wrote an editorial in the Kansas City Star lamenting the demise of the print media. They have gone through three rounds of layoffs and she must feel that the end is near. Grrrrrrreat!!!
When you accurately report the news, you're doing your jobs. When you choose to distort the facts to promote an agenda, then you need to go.
Buying a newspaper is the equivalent of paying somebody to lie to you.
Let's call a spade, a spade.
January 20, 2009 - 08:59 ET by Hunter12It's amazing how stupid these people are. They are supposed to be so capable of analyzing and presenting the news, and yet they can't understand the cause and effect between what they are selling and declining subscriptions. The Star and these other liberal (declining) newspapers are dealing with print media and circulation, but the same can be extended to television and viewership. Let's connect the dots for them. You lecture and preach, distorting and coloring the news with your personal bias. People aren't buy your newspapers, magazines, or books. People aren't watching your TV shows. Try presenting the truth. See what happens. You can't do any worse. Most of you are not getting invited to those Hollywood parties anyway.
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
"It's amazing how stupid these people are."
January 20, 2009 - 15:22 ET by needleAmusingly enough these are the same people who are awed by how “smart” (meaning “liberal” like themselves) Obama is.
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
Blind Bias for $200 Alex
January 20, 2009 - 08:22 ET by CapeCodScottWhat is the Democrat Party?
Correct!
www.ScottOnCapeCod.com
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation"... until they get fed-up enough to finally say something about it!
And then there is this gem
January 20, 2009 - 09:26 ET by Prester JohnMayor accused in sex sting to skip inauguration
RACINE, Wis. (AP) — Racine Mayor Gary Becker's plans to attend Tuesday's inauguration have been canceled after he was charged in an Internet sex sting.
Becker had planned to attend a U.S. Conference of Mayors event in Washington over the weekend and then stay for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
But that was before he was arrested Tuesday night at a suburban Milwaukee shopping mall. Authorities said he went there to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl but actually was a state agent.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5govJW1ohvL4IfWGWe18Cmvb1FqRQD95OSGCO0
And in case you're wondering, yes, Becker is a Democrat. But don't expect to find that mentioned in too many media reports.
Perhaps - just perhaps someone from the Clinton
January 20, 2009 - 19:57 ET by Cape Conservativeadministration has snuck into all these newsrooms and REMOVED all the Ds from the keyboards!!!! Sounds good to me ;-)
And...with regard to all these liberal papers/networks/magazines losing $$$ - do what I did - CANCEL your subscription and request a refund! I look at those two checks, one from Time and the other from Newsweek, and I say to myself, SWEET! NO more headaches as I tried to find a decent article to read, NO more turning the magazine over on the table because I couldn't stand to see another O cover shot, NO MORE LIBERAL TRASH in our home!!!! SWEET indeed!
It is no dishonor to be in a minority in the cause of liberty and virtue. ~ Sam Adams
More proof of the hypocrisy
January 20, 2009 - 09:33 ET by mattmMore proof of the hypocrisy of the Left. If they were true to their post-modernist, gender-neutral, free-sex, anything goes hedonism, they would defend this freak.
that ship has sailed
January 20, 2009 - 10:03 ET by AJBWe now know for sure that they are not gender-neutral and their official position is race trumps gender. All women must now GET BACK TO THE KITCHEN AND BAKE ME SOME PIE! Hillary and Sarah are testament to this new world order. PIE PIE PIE!!
PIE PIE PIE!!
January 20, 2009 - 10:47 ET by choselife3xWill that be crow or humble? ;-)
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
Be very careful with your demands, AJB - reminds me of a
January 20, 2009 - 20:04 ET by Cape Conservativestory told to me by a southern friend. After baking a lemon meringue pie soon after they were married, her husband asked her to check with his mother because he wanted one JUST LIKE HIS MOTHER MADE - well, needless to say, his next piece of pie had absolutely NO sugar in it ;-) Being a smart fellow, he learned early in their marriage (that lasted over 60 years) that his wife was a better cook than his mama was and he never made that suggestion again ;-)
It is no dishonor to be in a minority in the cause of liberty and virtue. ~ Sam Adams
Name That Party
January 20, 2009 - 10:18 ET by bradbenj5952Let's play, "Name That Party". Question: in any news report exposing a scandal involving a politician wherein party affiliation is not identified, what is the party affiliation of the accused? DEMOCRAT! And who consistently perpetrates this despicable display of dishonesty? The MSM! Now for some therapy, say it with me, "Portland Mayor Sam Adams is a DEMOCRAT". See, that wasn't too hard, was it?
→ Honest mistake
January 20, 2009 - 10:40 ET by Cool ArrowOregon is to Democrat as GOP is to Republican.
Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country - Muslim, Khalil Gibran
A gaffe....
January 20, 2009 - 10:44 ET by Prester John...an innocent mistake, happens all the time......
No surprise here
January 20, 2009 - 11:06 ET by Wonder95As a Portland resident, I can say that this doesn't surprsise me in the least. The Daily Dead Fish Wrapper (aka The Oregonian) is so far to the left, it's disgusting. I started a blog focusing on the Oregonian's screaming liberal bias, but wasn't able to keep it up because of time constraints. Needless to say, I never had a lack of material to write about when I was able to write.
They are hurting so bad, they're giving out free subscriptions these days. This is a classic example of why.
Reporter's response
January 20, 2009 - 12:31 ET by Wonder95For what it's worth, I sent an email to Anna Griffin, the author of the article, inquiring why the party was not mentioned in the story and asking how quick she would have mentioned it if he had been a Republican. Her one line reply to me was "Portland mayor is a nonpartisan position, but I see your point."
When did a "D" after some one's name on a ballot = "Nonpartisan"
January 20, 2009 - 13:51 ET by CapeCodScottWell, at least she sees your point.... That's fair & balanced. NOT
www.ScottOnCapeCod.com
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation"... until they get fed-up enough to finally say something about it!
Sort of like an "I" on Cape Cod = Democrat!
January 20, 2009 - 20:09 ET by Cape ConservativeIt is no dishonor to be in a minority in the cause of liberty and virtue. ~ Sam Adams
January 20, 2009 - 14:51 ET by bajamaMayoral Position is Non-Partisan
January 30, 2009 - 13:27 ET by cstorrerI know it makes a good story, but maybe you should learn how Oregon municipal government works before you post. This website loses credibility when a zealot like Tim Graham fails to recognize the less conspiratorial explanation to a given news phenomenon: Oregon Mayors are elected without party designations. Please keep this site credible, I don't want to look bad when I share it with my colleagues.
Adams IS NOT A DEMOCRAT --
January 30, 2009 - 13:40 ET by Jack BauerAdams IS NOT A DEMOCRAT -- and if you says he is that makes you a "zealot." That's you final position?
How about CNN? Yes I know they are renowned for extreeme right-wing zealotry.
LOL Jack... Pow! Right in
January 30, 2009 - 13:44 ET by bigtimerLOL Jack...
Pow! Right in the kisser!
Great ZINGER there friend!
bt -- well it was really
January 30, 2009 - 13:47 ET by Jack Bauerbt -- well it was really hard to track down.
I just yahooed and this popped up
1 - 10 of 202,000 for ""Portland
Mayor
Sam
Adams
"" + "democrat