A couple of hours after Commissioner Dan Saltzman said Portland should rejoin the federal government’s Portland Joint Terrorism Task Force, calling for city council vote on the controversial issue next week, December 8, Mayor Sam Adams poured all kinds of cold water on the idea.
When asked outside the federal courthouse if he supported Saltzman’s timeline, Adams’ response was fairly curt: “Not at this point.” Although, soon after, the mayor did allow: “That doesn’t mean that I won’t in the future.”
Saltzman issued his call in a news release this afternoon, following a casual talk about the task force with the mayor—although Adams apparently wasn’t warned a release was forthcoming. Saltzman told me that the FBI-assisted terror plot by Mohamed Osman Mohamud “drives home the idea that we are a potential target,” and that Portland’s citizens expect city leaders to work with federal authorities to keep the city safe.
“We need to move forward, we must not delay when the safety of our residents is at stake,” he said in his release.
Portland in 2005 became the first city to pull its police officers from a task force—partly because of constitutional concerns arising over how the Bush administration was sidestepping courts, and also because of jurisdictional officersconcerns in lending out its officers. (Then-Mayor Tom Potter also apparently was peeved he only got “secret” clearance, instead of cooler-sounding “top secret.”) But at the time, Saltzman was the only commissioner to say no.
Ironically, it was Adams this weekend—firmly in the majority in 2005—who first raised the issue of rejoining, noting he had had talks with Police Chief Mike Reese after Reese expressed an interest. Adams today said those talks were “sporadic,” and that he had other issues to focus on when he became police commissioner: guns, human trafficking, and hiring more cops.
Adams said he’s got “a whole cadre” of city attorneys looking at the issue in light of Friday night’s arrest, specifically at whether the conditions that fueled his concerns about the FBI and its approach to jurisprudence have eased under the Obama administration.
“I’m going at this with an open mind,” he said, but added he’d consider it only after a “fact-based” analysis of whether it makes sense. Noting the passions on both sides of the issue, he said: “I want to add to those passions some facts.”
I haven’t heard back from Saltzman’s office with a response, although earlier he told me he thinks many of the issues behind the 2005 vote this time could be “overcome.” He did admit that although he wants “seamless communication” between local and federal authorities, he wasn’t sure what would change if Portland rejoined. As Friday’s arrest showed, he also acknowledged, “we have done a good work-around.”
Of course, the exchange between the two is thick with electoral politics. Saltzman has tipped his hand that he might consider challenging Adams in 2012, and pushing this issue—either by being seen as taking the lead if Adams goes along eventually, or by attempting to frame Adams as soft on crime if he doesn’t not—could be a good way to frame part of any race. And never mind that Saltzman remains bitter over the way Adams snatched away the police commissioner job in May.
A response in the style of an OregonLive commenter: DAM ADAMS SHOULD RESIGN!! IT’S TERRORIST SYMPATHIZERS LIKE HIM TAT WILL GET US ALL KILLED!!!
In paragraph five, you have some officers in your officers.
hmmm! wonder why Dan is doing the FBI Tap-Dance?…have
they got something on him that induced him to get out front
and dance for ’em??
So Saltzy wants us to rejoin the JTTF after the public and council overwhelmingly wanted us out just because the FBI did its job and busted this guy without us being in the JTTF? Thanks for the input Dan but no.
“”I’m going at this with an open mind,” he said, but added he’d consider it only after a “fact-based” analysis of whether it makes sense. Noting the passions on both sides of the issue, he said: “I want to add to those passions some facts.””
Please…if only Sam could actually apply this approach to anything he does. Sam will vote for it, he’s just got his tighty-tights in a bunch that Dan beat him to the PR punch. Every damn one of them will vote for this, it’s a political no brainer. Sadly, it feels that this is the Feds way of demanding compliance. Farewell Little Beirut, it’s been a good ride.
It’s called “closing the barn door after the horse’s run out”
It’s totally obvious that, after the FBI pulled off their photo op, Dan is trying to grab some spotlight for himself.
The public and the council have been clear. We don’t want to be part of the JTTF. (No matter how convenient the FBI’s highly-orchestrated bust in our town just happens to raise this very discussion…)
Before Dan’s shenanigans today, I’d have voted for him. But Sam just won back my vote tonight, which I’d previously thought impossible.
Cheers to Sam Adams!
I wish we could somehow put ideas in front of Sam without telling him whether Dan or Randy came up with it, then after he says whether he’s for it or against it, do a big “reveal” where we open the envelope, Maury Povich style, and tell him who thought of it.
“You said you were FOR this policy, Sam. That policy was created by…DAN SALTZMAN!” [Sam smashes his fist into his palm in fury.]
Lets keep in mind that every false flag bombing or shooting in this country was proven to be a false flag done by the black ops run by the Zionist khazar bankers. To successfully do this, the feds had to have the cooperation of local law enforcement. Huge grants were given to local police in exchange for their cooperation, so is that what is going on here? THEY HAVE TO HAVE MARTIAL LAW TO COMPLETE BRINGING DOWN THE HAMMER AND COLLECTING OUR GUNS AND THEY ABSOLUTELY CANNOT DESTROY THIS REPUBLIC WITHOUT THE HELP OF LOCAL POLITICIANS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. Ask me, I know, we had a big false flag proven in court records, up here in Colorado. Then one in Wisconsin and every time they get outted the press quits covering the false flag.
Be very very careful, because real people die in these false flags. USS liberty, USS Cole, 9-11, et c etc and all done by our foreign occupying country of Israel. They consider the goyim life to be worthless. You decide, we have here in Colorado and they get no more chances at it here. We are getting ready.
Evil Wm, the only thing that will get us all killed is peoples total and abject ignorance. This is the first time in history where your ignorance could cost you your life and that of your family. Better get away from False news and switch to overseas news who have reporters here and actually report the news and proof. You can get that off the internet. There are people out here doing deep research and documenting what is really going on and Sam was smart to get as far away from it as he can. It probably saved Portland residents’s lives.