You remember this post about an Oregonian article (from earlier this week), about a damning rental housing audit (sitting around in a PR void since late last month) that found almost two-thirds of 50 Portland landlords surveyed this year discriminated against black and Latino applicants?

Yeah, well, things have gotten even weirder.

In the wake of the article written about the report from last month, and spurred apparently by Housing Commissioner Nick Fish's more deliberate response to the findings (he's not yet called for the heads of the racist landlords), the O's edit board last night posted a suddenly grouchy editorial demanding less strategizing and more pitchfork-waving.

Then, in a letter dated yesterday but blitzed out to certain newspapers today, the state's Senate Republican Caucus decided they were now outraged about the plight of blacks and Latinos in Portland, too. Using words like "serious alarm and repulsion," and giving the O credit for the actual investigation, instead of just for reporting on it, they demanded Attorney General John Kroger and Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian start doing what the city isn't, or isn't at least not yet.

A little while ago, Avakian sent his reply. It was funny. He poked at the senators' media effort. He also said it's time to chill a bit, pointing out that investigators have taken up some 300 cases with the Fair Housing Council of Oregon over the past couple of years.

But he saved his best jab for a line in the middle of his letter. Basically: You know how you just said you'd like it if we went after bad landlords? Then why haven't you ever given me any money to do it?

As BOLI, FHCO and others marked Fair Housing Month in April, FHCO Executive Director Moloy Good said, “The cooperation between BOLI and the Fair Housing Council has been an invaluable asset to Oregonians facing discrimination. Helping Oregonians to know their rights and access justice is the heart of both our missions. It is disappointing that BOLI is tackling this outrageous and pervasive problem in our society with only federal funds to support the work.”