Radical Jihadist radio personality Lars Larson took three minutes at this morning’s council session to ask Mayor Sam Adams a few questions about the Breedlove scandal.
b34f/1233770276-larson.jpg
LARSON: “I’d like to see the city cleaned up…”

“Why should any of these commissioners believe anything you say?” asked Larson. “Why did you lie about your behavior?”

Larson said “we now know that you took that young man into a restroom in this building and engaged in intimate contact,” which, technically, would be a crime, and is up for investigation by the Attorney General.

“Why did you trash a good man and wreck his reputation?” Larson asked, referencing Bob Ball, who first came to council with rumors of Adams’ relationship with Breedlove, before the story broke.

“Do you believe you have the right to use public resources to defend your private behavior?” Larson asked.

Adams thanked Larson for his testimony, and Larson left, posing for a photograph with a fan outside the chamber, and shaking hands with cop union boss, Scott Westerman.

Matt Davis was news editor of the Mercury from 2009 to May 2010.

43 replies on “Lars Larson Takes On The Mayor”

  1. Matt,

    If I took up a collection and bought you a one way ticket back to England, would you go and stay there? I’m sure it wouldn’t be that hard to get the money together.

  2. Where did that come from “deport Matt Davis”… I know that Matt’s reporting on various issues has been criticized, but what in this article is so wrong as to make you advocate forcibly separating a man from his job and family and sending him overseas?

  5. Right after Larson testified, I was sitting two seats over from an older gentleman who sat up and yelled, “Lars, you’re nothing but a corrupt political carpetbagger!”

    Which is kind of funny and all, considering Larson has lived in or near the Portland area for most of his life, I believe.

  8. Doesn’t Lars live in Vancouver? What right does he have to question the right of the mayor of Portland to govern? Anyway, back to my first comment – I think this post would be a lot more interesting if even a hint of how Sam responded to the questions was included. I didn’t think the act of asking boring questions was in itself a news item – but how the mayor responded just might be!

  9. I think the most telling thing was Lars cozy behavior with the police union guy. This has nothing to do with anything Sam did outside of politics and everything to do with the police union wanting him out because they don’t want to clean up their act. The lawsuits this city has had to pay out on due to bad behavior by the cops are monster sized, I don’t see the mayor’s questionable behavior costing us any money in court.

  10. Anyone who feels that Lars Larson is a carpetbagger and has no right to talk about Portland politics, yet will give Dan Savage a pass is proof on how hard America’s schools are failing.

  13. Yes Lars is a Vancouver, WA resident. He’s so toxic in Portland he probably shored up Sam more support. Now we just need to get Limbaugh in town to say Sam Adams sucks and Sam will end up with better approval numbers than Barack Obama.

    It’s funny to me that jokers like Lars that don’t even live in our city use our city council as a publicity stunt.

  14. Thanks a pantload Sam,

    I told you this would happen. Idiots like this are going to use your inability to keep it in your pants as an argument against solutions to issues I care about, like sustainable urban development, tolerance, and education.

  15. Dan Savage writes a column that addresses the politics of sex, in the bedroom and out– read it sometime and you’d know. He frequently tackles issues that aren’t purely local: anti-same-sex marriage legislation, the outing of formerly homophobic church leaders, etc. And seeing as how the Adams scandal has bled into the fringe of the national news dialogue, I don’t see how it’s inappropriate that he weigh in.

    Of course it doesn’t hurt that the Merc and the Stranger are owned by the same publisher. But I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I want to hear Savage’s take on the whole deal. I assure you it’s a lot more well-reasoned and complex than Lars’ broken-record schick: you lied, can’t trust you, etc. He’s not adding anything to the dialogue, just saying what Adams’ critics have reiterated dozens of times already. It’s a tiresome plea for attention, addressed to his fanbase. This main ain’t relevant.

  17. Bob R,

    It’s a combination of everything. The “Radical Jihadist” thing in this article stands out.

    Truthypup,

    The fact he lives in WA doesn’t mean anything. I’m in the same boat. I live across the river but I have an interest in Portland due to the fact I work there and I pay Oregon taxes.

  18. I think the real show was the near cat fight between Amanda Fritz and the woman giving testimony after the right wingers left the building and the awards were given.

    Really, the video is worth watching, MEOW!

  19. Jake,
    I am aware there are Republicans here. According to 2008 general election results 20.61% of our county went for McCain. 76.69% went for Obama. I’m willing to bet money that to roughly 70% of Multnomah County Lars Larson is a name that is toxic and doesn’t align at all with their values.

    Vancouver WA residents,
    Frankly I don’t care if you work here and pay taxes here. The fact that you get in your car (or C-Tran) and waltz your butt into town 5 times for 40 hours a week doesn’t mean you get to vote here or interject your opinion. You have your own city across the river full of strip malls, wide lane roads and urban sprawl. You also have your own mayor to complain about.

    Now we know that Vantucky is so boring that they even have to come to our side of the river to find something to be offended at.

  20. The snobbish bile unleashed by hyper-judgemental Portlanders on Vancouver is enough to make me want to move over there.

    If they’re so successful at pissing off self-righteous, bearded metero fem-boys in skinny jeans, they must be doing something right.

  21. Garrett –

    While we’re probably pretty close in our opinions, I do believe that people across the river have the right to express theirs. (I just don’t like it when they openly call for the deportation of members of the press.)

    Similarly, I don’t mind when Dan Savage (for example) expresses his opinion, although apparently a number of Adams’ critics can’t stand the fact that Dan Savage has an opinion and expresses it outside city hall, while they love the fact that Lars has an opinion and expresses it on the city hall agenda.

    Portlanders, similarly, have every right to call Lars a bloviator or a radical, and the city council has every right to choose to ignore (politely) an out-of-state bloviator, of any stripe.

  23. “The snobbish bile” […]

    That’s pretty high comedy, coming from you Blabby.

    But don’t worry, I don’t wear skinny jeans… I’m fat enough to live inconspicuously in any part of the country, should I so choose.

  24. The response to those questions is what I’d like to hear; this is kind if a half-assed post. Sam should quit the press conferences and just do the kick-ass job we hired him to do. Lars is on a par with John Canzano preaching to the jackasses, so like, so what. I can’t believe anyone official would give him an audience.

  27. People who live in Vancouver and work in Oregon pay Oregon income taxes. They are perfectly in their right to comment on things that their taxes go to like any other taxpayer.

    What they don’t have a right to do is to sanctimoniously preach to those of us who live and vote in this city how we should feel about our Mayor.

    He is our mayor. You have one as well. His name is Royce Pollard. Go bitch at him Lars. Leave us alone.

  29. Whats going on with the criminal investigation of Adams, especially now with the new info from Beau’s dad and friend that he had sex with him as a minor??
    And yes, what was the rest of the story after Lars (dont like him myself, but I agree with him for ONCE) did his public shaming??

  31. Last time I checked, everyone has a right to bloviate anywhere in the country. It’s right there in the First Amendment. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to bloviate and fawn on your hero Sammy.

    I would also point out that attacking Mr. Larson, rather than the issues he brings up, is ad hominem and one of the most useless tactics in debate ever.

  32. Marc,

    “Last time I checked, everyone has a right to bloviate anywhere in the country”: Yes, and anyone has a right to tell Larson to shut up & get the fuck out of town. And he has the right to ignore us. Isn’t the First Amendment wonderful?

    “I would also point out that attacking Mr. Larson, rather than the issues he brings up, is ad hominem and one of the most useless tactics in debate ever”: We aren’t here to debate Larson, as he’s not here to debate with. Since the story broke, many of us have “debated” the issues here to the point of carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s boring to go over it all once again for a latecomer/newbie.

  33. Guffman,

    I was addressing the folks who said he had no right to speak his piece. I also said in maybe not the most direct fashion that others have a right to express their disagreement with him.

    The fact that the issues have been debated before is no excuse for the use of ad hominem debate, especially in a town that prides itself on its level of “education.” In the same vein, calling me a “latercomer/newbie” does nothing to prove your point. There’s another silly Latin expression for that. I believe it’s “non sequitur.”

  34. Marc,

    “I was addressing the folks who said he had no right to speak his piece”: Noted. “I also said in maybe not the most direct fashion that others have a right to express their disagreement with him”: So apparently I just clarified some (really obvious) points you didn’t quite make clear on your first try. You’re welcome.

    “The fact that the issues have been debated before is no excuse for the use of ad hominem debate, especially in a town that prides itself on its level of ‘education'”: If the only other option is playing the same old chess game all over again for your benefit, I’ll take ad hominem at this point. The “issues” Larson brought up are old news, & I’m tired of them. “In the same vein, calling me a ‘latercomer/newbie’ does nothing to prove your point”: You honestly don’t know what my “point” is, do you?… “There’s another silly Latin expression for that. I believe it’s ‘non sequitur'”: I’m not dismissing YOUR point, whatever it is, just because you’re a newb (which you are). I’m saying it’s tedious to go through the motions one more time, just so you can tell we’re responding from a foundation more substantial than mere knee-jerk dislike for Larson.

  38. So you think “Rondine Guslini” should get to turn any & every Council agenda item into a debate about Adams? How civic-minded of you.

    Just more evidence that there are a whole lot of people out there who care more about their grudges against Adams than they do about the City. Funny: The more the Sam-haters talk, the more I like the mayor….

  39. Hi Guffman,

    Thanks for recognizing our civic mindedness! We sure have a lot of volunteers working hard and it is nice to get your recognition. Don’t feel like you are left out, there are plenty of projects on the website that you can join to make Portland’s local government better by actually holding our elected officials accountable.

    How about next city council meeting you speak to an Agenda Item about how the Mayor’s strong leadership was key in it’s passing and see if you get ruled “deleterious”?

    Remember Kids, if all speech was “popular”, we would not need annoying laws to protect speech.

    For the record we don’t view ourselves as ‘Sam-Haters’ we prefer the term ‘Pro-Portland’ or even, dare I say, ‘Portland-Lovers’.

    RecallSamAdams.com

  40. “Remember Kids, if all speech was ‘popular’, we would not need annoying laws to protect speech”: That’s not in question. City Council meetings are not free-speech forums. Sign up in advance, and you can talk about anything you want for three minutes. Otherwise you have to stay on topic. This is how meetings are run. This is how work gets done.

    Stop trying to shut down the Council.

  41. Hi Guffman,

    Apparently you have never been to many City Council meetings where people (mainly lobbyist) sign-up speak on Regular Agenda Item only to ramble on about a totally unrelated issue.

    People questioning the intension of a man who lied to get elected on any decision he makes is “city business” and very much “on topic” for any Agenda Item.

    Please stop trying to paint civic participation as an attempt to “shut down the Council”. It is not like we are chaining ourselves to the council chamber doors preventing the session from starting. Just because you disagree with us does not make it wrong.

    We look forward to seeing you speak soon at a City Council meeting, as, opposing ideals are vital in a healthy Democracy.

    RecallSamAdams.com

  42. “People questioning the intension of a man who lied to get elected on any decision he makes is ‘city business’ and very much ‘on topic’ for any Agenda Item”: Fine. You just keep pushing that idea forward. See how far it gets you.

    “Please stop trying to paint civic participation as an attempt to ‘shut down the Council'”: I will, because it’s unnecessary — your “intensions” will become obvious to the public soon enough…. “It is not like we are chaining ourselves to the council chamber doors preventing the session from starting”: Have you ruled that out? Pity. I bet $5 you’d do just that…. “Just because you disagree with us does not make it wrong”: Gosh, can’t argue with that kind of smokin’-hot logic.

    “We look forward to seeing you speak soon at a City Council meeting…”: Been there, done that, saw the thousand-yard stare in the commissioners’ eyes. Even so, I always stayed on topic, I’m proud to say…. “…opposing ideals are vital in a healthy Democracy”: So is getting the public’s business done. But if you feel that challenging Adams’ trustworthiness is more important than getting the public’s business done, by all means proceed. Go for it, and we’ll see how the public responds. It will be fun.

  43. The leftist idiot who used the term carpetbagger, was not even using it in it’s correct context. Something that seems to escape many people here as well as the moron that stated it. I was born in Portland and outside of my military service have lived in the area my entire 4 decades here. The majority in “Vantucky”. All the while working in Portland. I have more of a damn right to speak out against Mayor Adams than the entire city of Portland has in regards to deciding how many lanes on the new Columbia River crossing there should be. Hence I would guess the Feds will eventually tell Adams or hopefully his replacement to piss up a rope. Any PDXer’s want to do some name calling with me send me your email address and we can arrange some wall to wall counseling….doubt any of you big talking internet e-thugs will step up to that plate…but you will continue to bloviate about your pathetic excuse of a mayor.

Comments are closed.