Thursday, February 19, 2009

Sen. Wyden's Stimulus Meeting: Was Sam Invited?

Senator Wyden was in town on Monday and held a meeting to discuss the impact of the federal stimulus plan on Oregon. Invited were local leaders, including all of the usual city hall suspects. Missing, however, was the mayor. It's not clear, at least according to any source I've yet found, whether Wyden intentionally didn't invite Sam Adams, or if Adams received an invitation but declined. The Oregonian's article implies heavily that Sam wasn't invited because Sen. Wyden wanted to avoid "distractions".

So what's the reason behind Mayor Adams's absence? I called Senator Wyden's office in DC for and answer and was referred to his Portland office, who does his scheduling. I've put in a message with the staffer who will have an answer and expect to hear back in a day or so. I'll keep you posted.

Why does this matter? Because Senator Wyden is a powerful and influential representative of our state. He has publicly stated his strong disapproval of Mayor Adams's actions relating to his relationship with Beau Breedlove, but has also withheld further comments, including his support or lack thereof, until the attorney general's investigation is conducted. We want Wyden to support our mayor and to work with him. A deliberate snub on the senator's part is not productive or in keeping with what's best for our city, especially when the economy is teetering on the brink of disaster.

What's a bigger distraction: inviting the beleaguered mayor to the meeting (ie., moving on), or not inviting him and raising eyebrows at the omission?

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