Put up or shut up, Mr. Jordan

By Sid Leader of Portland, Oregon. Sid is currently a middle school teacher in Portland, and was previously a Supervising Producer for CNN, working in Atlanta, New York and overseas.

Last weekend, the Oregonian ran a story that said the head of the FBI field office threatened Mayor Tom Potter not once, but twice, with a deep background check before the Feds would let the Mayor on the joint FBI-Portland Police Terrorism task force.

When Mayor Potter told the FBI's Robert Jordan that he could stand up to any FBI background check (since he was our police chief, for gosh sakes), Jordan refused to back down and threatened Potter again!

I have one thing to say to the FBI. If you have something, anything, on Mayor Potter, prove it. Otherwise, shut up, because as President Bush says, these are dangerous times and people should watch their mouths.

Remember Brandon Mayfield, Mr. Jordan? The quiet Beaverton dad you "gangstered" and fingered (wrongly) as a terrorist?

We do. So do your bosses.

  • Tim (unverified)
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    I’m getting real tired of the media having this whole proxy debate between the FBI and the Mayor’s office and going nowhere with it, so I’ll give you a good reason why mayor Potter should think twice about wanting to be interviewed for top secret clearance: He drives drunk. Saw him out in SE in his hybrid on a Friday or Saturday evening around the end of January. He wasn’t totally wasted, just swerving and driving too slow, but he was drunk. How can I be sure? When I met Potter at a house party last fall he had the same alcoholic’s nose that my grandfather had in the period of time before he killed himself and another driver in a drunk wreck on a California highway. I teach for a living, and I make sure that I tell my kids how to spot drunk drivers for their own safety. I know what drunks look like. I wouldn’t trust somebody who can’t stay sober enough to drive. I doubt the Feds will either. Sorry Mayor Potter, you need a program, not super-secret clearance.

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    Editor's Note: Tim's allegation above is an explosive one. I've emailed him privately and asked him to post his last name and what city he lives in so that others may follow up and verify his allegation.

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    Uh huh. And I bet you could tell by the videotape that Terri Shiavo wasn't in a persistent vegetative state too.

    What do you suppose Charles Jordan is holding over Bill Frist's head to get him to post on BlueOregon?

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    I received this email from Tim:

    Dear Kari, My name is Tim Santos and yes, I live in the Portland area. I want to apologize in advance if my comments cause you or your readers inconvenience. When I posted my initial comment this afternoon I did not think it was going to be “explosive.” The article that I responded to simply pushed the right 9or wrong) buttons in me and I banged out an emotial response. I think it is clear from my comment how little tolerance I have for drunk drivers. The mayor is no exception. I have spoken to my wife and she is understandibly upset at me and my big mouth. She wants nothing to do with anyone wanting more information from us regarding what we saw that night. As such neither of us will respond to anyone contacting us for more information. I do however understand the need to back up what I have said so as not to throw around unsubstatiated accusations. In this case, there is little more that I can say beyond what I have already. It was a Friday or Saturday night at the end of January that my wife and I saw Mayor Potter driving a toyota Prius off of Powell on 39th. He was swerving and driving just under the speed limit, my wife and I both recognized him as we passed his car. Potter had on that half glassed over/trying too hard to concentrate look on his face that was a dead give away. End of story. If somebody wants more proof they will have to look elsewere. But people who drink and drive typically make a habit of it. I’ll bet we’re not the only people in Portland to have seen what we saw. Regards Tim

    ...and then a follow-up email...

    Kari, I should have mentioned that you can share my last email with your readers if you think it appropriate. -Tim
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    A real response in honor of Tim dropping his anonymity:

    Tim, if you see someone behind the wheel who you believe is driving impaired, the appropriate response is to call 911 as soon as possible.

    I too am very concerned about the problem of drunk driving. People I love have suffered terribly because of drunk drivers. I've personally called 911 several times to report drivers I thought must be either under the influence, too tired tired to drive safely or having a medical problem.

    That approach has many advantages over posting a comment in a blog months after the fact:

    If you are mistaken about the cause of the behavior you have witnessed, you will not have libeled an innocent person.

    If your interpretation of what you have seen is correct, you will give the police a chance to take a dangerous driver off the road and maybe even get him or her some help.

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