Duin: Can either candidate for Portland mayor be trusted?
When I asked Hales about the taping Thursday, he called it "a misunderstanding between our campaign manager (Evyn Mitchell) and the lobbying group.
"She records all my joint appearance and speeches on her iPhone. She apologized, and I think that's the end of it."
That's a revealing defense on a number of levels.
As Moore stated flatly Friday, "This was no misunderstanding. We had clear ground rules. We were frank with everyone. We said, 'This is confidential.'"
Secondly, Hales suggests the taping was a defensive maneuver -- the traditional documentation of his remarks -- even though his campaign immediately went on the offensive with the recording, leaking a segment in which Smith volunteered a solution to the city's pothole problems that would annoy the laborers' union.
Finally, Hales was happy to blame his 27-year-old campaign manager rather than take responsibility for the screw-up.
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Posted on Sept. 08, 2012
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connect with blueoregon
7:51 a.m.
Sep 10, '12
Well, if you mean can they be trusted to listen to the public, I'd say about as much as Mayor Sam and Commissioner Randy on the recent fluoridation issue. Most cities I've lived in keep the hand of oligarchy well hidden. Not Portland. Oligarchy is in your face, always. I suspect that Charlie and Jefferson, either one, will settle right into the closed-world City Hall mold.