Charlie Hales' city experience carries successes and shadows

Oregonian:

Hales is a 56-year-old known commodity who brings mostly positive reviews from his last go-round in city leadership but also a few enemies. He must wrestle with the perception -- reinforced by his button-down shirts, his Eastmoreland Tudor and his 44-foot sailboat -- that he's the establishment candidate without the of-the-people conscience or charisma of opponent Jefferson Smith, 39.

"Charlie is serious about the job. He has done the job," said former Mayor Vera Katz, backing Hales in the Nov. 6 election. "He understands how the city works."

Another view?

"If your principles are always decided by the next election you're running for, I think you become ineffective and people recognize it and they don't want to deal with you," said Commissioner Randy Leonard, a Smith supporter, who hasn't forgotten run-ins back when Leonard led the fire union and Hales oversaw the Fire Bureau.

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