Ted's testy (Jack Bog's Blog)

In an interview on KGW-TV in which he reportedly became "testy," Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has denied that ever heard that former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt had had sex with a 14-year-old girl while he was mayor of Portland. This flatly contradicts what Fred Leonhardt, a former Goldschmidt speechwriter, has told The Oregonian -- that he had talked with Kulongoski about the rumors several times many years ago.

"I have never heard a rumor about a sexual abuse of a 14-year-old child," [Kulongoski] said. "I never heard that. No one has ever told me that." ...
Kulongoski also said Leonhardt has "told so many people so many things, he's confused who he told and what he told to them."

"The reality is he didn't find the link to all of these things until May 6, when he read it in the Oregonian like I did," he said.

Kulongoski said Leonhardt spoke about many rumors that "some of them are just ridiculous.?\"

Among the rumors was that Goldschmidt had an illegitimate child. Kulongoski said he never asked Goldschmidt about the rumor.

"I did not ever ask. That is something I would never ask anybody," Kulongoski said.

What an oddly vague and weak denial. And now a new rumor! Media hounds, get going! Where is the illegitimate child?

Comments (5)

Strangely, when the abuse story broke, nearly everyone I talked to about it said they'd heard that rumor for years on end. Given how ubiquitous the rumor seems to have been, it's statistically unlikely that Kulongoski had never heard it.

Posted by The One True b!X | June 17, 2004 6:52 PM

Phil Stanford's column is delish today.

But if "oddly vague and weak" aren't the summary points of the Governor's persona, I hardly know what is.

Posted by Sally | June 18, 2004 11:24 AM

Oh poor baby! Gov. Teddy can't take the heat of being publicly available to answer questions. He's aiding and abbeting and should seriously consider resigning. He's in office representing the public. If the public wants to know what he knew about the pedofile, he should answer the questions...

Posted by Jason | June 18, 2004 2:57 PM

If Kulongoski knew about the rumor, he should say so. This was, until recently, a rumor after all, and his decisions and actions should not have been dictated by rumors. Hundreds of our finest soldiers died in Iraq because of some rumors.

Posted by Yi Hu | June 18, 2004 9:08 PM

"If Kulongoski knew about the rumor, he should say so. This was, until recently, a rumor after all, and his decisions and actions should not have been dictated by rumors. Hundreds of our finest soldiers died in Iraq because of some rumors."

One thing for sure that it appears Kulongoski should do: hire you!

Posted by Sally | June 19, 2004 11:49 AM

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Thursday, June 17, 2004

Ted's testy

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