I couldn't believe the video. Not even a "no comment". I know that he's thrown at least one public dart toward President Bush for refusing to answer to the citizens on the war... and now we see Ted taking a page from the same playbook. Sad.

It's really sad. And to think this was the state attorney general, and on the state Supreme Court. Some other state government gigs, too. Mostly thanks to Neil, to whom he was loyal right up to the end.

In the old days, there'd be someone from Gard & Gerber helping him out behind the scenes now with the damage control. It doesn't look like that's happening any more.

I'm sure by the end of the week, he'll pull out "There's an investigation pending, and so I can't comment until that investigation is over." But at the moment, he's not thinking straight. He looks like he's living out a nightmare, and it may well be one of his own making.

People don't like liars.

Can anybody make out what he said as he left the stage? What an embarrassment for the rest of the platform.

I'm sure the Toad has his supporters..those managers that got 24% hikes in pay and from those that got 11%+ , also. This isn't the first time he has stomped his feet and had a temper tantrum. He was abysmal as Attorney General and a buffoon on the Supreme court...Can anyone remember an opinion he wrote?

It was interesting watching Frontline last night on the same pressure play with torture and our civil rights vs Dick C's loyal favorites, followers, and friends list. The problem is in the cultural acceptance of this crap, and the line-up of folks ready to sell their souls for power, and look the other way rather than stand up to it.

Maybe he could be hired for managing the Goldschmidt sustainability department. THAT would have to be a well paying, full time, PERS enhanced position!

I can't believe you all are buying into this scam Lars Larson has got going for him. All he's trying to do is chip away at the Democratic strength we have in this state. The Dems are good on all the issues currently facing Oregonians and the GOP is now in complete disarray and falling apart. Lars is using this little stunt to try and diminish the hard work that was accomplished in the last legislative session. Lars disgusts me as he should everyone else!

WOW!! hell must be frozen over.. Local media actually asking a politition a tough question? Where were they on the tram,max or sowhat boondogles

In an interview with Bob Miller this morning the reporter who asked the question said that they had been trying to arrange for a brief interview with the gov for several days but his staff had stated there was no time at all (not even a couple minutes) in the schedule for the forseeable future. Hence the ambush nature of the interchange and TK's response.

At least our governor is getting good experience and I predict that he will enjoy the fruits of an appointment in the next presidential administration. Given our cutting edge reputation and his political lineage, Secretary of Transportation would seem appropriate.

Good one DW!
Translation:

I don't care what Goldschmidt did or what Kulongoski knew. I can't believe you all are care either. I hate Lars Larson. Don't you? Isn't that more important? All that matters is increasing the Democratic strength we have in this state. The Dems are good for Oregonians and the GOP is bad. Let's all make this about that disgusting Lars and forget about whatever Neil and Ted did or knew.

I saw the TV clip on KGW-TV's 11:00 P.M. News Show last night. What an embarassment Ted has become. The right thing to do would be to simply tell the truth and resign from office. But Ted lacks the morals to do the right thing. And that's just simply sad in a man in his position.

Worst...governor ...ever.

"It's really sad. And to think this was the state attorney general, People don't like liars." Posted by Jack Bog

.... and then...

"Lars disgusts me as he should everyone else!" Posted by DW
------------

I agree with Jack and also don't disagree with DW. In other words, I can not like liars and also dislike Lars. They are not mutually exclusive, although the Kulo strategy seems to dismiss the charges because of the Lars linkage.

The bottom line: A former Kulo staffer has sworn under oath and via a lie detector that Kulo has lied to the press and public. That is a similar charge that we have against Bernie, ie an ethics complaint.

Bottom line: Kulo has to come clean with "What did he know, and when did he know it". And it has to jive somewhat with what his former staffer has said. Right now, it appears that there is a big gulf between the two people's memory of what was said and when.

Ignoring the question will only make matters worse. The Ethics complaint is out there. A State Bar complaint will also come. This is only the beginning (of the end?) of this saga.

I can only assume that if Bill Sizemore filed the complaint it would be immediately disregarded by many because it was Bill?

I predict the Bar Association will give Kulongoski a pass on this.

Even if what Fred Leonhardt says is true, there is a world of difference between Bernie Giusto's situation and the Governor's.

Leonhardt says he heard the Goldschmidt story from Giusto and that Giusto asserted it was true. Leonhardt passed the story on to Kulongoski as an unsubstantiated rumor.

Ted violated no legal or ethical rules by failing to report an unsubstantiated rumor. The complaint about him now is that he claims he doesn't remember hearing the rumor at all.

For this, people want a major investigation? A sanction? A resignation?

Don't we have some real issues out there that need our attention?

Thanks for the link Jack.

While I sometimes violently disagree with Lars Larson, it would seem that this is some serious stuff to throw down regardless of when or why he does it.

Fan or not, if the Governor (and Supreme Court Justice and Attorney General and and and...) knew something about this and didn't say ANYTHING that is some serious misdirection or straight up lying (lie of omission or otherwise). If it is that outrageous and that unfounded then why won't he strenuously deny it? Or even say "I can't comment on a current investigation"? If he at least did that then I could entertain the possibility this is all trumped up. But flouncing off the platform like that, well that was not the flounce of an innocent man.

Actually, The Zero's Steve Duin should get credit for suggesting that someone should press Kulo about the rape.

I also think Kulo should have at least did some tertiary research if/when he heard about the rumor. Investigations work off tips all the time.

The complaint about him now is that he claims he doesn't remember hearing the rumor at all.

No, that's not what he said. He didn't claim he couldn't remember. He clearly said that he never heard the rumor.

"He didn't claim he couldn't remember. He clearly said that he never heard the rumor."

That's hair-splitting. If I forget something that someone told me, and nearly ten years later someone else tells me the same thing, I'm likely to say, "I didn't know that."

I'm not lying. I just forgot.

No, Jack, you've got it wrong. If you would click the link, you would read what your old nemesis actually said:

"I have never heard a rumor about a sexual abuse of a 14-year-old child. I never heard that. No one has ever told me that."

He said it three times. Please stop mischaracterizing it.

This is so moving to see how Neil has touched so many lives - some thru unwanted contact and some thru greasy fingerprints.

Maybe when Ted falls out of Neil's lap and starts to walk without strings, he can be a man and merely answer questions directly.

If you're a Republican, you get thrown in jail for perjury for failing to remember a conversation.

First of all, Ted was never my nemesis. I didn't get far enough in the election process for him to become my nemesis.

Second, there are three possible explanations for Ted's statement: (1) he's telling the truth; (2) he's lying; or (3) he didn't remember being told.

After the fact, it seems incredible that anyone could forget hearing something like that, but that's mostly because we now know it to have been true. At the time, there was no evidence supporting the rumor and the fact is that (at least in 1994) Giusto was saying this was going to break in the Oregonian any day, which turned out to be false.

Ironically, Ted is now getting blamed for answering the question directly instead of covering himself with the typical weasel-words, "To the best of my recollection . . . " or "As near as I can recall . . ."

As it is, I happen to believe Fred Leonhardt's story but I don't think this is any basis to go after Ted, no matter whose nemesis he happens to be.

Ted just needs to answer the damn question. However he chooses to answer it. Angrily walking away waving his hands isn't the answer. An answer is the answer. Whatever it is.

Jack R.: You're digging yourself a deeper hole with every comment. "Ted is now getting blamed for answering the question directly." No, he's getting blamed for lying (allegedly).

And you have left at least one disparaging comment about Ted on this blog, hence the "nemesis" label.

BTW, when did YOU first hear the rumor?

If leaving at least one negative comment on your blog makes someone my nemesis, then I guess you're my nemesis, too. :-)

As for me, I first heard the rumor when Willamette Week put it on their website. But if I had heard it earlier, I would not necessarily have believed it, particularly if the ultimate source was Bernie Giusto.

Jack Roberts: My personal issue with this is that he flat out refuses to address it. Even blowing off the press with some sort of no comment/active investigation BS is better than how he handled it yesterday, don't you think?

His erratic behavior bespeaks guilt.

What if all three of these big, powerful white men, Ted, Bernie and Fred, were as drunk as we think they were at that swanky holiday party ten or 20 years ago?

Then all bets are off.

Maybe Neil was high the whole time, too. Let's give him a free pass while you're at it.

If Ted truly knew nothing, he would have forcefully said so when asked. His conscience is bothering him, and I am holding out hope that he will come clean. I think he will be forgiven, if he does.

I agree with Len.

The fact set for Guisto to refuse to leave office if he loses his "certification" would be much more interesting, for case law purposes.