What is Kroger waiting for? (Jack Bog's Blog)

With 62 days to go before a formal recall effort against Portland's mayor can begin, the state's criminal investigation into his sexual relationship with a teenaged boy -- and possibly other, related matters -- continues. It's been going on for more than three months. What is taking so long?

Certainly it doesn't take more than three months to collect all the evidence about what went on, in the City Hall men's room and elsewhere, between the mayor and his underage or barely legal boyfriend. Is the investigation expanding into more issues? Is the announcement of the outcome being timed for tactical advantage?

Certainly Attorney General John Kroger is a politically savvy fellow, with ambitions beyond his current, already lofty office. It does not seem likely that he would bring a he-said-he-said case against the mayor, or litigate the issue of whether tongue-kissing alone is "sex." Regardless of the criminal statutes, however, he could write a scathing report on various mayoral misdeeds that would be eminently quotable in a TV recall campaign ad.

It's stunning that Kroger already holds the power of political life and death over the mayor of Portland. It will be interesting indeed to see what he does with it, and when.

Comments (15)

Has it occurred to anyone else that Creepy wouldn't go quietly and has let people know that?

I mean there's no telling what he could spill if he faces a successful career ending recall and get pissed.

It's entirely plausible, in this naysayers opinion, that Creepy has let it be known that he better have enough support to remain, or he'll be taking down a few others and the web they enjoy as he leaves.

Some of those threatened by the idea of a Creepy loose cannon may be well connected to Kroger and others.
Easy it would be for them to pitch to Kroger the need to avoid a collapse of the stabilizing power structure during these unstable economic times.
It would then so seem like the right thing to do.
For the taxpaying public's own good.

And in this regard, maybe Creepy is too big to fail?

Posted by Chicago, Oregon | April 29, 2009 5:45 PM

I think when push comes to shove people with money won't cross Adams and his defense will be much better funded than the recall effort. Sucky but true.

Posted by Snards | April 29, 2009 6:07 PM

A government of men or laws?

Posted by Mister Tee | April 29, 2009 6:16 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYYczqJZjFg

Posted by Brian Morisky | April 29, 2009 7:08 PM

I voted for Mr Kroger, sad to say I have lost all hope in his pursuing the mis-deeds of your mayor.

Posted by Jerry | April 29, 2009 8:13 PM

The answer might be here (scroll down to paragraph 2). Or not.

http://wweek.com/editorial/3524/12477/

Posted by A Hopeful | April 29, 2009 8:51 PM

Nah.

Posted by Jack Bog | April 29, 2009 8:56 PM

While you wait and listen to the "Jeopardy" theme play on a constant loop, for some insight read Chapter Five of "Convictions" by John Kroger: "The Human Factor"

An excerpt:

"To this day I have no idea whether or not I made the right decision in Dora's case. I will always be glad that I began my career by erring, if err I did, on the side of trust, compassion, and empathy. I am also sure, however, that if I had faced the same case years later, after hearing hundreds of defendants tell bullshit stories, I almost certainly would have indicted her.

Posted by Mojo | April 29, 2009 9:50 PM

Chicago,

You may be on to something, but I am hoping that Kroger will see that we need the web, which I once heard as a house of cards held together with crazy glue, to collapse, in order to even speak about some of the worst systematic problems in the state. I feel confident Kroger is smart enough to move beyond the role of "player" fairly quickly. I think the public will love him more as an intellectual super hero.

Posted by Cynthia | April 29, 2009 9:55 PM

I think they are all tied to the Goldschmidt cabal, and he is waiting orders. Nobody gets elected to higher office in this city/state without the "gold" blessing.

Posted by Jon | April 29, 2009 10:24 PM

Chicago-- Would that be a bad thing if he took more fools down with him? Portland politics are a complete mess and a national joke. I wouldn't mind an overhaul of City Hall.

Posted by Brian | April 30, 2009 6:10 AM

Lets talk reality here, Kroger nails Sam...we get Randy.

Then the nightmare continues,what a F-BOMB,for us all then..140,000 Dollar crappers, Merritt/MSL/ hotels we can't fill for maybe three years/ bigger union control...SAM HAS TO BE RECALLED, there must be a message sent or, we really then can only complain here, and never get a pothole filled on Holgate.

Posted by Jack Peek | April 30, 2009 9:15 AM

On OPB's "Think Out Loud" the other morning, Kroger was asked a couple of times about the investigation (at the end of the episode). After giving the usual spiel about being "tight-lipped" on criminal investigations and wanting to do a "very thorough" investigation when asked when the investigation would wrap up, the host summarized some questions about protocols on potential conflicts of interest (mentioning a shared political consultant). He said he didn't think he had a conflict.

He wouldn't even comment about whether he was directly involved in the investigation, which just seems fishy.

Posted by darrelplant | April 30, 2009 10:40 AM

"He wouldn't even comment about whether he was directly involved in the investigation, which just seems fishy."

I'm not so sure. He can't very well answer some questions about the investigation and not answer others; if he does, the absence of an answer in and of itself becomes revealing.

Posted by John | April 30, 2009 8:44 PM

And now for more on the story:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/04/mayor_sam_adams_beau_breedlove.html

Posted by PDX Native | May 1, 2009 12:59 AM

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

What is Kroger waiting for?

Comments (15)

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