Sam said, "I'm scrambling".
I think that says it all.

Dangerous? I dunno, Bog. That might be kind of a reach.

Sam gets "blind sided" because his ears to the ground (staff) aren't.

His eyes say it all.

I love how Sammy's new chief yesterday was bragging that there had never been an officer involved shooting in SERT under his command. Then BAM, last night, first day of being chief, police had to shoot someone. Though the shooting was justified, I still think it's ironic.

Is it just me, or does he look severely medicated?

He may be a meatball, but he is our meatball.

He definitely has descended to a Dubya-like level of discursive incoherence, but there is reason to believe that began long ago -- remember his televised "ice is slippery" announcement during the `08 snowstorm? His completely bungled state of the city speech a few weeks back?

Perhaps all of his speeches and interview responses should be limited to 140 characters in length, otherwise he just appears even creepier.

The fact that there's no there there?

Most people have an inner self that's likable, dislikable, or a combination or both. But it's intrinsic to their being, and it animates everything they say, every decision they make.

Adams doesn't seem to have that basic human attribute. It's like a missing puzzle piece at the core - which is why the puzzle often doesn't seem to make sense. He always seems to be crafting an answer, not answering a question and checking his questioners' demeanor to see if he's on the right track or needs to adjust.

If you've taken any classes on NLP (interpreting mental processes through eye and facial movements) you'd see that Adams' face pretty much screams "I'm lying." That message comes through loud and clear whether you've had the training or not.

Kevin's thesis has merit. To continue on with it, perhaps it is that very "basic human attribute" that he needs so desperately to hide.

As a result of needing to hide his intrinsic "creepiness," just about everything coming out of his mouth needs to be a lie, which in turn makes him appear more creepy, in the end -- with the shifty eyes, the nonsense chatter, the pants-down afternoon drives around Hayden Island.

When he says he's scrambling to get a budget together he reminds me of my old pals from the partying days. You throw the easy money around on any number of fun adventures, and then suddenly it gets very serious and you're scrambling to make the rent.

His eyes seem dead. Also, it looks like he is listening to a message coming in to tell him how to answer the question. A bug in his ear or in his glass frame linked to Randy maybe?

Dangerous? No. Surrounded by people who are working full-time to shorten his career? Yes.

Kevin, he has those qualities you miss here in other contexts, at other meetings, with other people.

Look at his posture and stance during the whole cheif announcement. He is shifting his weight from side to side. He is looking down every five seconds to read the script. His voice is low, shaky, and lacks authority. He looks dissheveled. Reminds me of some of Elvis' last few sad concerts before...you know..

I suspect he is just pretty uncertain about these decisions. I mean he knew these police problems were serious when he handed all this crap to Saltzmen and Sizer before. He just didn't want to get his own hands dirty and now he pretends to be the adult cleaning it all up. This latest manevuering just seems lame, contrived, and really late. And he is smart enough to know it and lacks the self confidence to bluff his way through it.

Or maybe he's become a drunk, although outside his driving thing I haven't heard anything that might point to that- but he does seem to have gained a fair amount of weight over the last few years.

I had an impromptu, face-to-face, one-on-one conversation with Adams about the PGE Park deal in the lobby of city hall earlier this year, and he lied his ass off, and was just as creepy in person as he is on this video.

And, by the way, Bojack, I worked in a mental hospital back in the 70s, and dealing with passive-aggressive, manipulative, and sociopathic patients turned out to be great training for dealing with politicians and bureaucrats.

I won't poke fun at Sam's demeanor, it's just too damn easy. But...after watching the Oregonian video, who can't be left with the sick feeling that Adams is not only incoherent, but he's outright mumbling about the fact that he did this because he needs to submit a balanced budget? Does this mean he's going to take a hard look at PPB for cuts? Compromising public safety? I've never been a fan of the Saltzman/Sizer duo (especially recently), but if this is strictly a budgetary issue (cough, cough), there are surely hundreds of places Adams could suddenly "find" money...bike infrastructure in particular comes to mind. Obviously.

i immediately thought "crazy role by robin williams guest starring on svu." it might just be the glasses, or maybe it's the same disconnect between his calm exercise of power and the reality that he's got everyone on board toward disaster just to serve his personal agenda.

Look for another even more self destructive event coming soon that will top his open fly crash and burn.

I've heard a few comments over the last days about the inadequacy of Adams staff. To me, it makes perfect sense that someone like this wouldn't surround himself with strong, competent people who could challenge his ideas, or otherwise make him look bad in comparison.

He's a sociopath. Any other sort of person would not be able to enter the 2012 election cycle knowing they would be beaten over the head, day in day out, with the Breedlove scandal. Only a sociopath can lie so convincingly; they actually believe their lies to be true.

He is a cross of Norm Crosby with Richard Nixon.

And then there's the acrid smell of burning pants.

In this video, with the way he sort of bickers, shrugs and looks around with his eyes half closed, he has the demeanor of a resentful teenager. Like he's always being unfairly picked on ("everybody in this room is guilty")and wants to show how indifferent he is to what others think.

I'm no mental health professional either but I would say that in addition to the excessive self-absorption, the calculating disconnectedness and dishonesty that suggest sociopathology, this is also a very, very immature person. A middle-aged man who just can't explain himself to other adults.

As a licensed health care professional, with experience in mental health and substance abuse care and treatment, I observe a person who is medicated/ sedated and is impaired. It would not surprise me if, under the table, his fly was open. Not that he is doing anything, he just isn't aware!
Portland, this isn't a love affair, you are Beau! BOAGYA

Oh that is rich...Sam Adams saying he believes everyone in that room is guilty of racial bias.

Is something weighing on you creepster?

The Peter Principle on full display.

Also, he's so unkempt - I wouldn't want to be in sniffing distance of that hair.

I'm not a mental health expert, just a normal human who has lived enough years to see in this video an impaired, dishonest, and intensely uncomfortable person. If those who worked around Sam for years were not in fear of the type of retribution of which he is capable (and towards which he is inclined) would have spoken up, this all would all have been apparent before his election.

He looks like Jack Nicholson playing a grifter down on his luck.

He looked like he is taking a lot of pills.

Saltzman does for his back and always looks loopey.....but Sam simply looks over anti-depressant or anti-anxietied out.

He has the look of a man who locks his office door and ends it all. That, or ends up on the roof with a quart of scotch, and hostages.

Totally looks like an animated amalgam of white male wrongdoers society mugshots.

I doubt that Sam is dangerous, but he's definitely a psychological mess. I think he has told so many lies to the public over the years that he no longer knows what the truth is, or who he is. Also, he seems strangely disconnected. He's physically in a room with several Oregonian editors and reporters, but emotionally he seems to be somewhere else. If he's this detached and he's not on drugs, now that would be scary.

"Can't put my finger on it"

Watching that video I thought he was the trunk monkey until I realized:

Dean Wormer!!!!!

"Can't put my finger on it"

Can't pay my mortgage, can't deliver a balanced budget on time....

Do we all see a correlation?

Sad and tired is my first impression and depressed...I mean look at that rumpled, wrinkled suit. He has also gained a lot of weight. Those awful glasses don't help him either, they increase the "creepy factor" 100%. I think he's always got the spin on, choosing his words carefully. I really don't see Sam running for a second term. I don't think his mental health will make it that far.

He's basically the more liberal version of W. He's not very intelligent, doesn't articulate himself very clearly and doesn't think on his feet very quickly.

It's ironic that he wants a police chief that's more proactive, when he seems to be so utterly lacking in that department himself. He's never out in front of any issue, but is always reacting, and over-reacting.

Ugh. I wouldn't have ever thought I'd say this, but after the last 24 hours, I'm game for yet another recall campaign.

I wonder how badly he was sweatin' in there - too bad we couldn't see his armpits.

And - were there cue cards on the ceiling?

He does look exhausted - and I suspect more than the police bureau's budget is in shambles - too bad he doesn't have many, if any, adults who can do real math on his staff.

Adams states he did his firing of Sizer and Saltzman because he needed to get "his" budget in. Why didn't the O editorial board note to him that the time line on the budget doesn't have the City Council review until June 17th? And that could even be extended several days. Why not wait until after the primary for his firings?

Adams is a person who is beyond his mental and intellectual abilities to be in the position he is in.

He is an imposture.

Sadly, he knows this. All of his outward, readable details like his quavering voice, forced measured speech, little eye contact, reading his responses in his head before he speaks, his choice of phrases and words, all point to his knowledge of his own inadequacy.

Sam, it's okay to be inadequate in parts of your life and endeavors. You are overreaching and you have discovered this.

Also nice is how justifies the firing by saying that four years is about the average amount of time for a police chief. That's real cute.

"Why didn't the O editorial board note to him that the time line on the budget doesn't have the City Council review until June 17th? And that could even be extended several days. Why not wait until after the primary for his firings?"

How's he supposed to manipulate an election by waiting until *after* it?

I always thought an O interview was more than just letting someone pontificate and not have followup questions, or even a few good insightful first questions. They certainly have done that a few times for other people asked to come in and meet the editorial board. Let's be equal and fair, O.

But then I noticed some of the video was edited, so maybe they did ask followup questions-but probably not because that would be even more insightful and the O would want that to be shown-maybe?