Portland's bizarre mayor knows how to do as he's told. Now David Bragdon of Metro, a key player in the old boy network, is publicly in love with Sam over the latter's impressive leadership on the Interstate 5 bridge deal. Oh yeah, things are going swimmingly:

[O]ther questions facing the project... include whether the current proposed design is workable. It calls for enclosing a light rail line, bicycle path and pedestrian walkway in a open-sided box beneath the motor vehicle lanes. Panel Chairman Tom Warne called the design unique, saying no such bridge of this length has ever been built before. Warne, a civil engineer, said more study and testing must be done to prove the design will work.

Anyway, the old boys all love the Tramster when he's so easy. Handing over Hayden Island for a serious paving job at the hands of the other network cabal, running the Port of Portland, is doubtlessly part of the deal that has earned the mayor his latest gold star from the Arlington Club set. I remember when the Beau Breedlove scandal blew and they stood behind him in the City Hall lobby. Many Neilies were there, protecting their fragile investment.

The Bragdon-Adams love fest is eerily reminiscent of Fireman Randy's glowing testimonial to the mayor when Sam ditched the police chief and installed Randy's pick, Mike Reese, in the job back in May. "Skilled leadership," when you do what Randy wants.