We took a rare look at the hard copy edition of the O this morning, and were a little surprised to see this (without the photo) on the front page of the Metro section. We couldn't help but think, "Don't they have anything better to write about?"

We were also a little dismayed that they made it out to look as though we disapprove of Mary Nolan's ACLU track record. Actually, we don't disapprove -- she's got more backbone on those issues than, say, the President or Senator Wyden. What the O completely glossed over was the real reason we're skeptical of Nolan -- and we'll re-post it here just so there's no missing it:

But what troubles us is her connections, and those of her husband, Mark Gardiner. Nolan's been a City Hall insider in past careers, and she has the Old Money that controls Portland fully in her corner. Moreover, she's hired the consummate local political fixer, Mark Wiener, who will do what it takes to rub out Nurse Amanda. Not an attractive package.

Gardiner, meanwhile, has so many strikes against him that it's hard to know where to start. He owned part of the "private" side of the doomed public-private partnership that led to the city's disastrous 2001 renovation of what is now Jeld-Wen Field (then PGE Park). When last we checked, the city's taxpayers were still holding a $24.7 million bag on that one -- and that's before you count the additional eight figures (plus rent holiday) handed to new sports huckster Little Lord Paulson. Gardiner ran the finances at City Hall when Neil Goldschmidt, an early endorser of Nolan in politics, was mayor. Since then, Gardiner was one of the members of the Oregon Investment Council, sitting next to Goldschmidt's wife as they funnelled public money to pals like the Texas Pacific Group. And Gardiner served as a "business advisor" to Peter Kohler and OHSU in connection with the catastrophic SoWhat District, its aerial tram, and its false promises of thousands of high-tech jobs.

It's funny that the O went checking the truth of a background factual assertion that we relayed neutrally, and ignored the actual criticism that we made. Whatever. It's nice to know they're paying at least some attention.