Speaking of WWeek timing, was it them who won the Pulitzer for reporting how Goldschmidt slept with his 14 y/o baby sitter just days after the statute of limitations ran out?

Ah, come on, college in the early 1990’s, lots of people shoving white powder up their noses, no story here.

The latest from WW....

"Jefferson Smith is holding a 3 pm press conference in Terry Schrunk Plaza, presumably in response to today's WW report that he was cited in 1993 for misdemeanor assault in an incident involving a woman.

The conference was scheduled to be held in front of City Hall, but had to be moved because the TV series Portlandia is doing a shoot on the location."

http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-29264-jefferson_smith_press_conference_the_liveblog.html

I guess if there's one word to capture the essence of Jeff Smith, "striking" would be as good as eny.

Live stream of the presser here: http://www.kgw.com/live-stream

What a tire fire of a mayoral race

But...there is picture on the WW blog site of Jeffy and a puppy!
So I guess it's all OK now...or there was no opportune baby available.
Naturally Portlandia would be filming at City Hall!
Write in Fred Armiston for Mayor!

I can't stand Nutsy, but this incident has absolutely zero relevance in terms of his qualification for public office. If it happened as described, he essentially defended himself from an assault by an angry drunk, and if she got slightly injured in the process then it's on her, not him. It's not like he punched her in the face with a closed fist. Maybe there is more to the story than what they state in the article. Of course it always looks bad when the cops show up and there's a young woman standing there with blood streaming down her face and the person who did it is a well muscled 6'4" male.

Of course if he didn't mention it on his application for his bar license way back when, then that is a different story altogether because I think you have to disclose arrests. Also if he did 20 hours of community service, was it a diversion of some sort as opposed to a conviction? I find it interesting that the whole thing has been scrubbed from the public records database, but it comes up into the news cycle late in the election. Wienered indeed.

Does this mean Mayor Hales is a vote in favor of fluoridation, or are they separate Weiner Contracts?

There has been some discussion about whether Jefferson is a sociopathic or psychopathic personality. (The literature often uses these terms interchangeably.) If so, it probably wouldn’t affect his fan base. I could see his denial-drenched supporters rushing forward to argue, “So what?” They’d probably say that even if it’s true, psychopathic personalities can sometimes be very effective leaders.

Who knows but Jefferson Smith scores well on the checklist. In one speech posted on YouTube, he made a joke about a blind horse that I felt had that “cruelty to animals” vibe so prevalent in this type. Really. It also violated another rule of comedy: Don’t make fun of a horse, if you lack horse sense yourself.

I believe the picture of the puppy is a photographic cover story. The caption might as well be, "Don't even think I'm a psychopathic personality - look, I have a puppy!" He's learned to hug the puppy to hide the truth about himself. That's just my opinion.

A few other things to remember: David Wu's incident was also long ago and he turned out great, except for the tiger suit and the other weird stuff.

My main response to the voters is this: Do not let this long ago incident distract you from what an incredible jerk Jefferson Smith still is today. That would be missing the point.

Well, at least he didn't punch her in the nuts.

How often do people make restitution and perform community service for protecting themselves against an attack from an angry drunk? The story simply does not make sense without some additional detail that would explain why you would settle/plea/confess under the circumstances as described.

How is it possible that we ended up with these choices for mayor. Can we write in "none of the above"? It's much easier to spell!

"Can we write in "none of the above"? It's much easier to spell!"

If you are going to do a write in vote, write in LaVonne Griffin-Valade. At least you are voting for someone as opposed to letting them win by default.

"My main response to the voters is this: Do not let this long ago incident distract you from what an incredible jerk Jefferson Smith still is today. That would be missing the point." -Bill McDonald

Exactly! I was attempting to write this myself, but Bill writes it perfectly.

I was at the presser . My reasoning? Everyone slows down to look at the wreck. My reaction? Is was just plain weird. So, for Portland, that works.

Here in Nevada we have a "none of the above" voting option. Maybe you folks in Oregon might want to put such a Measure on the Statewide Ballot. If it passed, you could eliminate a lot of jerks from the political process.

Why would they interview Nutsy's daddy? Was he at the party??

I can't respect a man who assaults a woman. What a piece of s**t.

Not that it's going to happen-but if Smith were to pull out of the race, would there be another primary?

Please forgive me. I mean no ill will. I live outside the boundaries of the Rose City but can't help taking notice. You folks are SO SCREWED either way in this mayoral election and considering the landscape of the city council..well...Go By Streetcar. So sorry and Merry Christmas.

I'm really curious about him doing community service as part of his private settlement with the unnamed woman. Community service is generally under the jurisdiction of the judicial system is it not? I suppose one could do one's own version of it - but who oversaw it? Maybe that's how the Bus Project got conceived.

Maybe we ought to just start calling the WW, The Char-Lie Chronicle-Picayune.

What Bill said.

With these minor skeletons and 'scandals' that fizzle out rapidly, I feel like we'd get a Mayor Quimby-like character out of electing Smith (minus the Boston accent), further moving our town towards being a surreal, crunchy Springfield. We already have our monorail in the form of the Eastside streetcar...

And what Bill said!

I think you all would be fools not to vote for this guy. He has got to be more entertaining and less of a danger than Hales, and you may as well keep Portland government fun to watch.

If the cops were called, how come no one was cited for underage drinking? Especially if an assault was involved. Smith was 20 at the time. Too much just doesn't add up.

What I don't get is how you had to do community service if you didn't do anything wrong. And "I can't remember if she got stitches"? Complete and total bullpuckey.

Yeah, the community service angle is what seems odd to me as well. I wonder if the student in question might have filed a grievance against Jefferson with the U of O (since they were both students at the time), which would be adjudicated by a university committee/office, not the courts. Community service often *is* a sanction handed down by those offices, so my guess is that the student filed a grievance against him with U of O, and that's where the community service came from.

As somebody well-acquainted on multiple levels with the Lane County justice system's treatment of college students, this sounds like a standard diversion agreement - complete some community service, stay out of trouble for a while, and the charges get dropped.

The police may well have decided that a girl with a bloody nose was more important than ticketing underage drinkers, or maybe the booze was just put away before they got there.

This is boring. The New York bar thing is interesting. I hope we hear more about it.

If the cops were called, how come no one was cited for underage drinking?

It was 1993, and Eugene.

Wonder if while he was holding her by the wrists during the fracas, he head-butted her? Too bad there won't be a debate event with Char-Lie, he could head-rebut him.

It was 1993, and Eugene.

I get that. But in my experience - which is admittedly not with college students in Eugene 20 years ago - when there's another punishable offense, especially one like a physical assault, the drinking gets cited as well. Cops tend to pile on every imaginable offense possible when they have to go to the trouble of charging a person. Perhaps they don't for the well connected kids.

Underage drinking two decades ago is the least of Smith's many problems, at any rate. Take a look at the side effects of most ADHD drugs.

I am a person diagnosed with ADD, I don't medicate because I found the drugs' side-effects annoying (but not something to be scared of)

I want to ask you ex-bartender: Smith is on record as saying that he is helped by his meds....you'd agree that's a GOOD thing not a shameful thing right? Would you rather he go unmedicated and have the negative impact of ADHD on his performance as mayor? Which side ADHD side-effects are of concern to you?

From Wikipedia ADHD medication side effects: "Adderal side effects include dizziness, nervousness, headache and weight loss, as well as faster heartbeat combined with lower blood pressure. In addition, note reports, taking too much Adderall medicine initially, could make attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms worse....Stimulant medications also decrease appetite in some people, leading to weight loss, and this effect is more common with mixed amphetamine salts than methylphenidate[15] or atomoxetine. Changes in vision have been reported with both Adderall and methylphenidate....As noted above, other potential side effects in adults include insomnia, headaches, increased muscle tension, irritability, and anxiety.[17]

Sorry, forgot to add that ADD is rampant in my family tree...my son is ADD and prescribed Adderal and my daughter is ADHD. Add to that my siblings and their kids so I'm genuinely interested in what you can share about the meds.

nice spin

I have also been diagnosed with ADHD Bingo. And I also choose not to use medication - although it does indeed help me to focus on certain tasks - because of the side effects. Most ADHD medicine is speed, pure and simple. And while that Wikipedia entry (obviously written by Big Pharma with its hugely untapped market for new adult ADHD patients) certainly doesn't advertise them much, the symptoms to which I'm referring include "increased muscle tension, irritability, and anxiety," that "could make attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms worse." Which, if you've ever had the displeasure of dealing with coke or meth heads, you'd know is a euphemistic way of describing a tweaker.

I have no idea if Smith is on the stimulant type of meds or how they affect him. But someone stated earlier that his behavior at this party shouldn't be surprising because it was college in the early 90's and ya know, cocaine. Since we're speculating about Smith's underlying personality disorders, I'd submit that his behavior could also be explained by abuse of legal amphetamines, based upon my own experiences with that white powder back in the day, as well as my more recent ones with Adderall. Busting someone in the nuts when you're 40 isn't normal behavior, no matter what the Bus kids contend.

If you've been diagnosed Bingo, you know there is no physical test for ADHD and there is no hard and fast rule for dosing. It is all self-reported. When my provider let me call the shots as far as how much Adderall I felt I needed, I realized how dangerous it could be. Stimulants help everyone focus - for a time. And then they become less effective and require a bigger dosage, as any crack head will tell you. Being on them for any length of time - and Smith has purportedly been on them for 20 years - has to have an effect on a person. You, Big Pharma, and the ADHD industry might disagree, but my considerable experience tells me differently.

Way back when Smith's many troubles first started to come to light, it pissed me off that he used his ADHD as an excuse for his immaturity, flightiness and propensity for blowing off important tasks. Medication is but one one - and the easiest at that - in the arsenal of tools available to those of us whose lives are affected by ADHD. The hardest one is self control. And it's obvious to most of us that Smith doesn't think that's a big deal.

I don't like Smith for the numerous "jerk" reasons Bill has illuminated. But I don't know of any reports of 'roid rage' type stories about ADHD meds. And I personally wouldn't say meds are him taking the easy way - that's a personal decision he has made based on his experience and his brain chemistry. Ex-Bartender, you rightly can bring up your personal med experience but to be fair I think you can be only speaking for yourself.

Anecdotally regarding anger management ADHD meds have helped people I know (youth) to have longer fuses and have more control over emotional outbursts. Maybe it's what is keeping Smith from going totally postal.

So yes, I think he's a dick and will/would be a disaster as Mayor but I don't look down at him for taking meds if they help him and he can handle the twitchy side-effects. I'm actually jealous - I wish I could meds them to moderate my ADD (I don't have the H part). Instead I rely on systems, lists, lots of alarms and timers to keep me on track...but those are just different tools that I make work for me. Smith probably uses them too...

My ADD diagnosis (10 yrs ago) used questionnaires from my friends and spouse in addition to my GP and a qualified psychiatrist. I scored at the top of the scale but couldn't handle any of the 6 or 8 meds we tried. I've recently heard of a new med called Intuniv that is non-stimulative. We'll see...Cheers!

As Dan alluded to, it's interesting the way the events are reported one would think Smith was a peacemaking victim of the whole thing, yet he comes out of it owing community service and has to pay her medical bills. This res of story has been heavily withheld.

I think you misunderstand Bingo. I don't "look down" on anyone for taking meds for ADD/ADHD - I took them myself for a time and I know they are very effective for some. But I do think stimulants are over prescribed, under monitored, frequently abused, and probably should not be used long term. I personally feel they should be used only until a person is stabilized and has enough focus to learn other coping strategies such as those that you and I both utilize (lists, reminders, routine, etc.)

My point was that maybe Smith ISN'T handling the side effects. Which, despite the way you downplay them, can make a person way more than just "twitchy." No judgement there, it just appears you've been lucky enough not to encounter those that have progressed beyond that stage.

Anyway, this has gotten way off-topic. Best of luck to you and your family.