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Monday, February 23, 2009

Politics Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden Supports Prostitution, Openly Consorts With Johns

Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 8:50 AM

ee50/1235407703-wydenmouth.jpg

What other conclusion can we draw? Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) won't work with "disgraced" Portland mayor Sam Adams, but Wyden will work with "disgraced" Louisiana Sen. David Vitter (R-LA). Sam Adams had sex with a much younger man, lied about it, and refused to resign. "Vitter the Shitter" patronized prostitutes (rumored to have diapered him), lied about it, and refused to resign.

So here's where Sam Adams went wrong, according to Sen. Wyden: If only Adams had paid for sex—and paid a much younger woman for sex—then Sen. Wyden could work with Adams. But Beau Breedlove slept with Sam Adams for free and Sen. Wyden can't condone that kind of legal, adult sexual conduct.

Comments (16) RSS

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Ugh. Wrong horse, wrong issue.

Posted by Big Sven on February 23, 2009 at 8:56 AM

petty prickish post

Posted by slow news day on February 23, 2009 at 9:02 AM

Man, what a tortured attempt to draw an equivalency. Sure, Adams and Vitter are each awful, lying politicians, but whatever point you are trying to make about some perception of hypocrisy on this Senator Wyden guy's part is a heck of a stretch to follow.

Why do you care what this obscure Senator thinks about the sex lives of fellow equally obscure politicians? Why do you imagine we should be outraged by what this person thinks?

Posted by Your Name Here on February 23, 2009 at 9:04 AM

Since when has hypocrisy ever made sense?

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty on February 23, 2009 at 9:05 AM

Dan, I couldn't disagree more with the first three posts. Thanks for calling bullshit on this.

Posted by bookworm on February 23, 2009 at 9:10 AM

Wyden needs Vitter to get his political projects done. He doesn't need Adams for that at all, so he cuts him loose. Plus Adams can be as much of a high-handed prick as any politician (though Adams' twinkle while he does it totally charms me) and that's always blows back on you once you lose a little power.

Politics 101. Wait, lower. Half that. Politics 50.5.

Posted by tomasyalba on February 23, 2009 at 9:18 AM

The senator looks like death. Did Oregonians vote for him becuase they confused him with the Death With Dignity proposition?

Posted by kinaidos on February 23, 2009 at 9:52 AM

God Dan (I guess god is OK now, since some gay guy won an Oscar??), what a contrived post -- even more tortured logic than your usual musings.

Posted by Good Grief on February 23, 2009 at 10:29 AM

only you care Dan.... we have moved on ... the guy in Portland will be taken out by voters - fate

You are really into the sex lives of strangers in a big time way, for me, it is a passing fancy and mostly ho hum

I do support Nevada style legal, inspected and taxed whores.

Course, would cost the Stranger ads.

Posted by Bob from Mother Earth on February 23, 2009 at 10:34 AM

Amen, Dan.

Totally agreed with you here.

Thanks for posting this.

Posted by TOTALLY SUPPORT SAM ADAMS on February 23, 2009 at 10:54 AM

Selling yourself is part of capitalism, which is the American Way. Giving stuff away for free? That sounds like something a dirty commie would do.

Posted by breklor on February 23, 2009 at 11:02 AM

If Sam Adams truly cared about the people he was elected to serve he would resign.

Instead he selfishly stays in office and makes progress slow and difficult. What a guy.

I wonder who's career Sam will end next with smears and lies and by playing the gay card.

Posted by leave now or we'll do it for you Sam on February 23, 2009 at 11:43 AM

As someone who has worked for both Ron Wyden and Sam Adams in my professional career, I find your characterization of the actions taken by Sen. Wyden's office out of line.

Ron is a publicity hound, to be sure, and his office didn't handle this situation well. However--let's not lose sight of the issue at hand here, Dan: Sam Adams fucked up. Bigtime. Not just sleeping with someone who was underage at the time of their first reported meeting, but more seriously, the denials and deceit about said events during his campaign. Sam is an extremely ambitious and politically calculating individual, and this is a colossal fuckup on his part.

Wyden's office made a mistake here. But your characterization of that mistake is inapproprate.

Posted by Numbersix on February 23, 2009 at 12:47 PM

@13, hate to burst your bubble, but Sam Adam's sexual contact with Breedlove has been said, time and again, to have occurred AFTER he was 18. doesn't matter when they MET, just when they fucked. and yeah, he lied about it. go stand on a stage, in front of a state of people going for your ass, and list off everyone you've fucked. i dare you.

Posted by franky on February 23, 2009 at 6:53 PM

I think another important distinction (one that Wyden is obviously taking into account in formulating his naughty/nice list) is that Vitter was cheating on his legally married opposite-sex spouse.

Posted by Glad Gladys on February 23, 2009 at 9:05 PM

@14:

Your mom.
Your dad.
Your milkman.
The milk bottle your milkman left on your front porch.
Your teddy bear "Bobo the Clown."
Your bottle of hair conditioner.
Your box of Cheez-Its.

Posted by Big Sven on February 23, 2009 at 10:41 PM