Adams' Admission Reaction: The "Calm Gathering" of Sam's "A-List" Supporters

A quiet demonstration outside City Hall on Friday morning became heated for a moment with the arrival of dozens of Mayor Sam Adams' supporters around 11:30 a.m.

Walking into City Hall this morning, a few of those supporters confronted a peripheral character who was calling on Adams to resign not because the mayor lied to the public about his sexual relationship with 18-year-old Beau Breedlove, but because the mayor is gay. Clad in a sandwich board that declared "fear God," the man was decrying what he called Adams' "homosexual agenda."

Perhaps in response to that protestor, supporters of the mayor moved their press conference inside. Here's who they were and what they said:

Commissioner Dan Saltzman, the only representative of the Portland City Council, to attend.

Saltzman called on Adams, who hasn't come back to City Hall since his Tuesday news conference, to return to work. "Frankly, we need Mayor Sam Adams to be leading the City Council," he said. There will be investigations, he added. "In the meantime, we need strong leadership."

Victoria Frey, executive director of PICA.

"This isn't the time to allow the media frenzy to distract us," Frey said at the press conference.

Zipcar general manager Bill Scott, former chief of staff for ex-Mayor Neil Goldschmidt, and later, Goldschmidt's gubernatorial campaign manager.

"It's very likely he [Adams] will end up a better leader," because of the events of this week.

Charlie Hinkle, a constitutional lawyer.

Hinkle, who serves as an attorney for The Oregonian, said the media has the right to pursue the truth but in matters related to politicians' sex lives shouldn't always print the truth. April Baer of OPB interjected: Are you saying the media should not have reported on Adams' lies and his attempts to cover up the lies?

"Sam's private life is Sam's private life," Hinkle said in response. "People lie. I have lied." Hinkle later said: "There are crimes and there are crimes. If [Adams] committed a crime ... that isn't a crime that looms large in the history of mankind."

Other speakers included Terry Bean, a major Democratic Party mover-and-shaker; Lisa Schroeder, chef and owner of Mother's Bistro; Christopher Stowell of Oregon Ballet Theatre; a Zoobomber representing Gus Van Sant; Chris Coleman of Portland Center Stage; Kathy Oliver of Outside In; and Storm Large.

Even Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) sent a message of support, via Terry Bean.

A final speaker called the supporters from the noon press conference Adams' "A-List." He said Friday's pro-Adams rally at 5:30 p.m. would include "the B-List, the C-List, the D-List, all the way down to the Z-List."

[Photo of Thomas Lauderdale at the noon press conference to support Adams by Leah Nash]