Resign

I have no patience, at all, for malarkey like this:

The politician was in his 40s, a rising star, a man with the pilot light of ambition burning bright. The intern was just 17, sorting through emotions about his sexuality, a boy who said he needed someone to mentor him in the political world.

[snip]

Came the mayor’s race and allegations of the affair. The politician, with the sturdy patriotic name of Sam Adams, denounced the rumors as scurrilous — they played to the worst stereotypes about homosexual predators, he said. How dare you.

[snip]

It all came crashing down over the last two weeks, a bonfire of pride, lies and hypocrisy. The mayor admitted that he had lied about the affair, had smeared his accuser, and had urged the boy — a kid with the improbable name of Beau Breedlove — to lie as well. He did it all to get elected, he said.

[snip]

Now Adams, with the support of some in this immensely tolerant city, will try to carry on — the first openly gay mayor of a major American city, with an asterisk.

No. Portland, Oregon may be an immensely tolerant city, but I am not an immensely tolerant man. (Well, not when it comes to crap like this, at least.) It is, indeed, unfortunate that the First Openly Gay Mayor of a Major American City played into the stereotype about Homosexual Predators. But it does nothing good, at all, for gay rights (or basic civic virtue, gay or otherwise) for a man to sexually pursue a 17-year-old intern in his office, and then retain his position as FOGMMAC. It makes not one jot of difference to me that they waited until after the kid turned 18 to have sex. Ick. Ick, ick, ick.

This is sleazy behavior, period. I didn't like it when the sleazebag was from the other party. I was none-too-pleased about it when he was the Commander-in-Chief. Adams should resign.