Is the Gresham Outlook on the Minnis payroll,too?

As we noted here last week, individuals who work for and advise the Karen Minnis campaign are closely tied to a mailing accusing Minnis' opponent Rob Brading of supporting the viewing of porn by little kids.

The individuals in question aren't just some fly-by-night folks with cursory ties to Minnis. These are some of her closest advisors. Both Chuck Adams and Tim Nashif worked to draft the mailing.

Adams is a paid attack dog for Minnis and many other Oregon Republicans. Its his job to smear the opponent. And he's good at it. He's Minnis' top hired gun.

Tim Nashif is also a long time Minnis advisor and supporter. Nashif is the director of the dubious Oregon Family Council, who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty in Oregon politics.

Despite these obvious close ties to Minnis and the anti-Brading mailings, the editorial staff out the Outlook are blaming Brading for tieing the mailers to Minnis:

Opening salvos included an attack piece from groups sympathetic to Minnis portraying Brading as someone who wants your child to be exposed to pornography in public libraries. As we’ve noted before on this page, the charge is ludicrous. But neither are we swayed by Brading’s implication in his own mailer that Minnis personally was responsible for the piece.

The anti-Brading flier appears to have been produced by independent groups — not unlike the independent groups that will attack Minnis in kind.

"Independent groups" my ass.

This isn't journalism or even reasonable editorialism. Its a blatant hit piece against Brading--couched in a mild scolding for Minnis.

Even the most cursory attempt at investigating this issue demonstrates that people directly tied to Minnis and ON HER CAMPAIGN PAYROLL are responsible for the mailing. The alleged "independent group" is an effort to provide cover for Minnis' minions.

Its the responsibility of local newspapers to provide accurate information. Otherwise they're nothing more than a tabloid. In this case--a tabloid that's out to make sure Minnis gets reelected even at the expense of the truth.

So this begs the question: Who from the Outlook is on Minnis' payroll?

The managing editor of the Gresham Outlook is Tiffaney O'Dell (todell@theoutlookonline.com). Its apparent that Ms. O'Dell has some explaining to do in regard to this "editorial".