The O's Editors Simply Hammer Karen Minnis on Porn Charge

We'll talk motive later, but for now clear your mind and think of an Oregonian editorial comment that didn't reek of West Hills Pseudo-Liberal elitism, and where they actually called it like they--and remarkably us--saw it. No, I couldn't think of one, either...until yesterday morning:

Minnis' supporters have produced a nasty campaign flier that features a photograph of Brading under the headline, "This man is responsible for children viewing Internet porn in our county library." It claims Brading has a "history of supporting pornography."

In fact, that "history" amounts to nothing more than serving on the 15-member Multnomah County Library Advisory Board and joining in the board's opposition to filters to block access to sex-related Web sites on library computers -- even those routinely available to children.

When this argument was current, we disagreed with the library board, the county librarian and the county commissioners who argued that filters would improperly interfere with unfettered and free access to library information. But it's a long, distorting stretch to accuse someone with a policy disagreement of being a purveyor of pornography.

Rather a less colorful indictment than Carla might give, but certainly nothing different from what she and I have been saying over the last few weeks since Adams and Nashif brought this little hell upon Queen Karen. What's Adams propose to do about the serious hit his client is taking because of his advice and actions? I certainly don't believe for a minute that Minnis wasn't complicit in all of this, but I wouldn't begrudge her a little private time with Chuck as Jimmy from Pulp Fiction: You're fucking up my shit right now!

Let's close with some more choice rhetoric from The O. Wait, did I just say that?

Oregon has a properly expansive view about free speech. There is not much precedence in this state for the courts to interfere with even the nastiest political campaigns. Multnomah County Judge Dale Koch declined Friday a request for a restraining order to stop circulation of the flier, and the judge doesn't seem willing to play the role of campaign referee, which is fine with us.

In our view, this is more of a job for Oregon voters, especially those in District 49. These east Multnomah County voters are witnessing potentially the most expensive legislative race in Oregon history, and perhaps the cheapest shot in the entire election. The best solution here is to give the voters all the facts, and let them decide who winds up with the mud on their face from the flier.

Some of the mud is stuck to Minnis' campaign. The quickest, surest way to get rid of it is for Minnis, one of the most powerful figures in Oregon politics, to strongly and publicly demand that her supporters stop wrongly linking Brading with pornography.

I agree that calling for a review of the facts before entertaining an injunction would have been hasty. And in the end, it is indeed the job primarily of District 49 residents to sort out and personally ajudicate the performances of the candidates. But if there was any doubt before, the rare approbation and challenge by The O clears it: Minnis is vulnerable and needs to whip her boat around mighty quickly.