At least 4,000 people with coveted blue or purple tickets to the presidential inauguration were blocked from entering the U.S. Capitol grounds yesterday because too many tickets were distributed, entry procedures bogged down and security officials were overwhelmed by surging crowds at several gates.Now staying home and watching the days' events with all of you in the Blend chat room seems by far the better decision than standing in the cold and possibly missing everything, not to mention bad cell service so I wouldn't be able to effectively report."We stood, and we stood, and we went nowhere. By the end, people were shouting and pushing," said District resident Marion Goldin, 68. "We waited until we heard them playing 'Hail to the Chief,' and then we knew it was too late. Those tickets were so sacred to us, and we never even got close."
Some people said they were stuck for up to four hours in the Third Street tunnel, where there was little security or official guidance. The slow-moving lines of ticket holders grew more chaotic and confused as the morning wore on. Before 11 a.m., one man said, they emerged to see locked gates where they had expected to enter.
...More than 200 people who endured that particular ordeal posted entries later on a Facebook page called "Survivors of the Purple Tunnel of Doom."
...As cannons fired to announce the new president, a middle-aged African American man stood outside the closing gates and began to weep silently. Nearby, an African American woman in a wheelchair drew a blanket tighter around her shoulders and closed her eyes. The moment of a lifetime had passed.
We had a great time gabbing live; the coffeehouse chat room has moved over to the right-hand column for those of you who want to discuss the issues of the day in real time.
Bishop Gene Robinson was on the show last night, but the above clip doesn't include the interview. The segment with the interview is below the fold.
An exchange for the ages...
STEWART: Washington was, so, crowded today. There were so many people. You as a bishop were sort of doubly handicapped in that situation because you are only allowed to move diagonally. How is that negotiating the crowds.
ROBINSON: John, you have to understand there's a queen on the board as well.
(Stewart loses, it, laughing.)
Robinson goes on to say that he met the Rick Warren at the worship service before the ceremony and he "let him know that I was praying for him." Stewart asked the Bishop whether his invitation was orchestrated to counter Warren's appearance. Robinson said that he was going to be a part of this all along, and mentioned the fact that he had advised the Obama campaign during the election season on LGBT issues. Stewart also asked him about whether he thought he would see someone LGBT as president one day.
"I think for every gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender person that dream for us is now in place, and all we have to do is the hard work to get there."
The controversy here is less about the affair itself (obviously the young man, Beau Breedlove was of age, though clearly adding homosexuality and stereotyping into the mix and expect a scandal) than the fact Adams lied about it and told Breedlove to do so as well as Adams planned to launch his campaign for mayor.
From the Oregon Live blog of the presser:
Adams met Beau Breedlove in April 2005. Breedlove, then 17, was an intern at the Oregon Legislature for then-Rep. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer. Adams, 42 and a city of Portland commissioner, was in Salem on a lobbying trip. They struck up a conversation, and Breedlove called Adams soon after, hoping for both professional and personal advice on coming out of the closet in the political world.Now I keep asking myself, as I see shades of John Edwards in this -- why on earth are pols so arrogant that stuff like this won't come out? The cover-up is always worse in these cases. Adams says he has no plans to resign, btw....2:06 p.m.
Adams admitted to sleeping with Breedlove as soon as three weeks after his 18th birthday. The relationship, Adams said, lasted "maybe two months. We went on maybe three or four dates. I can tell you that although I found that Beau was smart, engaging and a decent fellow, that the experience of dating someone that much younger, I didn't find it compelling."
Adams said he knew what he did was morally wrong, but at the time "my greater concern was, under 18, illegal." He also said he once served as a reference for Breedlove following their affair.
1:59 p.m.
Adams was grilled by reporters, admitting that he was "ashamed, humbled and humiliated." Later in the press conference, said he would resign if it "was in the city's best interest."During the conference, a representative from the Portland Police Association called for Adams to step down, saying that the situation places Adams at risk of "blackmail" that could impact the city.
"Had they attempted to blackmail me, I would have taken the appropriate steps," Adams said, adding that he expects he will be subjected to additional scrutiny and to "regain people's trust, which I know I have to do."
At least 4,000 people with coveted blue or purple tickets to the presidential inauguration were blocked from entering the U.S. Capitol grounds yesterday because too many tickets were distributed, entry procedures bogged down and security officials were overwhelmed by surging crowds at several gates.Now staying home and watching the days' events with all of you in the Blend chat room seems by far the better decision than standing in the cold and possibly missing everything, not to mention bad cell service so I wouldn't be able to effectively report."We stood, and we stood, and we went nowhere. By the end, people were shouting and pushing," said District resident Marion Goldin, 68. "We waited until we heard them playing 'Hail to the Chief,' and then we knew it was too late. Those tickets were so sacred to us, and we never even got close."
Some people said they were stuck for up to four hours in the Third Street tunnel, where there was little security or official guidance. The slow-moving lines of ticket holders grew more chaotic and confused as the morning wore on. Before 11 a.m., one man said, they emerged to see locked gates where they had expected to enter.
...More than 200 people who endured that particular ordeal posted entries later on a Facebook page called "Survivors of the Purple Tunnel of Doom."
...As cannons fired to announce the new president, a middle-aged African American man stood outside the closing gates and began to weep silently. Nearby, an African American woman in a wheelchair drew a blanket tighter around her shoulders and closed her eyes. The moment of a lifetime had passed.
We had a great time gabbing live; the coffeehouse chat room has moved over to the right-hand column for those of you who want to discuss the issues of the day in real time.
Bishop Gene Robinson was on the show last night, but the above clip doesn't include the interview. The segment with the interview is below the fold.
An exchange for the ages...
STEWART: Washington was, so, crowded today. There were so many people. You as a bishop were sort of doubly handicapped in that situation because you are only allowed to move diagonally. How is that negotiating the crowds.
ROBINSON: John, you have to understand there's a queen on the board as well.
(Stewart loses, it, laughing.)
Robinson goes on to say that he met the Rick Warren at the worship service before the ceremony and he "let him know that I was praying for him." Stewart asked the Bishop whether his invitation was orchestrated to counter Warren's appearance. Robinson said that he was going to be a part of this all along, and mentioned the fact that he had advised the Obama campaign during the election season on LGBT issues. Stewart also asked him about whether he thought he would see someone LGBT as president one day.
"I think for every gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender person that dream for us is now in place, and all we have to do is the hard work to get there."
The controversy here is less about the affair itself (obviously the young man, Beau Breedlove was of age, though clearly adding homosexuality and stereotyping into the mix and expect a scandal) than the fact Adams lied about it and told Breedlove to do so as well as Adams planned to launch his campaign for mayor.
From the Oregon Live blog of the presser:
Adams met Beau Breedlove in April 2005. Breedlove, then 17, was an intern at the Oregon Legislature for then-Rep. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer. Adams, 42 and a city of Portland commissioner, was in Salem on a lobbying trip. They struck up a conversation, and Breedlove called Adams soon after, hoping for both professional and personal advice on coming out of the closet in the political world.Now I keep asking myself, as I see shades of John Edwards in this -- why on earth are pols so arrogant that stuff like this won't come out? The cover-up is always worse in these cases. Adams says he has no plans to resign, btw....2:06 p.m.
Adams admitted to sleeping with Breedlove as soon as three weeks after his 18th birthday. The relationship, Adams said, lasted "maybe two months. We went on maybe three or four dates. I can tell you that although I found that Beau was smart, engaging and a decent fellow, that the experience of dating someone that much younger, I didn't find it compelling."
Adams said he knew what he did was morally wrong, but at the time "my greater concern was, under 18, illegal." He also said he once served as a reference for Breedlove following their affair.
1:59 p.m.
Adams was grilled by reporters, admitting that he was "ashamed, humbled and humiliated." Later in the press conference, said he would resign if it "was in the city's best interest."During the conference, a representative from the Portland Police Association called for Adams to step down, saying that the situation places Adams at risk of "blackmail" that could impact the city.
"Had they attempted to blackmail me, I would have taken the appropriate steps," Adams said, adding that he expects he will be subjected to additional scrutiny and to "regain people's trust, which I know I have to do."
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