Cobb salad and corrpution

This is how public policy used to be made in Portland: in secret at the Arlington Club.

And some people still think that was fine, I guess. For example, the boy wonder county d.a., Mike Schmidt, got called on the carpet there in late May by Jordan Schnitzer, Tom Mason, David Margulis, and Henry Hillman. They told Schmidt he needs to have private lawyers coach him, and even to have private lawyers prosecute the black bloc types. 

He listened politely, but brushed off their suggestions.

The Arlington Club is a real piece of work. Until around 1970, Jews and Blacks were not allowed as members. Women were not allowed in the building until 1990.

I'm proud to say I was thrown out of the Arlington Club once, about 20 years ago. I've only been back once since then, for a friend's birthday party. The place gives me the willies. If I were Schmidt, I would have insisted that we talk somewhere else. If I were a rioter... well, let's not go there.