You can take the sleazy dude out of the Left Coast, but you can’t take the Left Coast out of the sleazy dude.
Phil Busse, the erstwhile Mercury editor, mayoral candidate, clairvoyant restaurant reviewer, prison boxing habitué and hilariously overpaid political campaign manager, has taken leave of Portland for a visiting professorship at St. Olaf College in Minnesota—a job that apparently allows him the time to cruise Highway 19, uprooting John McCain campaign signs.
He’s proud enough of this new hobby that he’s written an entire column for the Huffington Post on his mission:
Sure, I understand that stealing a sign will not change anyone’s mind, and, most likely, will only embolden McCain supporters’ disdain for liberals. Even so, yanking out the signs and running like a scared rabbit back to my idling car was one of the single-most exhilarating and empowering political acts that I have ever done.
We cannot argue with that analysis of Busse’s political career. In fact, Portland’s writers may find themselves feeling some twinge of sympathy for the McCain supporters who have had their property stolen.
Let it never be said, however, that Phil Busse fails to support equal time. In the same post, he brags of marking down a student’s grade in his mass-media studies class for wearing an Obama shirt while reading a paper on Rush Limbaugh.
But, when teaching, I try not to share my political beliefs. Earlier this term, I marked down a student’s grade for wearing an Obama T-shirt when he gave a presentation about talk radio’s impact on the current election. I told him that the T-shirt made his presentation look biased and detracted from his otherwise sincere analysis of Rush Limbaugh.
That student, it turns out, also reads the Huffington Post:
How could I forget, Phil? You made quite an impression on me with your flagrant disregard for free speech, especially coming from journalist, one whose livelihood is wholly and totally dependent on the protections of the first amendment. I don’t mean to be bitter, but this irritates me as much as anyone. Displaying a McCain / Palin sign on one’s own property and wearing a shirt supporting Barack Obama are both form of free expression that harm nobody. What is harmful is this sort of childish and whimsical caprice exhibited by Mr. Busse as a representative of St. Olaf College. Grading thoughtlessly based on my t-shirt rather than the informational content of the presentation and openly admitting to trespassing and thievery are not qualities to be associated with any fine academic institution, public or private.
Maybe I’ll follow Phil’s lead. Maybe instead of just talking, I’ll take action – like sending a copy of this article to the Dean of Students.
St. Olaf is already aware of Busse’s leisure activities: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports the college’s marketing and communications director repudiating its visiting professor’s actions as “in direct conflict with the college’s values and mission, and we do not in any way condone them.” The paper also says Busse will find out this week if the Rice County Sheriff will file charges.
Drat. Looks like we’ll be seeing Busse back home any day now.
- Update to Busse Story: He Resigns From St. Olaf and Police File Charges Over His Admitted McCain Sign Stealing An update
- Welcome Back, Busse! Sign-Stealing Ex-Editor Gets a Teaching Gig at PSU (UPDATES with PSU comment) Like so m
- Hide Your Children: Phil Busse is Back in Portland Hot news
- All the news Phil Busse didn’t steal. —WW
- Rogue of the Week • anonymous Portland activists / Phil Busse / Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast [COLUMN]
Tags: Comedy, Local Author, media, Presidential Race, Shocking Confessions
I wonder if he ever contemplated stopping and actually talking to the owners of the signs. I stole plenty of signs in my youth but they were all public property (and none of them red, octagon shaped). Sure it may have been exhilarating, especially the signs the chainsaw had to be used for, but it was completely juvenile and in the end the stolen signs had no value. Others’ political signs, like American flags, may be disliked but must be respected as property.
It’s always funny seeing examples of liberals being even more foolish than the conservatives they revile.
Just today Republican observers were removed from Philadelphia polling places. The Nanny State begins!
Hate to say it but the left is more anti free speech than the right these days. Try not being angry especially when your winning the arguement.
Interesting information, but wasn’t Phil a direct competitor to your paper. A pretty low blow guys, you should chill out and just report the facts.
I t would have been great if Phil had raised the Mercury to be more reporting less music just to push the envelope of reporting further in Portland.
Interesting news on Phil, reminds me of a acquaintance I knew in the Peace Corp but the side comments are sadly very low blows and demonstrate poor character
Low Blow? The man is a asshole with a capital A. as well as a horrible journalist.
Please stay the fuck out of Oregon Fill Clumsy!
I actually agree with you sir. As a registered Rebulican since my days in high school in Arizona, I find his classic liberal asshole behavior appalling. My daughter and time in the Peace Corps are inspiring elements of my life. My wife and her work as a doctor educating people about heathy choices and healthy lives is inspiring. Riding my BIke is inspiring. But Phil Busse is definitely the opposite of inspiring, as you say, an ASSHOLE.
I still think that The Willy Week could be a little classier in their person attack on Busse.
BTW Phil, Don’t ever make a pass on my wife again when I am out of the room — you womanizing weasel!!!
Wow. The left is looking more and more like the idiots of the right in the 1950’s. Tailgunner Joe McCarthy would "repsect" these tactics. Scary stuff.
Phil Busse represents nobody but Phil Busse. What a donkey’s arse. Pathetic.
Ahhh yes . . . the "Me for Mayor" guy . . . what a joke. I’ve met him, and yes, he really is that much of a jackass. Keep him in MN, because he’s not wanted here in Oregon either.
I like him…..if only because all of you don’t. Oh, and stealing republican yard signs is a storied past time and a damned good time.
I totally agree w/ his decision to mark the student down for wearing an Obama t-shirt. It WOULD take away from the message or objectivity.
Well, I went to the UO Law School with Phil way back in the ’90’s. And he was a jerk. And then I moved to Portland, and he moved to Portland. Still a jerk. As it happens, I have a connection to St OIaf as well. And now I find that Phil has gone and soiled himself there.
Phil STOP STALKING ME!
[...] Busse, former Mercury editor, former mayoral candidate/mayoral campaign manager, sign plucker and panty model, is no longer the general manager of White Bird Dance, after only six months in the [...]