He’s not that innocent

It’s confession time for Battle Ground Deputy Mayor Phil Haberthur: The 34-year-old attended the Britney Spears concert and he enjoyed it.

“It’s not a concert because it’s obviously lip-syncing, but it was a good show,” Haberthur said Tuesday. “I had a good time.”

Haberthur was among the thousands of mostly teen girls and 20-somethings who attended Ms. Spears’ show at the Rose Garden June 28.

Haberthur claims he had a good reason for attending the show.

Haberthur is an attorney at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in Vancouver. A client, and friend, of his was in town with his wife and complained Haberthur never took him to anything exciting.

(Last time he was in town, Haberthur treated him to a WWE wrestling event. Battle Ground Mayor Mike Ciraulo willingly attended this event as well.)

So Haberthur took a look at the Portland music scene while his client was in town and decided on Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale concert.

But Haberthur didn’t settle for the $20 nosebleed tickets and didn’t snag a pair off of the Groupon deal offered a few weeks earlier.

No, Haberthur got he, his wife, his client and his client’s wife tickets in his law firm’s suite.

“I just couldn’t go sit somewhere in the middle,” he explained. “I had to have front row or suite seats.”

Here’s a picture Haberthur shot of the Rose Garden filling up before the show.

He also posted this on his Facebook page: “T-15 minutes until Britney. The excitement is in the air, or maybe that’s the glitter.”

Haberthur’s Facebook friends had plenty of fun with the deputy mayor’s Britney confession.

Battle Ground City Council candidate Adrian Cortes posted this: “Is there precedent of giving back an endorsement after you receive it? ;)”

Mayor Ciraulo, who is a frequent subject of this blog, wrote this: “We need a new Deputy Mayor, this is just too embarrassing!”

Mike Dalesandro had this to say: “As your campaign manager…I strongly advise against any further postings about this subject!”

Haberthur says he’s indifferent to Britney’s music and claims he doesn’t have a favorite song.

Since Haberthur won’t fess up, the meeting mavens have come up with a few ideas of which Britney song could be his favorite.

“Oops! … I Did It Again” because Haberthur told his Facebook friends he planned to wear a red bodysuit like the one Ms. Spears wore in this music video.

“…Baby One More Time” because Haberthur – again on his Facebook page – asked a friend if he could borrow his schoolgirl outfit.

Or “Gimme More,” which famously begins with “It’s Britney bitch.” Who doesn’t love that?