Rep. David Wu has long been identified as a major liability for the Democrats. The first Chinese-American elected to Congress, Wu has displayed mental instability for years. He is now accused of an “unwanted sexual encounter” with the teenage daughter of a longtime friend.
The Oregon Democrat has acknowledged a very serious incident last Thanksgiving with the girl. Wu is currently undergoing a divorce. He seems to have had considerable luck in avoiding criminal charges. This is not the first allegation of assault against him. A former girlfriend alleged an assault when they were both attending Stanford University in 1976. As with the Thanksgiving incident, Wu was not charged criminally.
Wu admitted acting abusively and insisted that the college incident “forever changed my life and the person that I have become.” Perhaps not for forever, according to his friend.
Notably, Wu is currently receiving counseling for psychiatric problems. It is not clear where police (now aware of the alleged assault) will investigate the recent incident. The House Ethics committee is moving to investigate. It raises an immediate legal issue for Wu. If he is going to leave Congress (which seems inevitable), he may want to resign now to avoid the inquiry — and possible development of damaging evidence against him. If he intends to refuse to speak to investigators, there would seem little reason to hang on in Congress.
As in the Weiner affair, majority leader Nancy Pelosi has again let the scandal get ahead of the Democrats. While she reportedly spoke to Wu, her staff told reporters that she was too busy to comment on the Wu matter. That is a pretty incredible position to take in a city where you have only a few hours to take control of a scandal. Once again, the Democrats appear entirely reactive and belated in facing a scandal. What is particularly troubling is that Wu has long been an embarrassment and yet Pelosi has not stepped forward to call for Wu’s departure from Congress. Many believed that Wu should have been showed the door months ago when staffers went public with bizarre conduct.
One possible defense of Pelosi is that Wu appears mentally unstable and has sought treatment. Under federal law such a condition is a disability and Congress has done well in past years to combat the prejudice against those with mental illness. Since Wu sought treatment, I can see why Pelosi would not call for his resignation — though this position should be made clear as based on a disability. The latest allegation needs to be investigated in fairness to Wu. However, Pelosi should not be too busy to make a public comment on the position of her party in such a matter.
Source: Politico
Jonathan Turley
David Wu resigns.
Pete-
I always buy the Preperation H with fluoride just to piss off the John Birch Society.
HenMan
just don’t get it mixed up with the crest. some things don’t respond well to peppermint.
My question is “How long would I, a poor man, stay out of jail if was accused of an unwanted sexual encounter with a teenager?”
Not long…not long….
AY-
A little Preperation H wouldn’t hurt.
Well said Lotta!
HenMan,
I have a growth in between my sphincter muscles….Is that the description you speak?
Furries need love too:
http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2009/08/when_furries_attack_the_furry.php
“When the ship sinks we will all go down together. Those on the top deck may drown last but they drown just the same.”(Frank)
Ummm, no. No they won’t That’s the whole point of being one of the wealthy to super-wealthy. When Manhattan starts to be flooded due to the ice melt they can just jet to their nice house at a higher elevation in Aspen or a country that isn’t flooding. They have mobility and are part of an international elite. That’s why they, the ownership class, really doesn’t give a damn about the effects of their policies. They don’t have to. They can in fact insulate themselves.
I went to the store yesterday and wanted some chicken. Instead of going to the poultry case for boned chicken, which had become very expensive as I recalled, I went to the whole chicken shelves; boil it, break it down and have some nice soup stock. I don’t like the idea of a big, old chicken because they’ve been eating antibiotic laced food for a long while, until they’re egg production goes down. So I reached for a young chicken, they’re killed at about 4 months. $11.50. Right- ELEVEN AND A HALF DOLLARS for a small bird. (I haven’t bought a whole chicken in years- we don’t eat much meat at all, it’s just not on my menu.) I went into shock. Came home ranting to the better half about it. $11.50. For a small chicken.
Does anyone actually think that the wealth class is going to worry about the price of food if there’s disruption in the supply as the new climate zones manifest themselves? Is one of the bonused-to-the-max executives for BOA ever going to worry about the price of a chicken? I don’t think so. The wealth class will do just fine.
The first time I started hearing about the possibility of the American manned space program extending itself to things like colonies on Mars some years ago I thought ‘great, the ultimate suburb for the wealthy for when the Earth goes belly-up.’ I am not persuaded that the end of the world as we know it means the end of the world as everyone knows it.
I’m not saying that the popular TEOTWAWKI scenarios are accurate, or will actually happen, I just say’n that no, we’re not all in ‘it’ together. We never have been, and won’t share the pain in the future.
kderrhoid-
Why don’t you take a break and read something that will cheer you up. I suggest “The Fall of the House of Usher”.
What’s that? It’s by Edgar Allan Poe? Oh, thanks. I didn’t know that.
Of course this wasn’t posted by one of the guest bloggers. Nothing to see here, keep moving along.
I see this wasn’t posted by a guest blogger. I guess France isn’t as entertaining as I thought. Well played professor.
Excuse me Mr. Kdaponzi….I think Clinton and the Congress balanced the Budget….More false facts from you….
Oh…So you admit that Clinton herald a balanced budget that put us back in to the black…and since then the congress has been trying to balance a budget but you cut taxes and increase spending Bush….put us back deeper in the red….Thank you…Now who is president of this Kdponzi scheme…..On yeah….Bush….and you are just being paid to put out more disingenuous information.. You are a tool…….but sometime Nuts need to be tightened….
@AY, “I think Clinton and the Congress balanced the Budget….More false facts from you….”
The Republican Congress. Moron.
Also the tech bubble played a big part. And guess how much federal spending was as a percentage of GDP? Now guess what it is today? Now put 2 and 2 together to realize why we are back in the red.
Bette.
he admitted to the “affair” with the teenager.
Am I the only one here who still believes in “innocent until proven guilty”? Are we throwing this guy out without any evidence? The only source I’ve seen for these allegations is a FOX affiliate. How many people are we going to fire because FOX tells us to?
This Wu character is disabled and should be out of Congress asap. That seems to be happening, albeit at too slow of a pace. Welcome to Washington.
Mespo, great video clip! I remember that commercial.
AY, Great joke!
Excuse me Mr. Kdaponzi….I think Clinton and the Congress balanced the Budget….More false facts from you….
@AY, “Why is it only the democrats think about a balanced budget” only when they are out of power, once they aer back in power such notions go right out the window. Much like your brain.
Kdponzi,
Paranoid are you….No it was directed at you… Deflection…Just like your Boy of Orange…won’t do whats necessary for the country…only politically expedient….for the party…Don’t you people have a social conscience? It seems that if the monetary debate…were not a political agenda, then it would be done…What is unfortunate is that we are still paying for RWR Starwars crap….That how far that crap goes….Why is it only the democrats think about a balanced budget?