End of the line for Wu?
Now that his mental health troubles have picked up a sex scandal element -- with a teenager, no less -- the Portland west side congressman is meeting with party leaders. He'd do everyone a big favor if he took the 401(k) and walked away from office.
| Posted at 12:57 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (28)
Seems more and more like this is a prerequisite to holding office in P-town.
Weird?
Posted by Mister Tee | July 23, 2011 1:05 PM
I think Wu and the crew have already recognized that they have dwindling support locally, as exemplified by their latest fund-raising efforts in the Taiwanese communities outside Oregon, but - like the Energizer Bunny - they keep on plowing ahead. They will probably rationalize their way through the latest brouhaha as well.
Posted by NW Portlander | July 23, 2011 1:50 PM
It is a frightful thought that these people don't fail some sort of a test before the public fails to vet them.
Once upon a time, I was a Democrat. I persuaded a friend to vote for Wu, in 1998, because I was unhappy with Republicans over the Lewinsky pot calling the kettle black case and all its attendant miasma-in-governance. By the time Henry Hyde's 10 year extramarital affair was exposed, leading to his public statement ("the statute of limitations on my youthful indiscretions has elapsed"), I had become an entrenched anti-Republican.
My friend went to meet Wu at his table outside a local Freddy's. Afterwards, he called me. He said he had told Wu "it scares me that you would get my vote, but I'll probably vote for you." He said Wu looked kind of confused and smiled.
Posted by gaye harris | July 23, 2011 2:02 PM
To me, this is not really about political parties, but rather about the kind of scum who end up running for office and getting elected...including these lovelies....
Larry Craig
Mark Foley
David Vitter
Gary Hart
Newt Gringrich (84 ethics charges and dumping his hospitalized wife for the younger model)
John Ensign
Mark Sanford
Elliot Spitzer
Bob Packwood
More here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/sex-scandal-timeline/index.html
Posted by LucsAdvo | July 23, 2011 2:27 PM
Egomaniacs and psychopaths flourish in the petri dishes that are corporate America and the various levels (elected and appointed) of government.
Ironically, the people who so badly want these positions and cling to power like limpets are - in the end - those least qualified to hold them or inspire public trust.
I just finished the book THE PSYCHOPATH TEST which is both entertaining and provocative. Well worth the read.
Posted by NW Portlander | July 23, 2011 3:09 PM
Well, having sex with a minor isn't exactly a dealbreaker for the Portland area. I mean, Goldschmidt and Mayor Creepy are doing just fine...
Makes you wonder how many pederasts we've elected lately.
Posted by MachineShedFred | July 23, 2011 3:36 PM
John Edwards(D), Bill Clinton(D), Al Gore(D)... I'm sure Wu(D) thought his resume required a molested teen girl.
Posted by DANEgerus | July 23, 2011 4:30 PM
I believe he will not make it past the primary if he stays. I pray that he resigns before this.
Yet, there is a devilish part of me that wants him to play the race card as the only Asian US Congressman from Oregon where he refuses to step down and invites a congressional witch hunt for not only his 1976 attempted rape/sexual assault and this latest sexual assault allegation, but for allowing foreign countries to influence US elections via his fundraising in Taiwan.
It would be thrilling political theater showing just how much White Guilt his district has and how much he wants his job in DC.
All this being said, the longer this drags out the more interesting it gets. What I want to know is why his wife divorced him and if there are other attempted rapes and sexual assaults before this latest one that he paid off?
Posted by Killiana1a | July 23, 2011 6:13 PM
The Dem,or is that Dims, need to get a replacement in fast, before the election. I'd look for him to go real soon.
Posted by Evergreen Libertarian | July 23, 2011 6:42 PM
Who gives him money?
Posted by Ben | July 23, 2011 7:05 PM
I suspect that Bob Packwood is laughing like hell.
In no way will Oregon traet Wu, the serial assaulter, like it did Packwood.
After all, Wu is a (D), and Packwood wasn't.
Yo, Blue Oregon, what say you?
Posted by Nonny Mouse | July 23, 2011 7:30 PM
Who gives him money?
Taiwanese Americans, so they say.
Posted by boycat | July 23, 2011 7:35 PM
It wouldn't be an issue if the creature in question were of the same sex.
He is staying.
Posted by LL | July 23, 2011 7:47 PM
It's a safe seat in Oregon IMHO. If Wu has any respect for his office, district,party, and the beliefs of the people who put him in office, he'll "eat his peas" and coast into some sort of rehab facility, get "better" and take the pay raise and be a lobbyist.
That said, I think in his mind, he is entitled to his foibles. Just like some of the names listed above (and my congrats for the bipartisanship of the list), they all think that they become immune to morality and law when elected. He will pull a Bob Packwood but hang on and run again.
Unfortunately, better candidates get scared off by the political process we have allowed to become the norm.
soapbox/>
Posted by roy | July 23, 2011 9:54 PM
A dandy energy savings tip for Wu and his party --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3xsDv6yCnY
Posted by Mojo | July 23, 2011 10:54 PM
Somehow I missed this last February. Wu has gone all international on us.
Posted by boycat | July 24, 2011 6:52 AM
Broken link. Here it is:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359540/Senator-refuses-quit-sending-picture-dressed-tiger-woman-staffer-1am.html
Posted by boycat | July 24, 2011 6:53 AM
Sex scandals with minors and prostitutes is not a uniquely American problem either, just ask our friends in Italy about their fearless leader.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-01-14/news/27087465_1_veronica-lario-silvio-berlusconi-prostitution
http://www.cnbc.com/id/32014760/Alleged_Prostitution_Tapes_Put_Berlusconi_in_Spotlight
Posted by LucsAdvo | July 24, 2011 7:00 AM
Coming: Very damaging texts he sent to a hot looking TV anchor in town, of course in his robe. What a total el~creepo.
Posted by Ken R | July 24, 2011 7:04 AM
"It wouldn't be an issue if the creature in question were of the same sex.
He is staying."
===
Could be true, if he represented Portland or most of Multno County.
But is WashCo really of the "Keep Portland Stupid" mindset? Is this cancer spreading outside of P-town??
Posted by Harry | July 24, 2011 7:39 AM
Time
Wednesday, July 27 ยท 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Location
PCC Willow Creek
241 SW Edgeway Dr.
Created By
David Robinson
For Washco Dems - Democratic Party Washington County Oregon
More Info
There will be a call from the floor during the monthly meeting of the Washco Dems for Washington County Democrat PCP's to pass a Resolution voting No Confidence in Mr. Wu.
Below is the Resolution. A vote to suspend the rules to consider this resolution will be required. Once rules are suspended, a vote on the resolution can occur.
A Resolution Voting No-Confidence in Congressman David Wu
Posted by Max | July 24, 2011 9:23 AM
Yeah but it's only he, an army of one, who gets to decide whether to run for re-election. As it should be. That's why we have primaries.
Me, I knew in 1998 this guy was bogus, and I voted against him 7 times.
Posted by boycat | July 24, 2011 10:13 AM
WHOAH.
Pull that horse over to the side of the pretentiousness turnpike.
There is NOTHING that WaCo has on Portland.
WaCo is the worst kind of big box nightmare mash-up.
WaCo is probably the reason people in Portland go to far. It's scary to see what the world looks like when a**holes are in charge, and we get reminded of it every time we drive to the beach.
WaCo would be lucky to have anything from Portland spread to it. It represents "cancer" in so many more ways than Portland ever could. The better metaphor for WaCo would be the lamprey eel, a hideously, hideously ugly parasite - living off of the vitality of the host to which it is attached. Who ruins downtown for everyone on Saturday nights. (Wait, that last part doesn't really sound like a lamprey. But it doesn't matter, you people really do ruin downtown on Saturday nights.)
And anyone who feels any "pride" in WaCo needs to remember that you are just one wafer company away from being Marion county.
*zing*
Posted by jay jay mack | July 24, 2011 11:23 AM
jay jay mack..... thanks for the laugh... WaCo County (now all we need is the shoot out with the over zealous feds..)
Still Beavertronix is the worst of WaCo for sure.
Posted by LucsAdvo | July 24, 2011 12:43 PM
SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERANCE BETWEEN SAM ADAMS AND WU....IS THAT AN EXAMPLE OF WHO ALLOW TO REPRESENT US? SO IF SAM ADAMS GOT OFF OK SO SHOULD WU, OR IS IT JUST THE WHO LIKE WHATS BOYS OR GIRLS...
Posted by Jerry Bloc | July 24, 2011 7:03 PM
Hey "Jay Jay"
At least they have that "wafer company" and that "wafer company" is very happy with their home - to the point of spending a couple more billion there. Oh, and you forgot about Nike - you know, that incredibly successful company headquartered in Washington County that sells product worldwide.
Portland already scared off all their big businesses, and even medium sized ones too, to... WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Fact: there are exactly zero Fortune-500 companies with a headquarters in Portland. They've all been scared off - Willamette Industries was the last to go. The "seat of government" for the #22 media market in the nation has zero big business tax base due to over a decade of anti-business policies.
Fact: Even the mid-size Columbia Sportswear wouldn't build their HQ in Portland, due to the city and county jerking them around constantly when they tried at two different locations. Instead, they built on the corner of Cornell and NW Science Park Drive... in Washington County. Oh, and the General Council of the company had some real choice words for the city government: http://brainstormnw.com/Business/VerasPortland.html
Maybe you should take your ripped off Denis Leary "pretentiousness turnpike" line and apply it to yourself.
Posted by MachineShedFred | July 25, 2011 7:47 AM
The Wu Story has now gone national; and unless the DEMS want another "Weinergate" story on their hands, he should be dumped as soon as possible. The biggest question of course is will Wu do everyone a huge favor and resign? Or will he simply hang on to public ridicule and outrage?
Posted by Dave A. | July 25, 2011 9:28 AM
He announced this morning that he's not going to resign, but he's also not running for election.
Meaning: he's a lame duck representative, with a vote for hire. The line of corporate interests starts here.
Posted by MachineShedFred | July 25, 2011 9:47 AM