Update: Bizzaro Pic of Congressman in Fuzzy Tiger Suit Unnerved Staffers
- Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:03pm by
Meredith Jessup
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Rep. David Wu, D-OR-01
As we reported over the weekend, U.S. Rep. David Wu’s behavior grew to be so erratic and disturbing during the final weeks of his re-election campaign last November, the Oregon Democrat’s staff and advisers staged “interventions” to encourage him to seek psychiatric help.
The Willamette Week broke the story on Friday afternoon after the congressman responded to the claims.
Wu, a former lawyer and graduate of Sanford University and Yale Law School, has served in Congress since 1999. But his disturbing behavior last fall led his campaign staff to deliberately keep him out of public view until after the votes were all cast, the WW reports.
Wu was initially confronted by staffers who staged the first “intervention” last year on Oct. 28. The emotional meeting reportedly spanned several hours as staffers told the congressman they were worried about his health.
Now, emails and photographs obtained by WW continue to shed a disturbing light on the congressman’s mental state. Two days after the staff “intervention,” a photo was emailed from the congressman’s Blackberry which showed Wu posing in a fuzzy tiger costume. The photo was sent his female staffers at around 1:30am on Saturday, October 30:
Rep. David Wu, D-Oregon (Image: Willamette Week)
Following the picture, more emails were sent from Wu to his staffers:
Nineteen minutes later, at 1:22 am PST, a second email from Wu’s official email address went to multiple Wu staffers under the subject line “not funny.”
The email read as if it had come from one of Wu’s two children; the name of his middle-school-age daughter appeared at the end of it as a signature. But it’s not clear whether she sent the email in the wee hours of the morning or did so at the request of her father. Another possibility—the one that apparently disturbed staffers—is that Wu sent the email on his own, pretending to be his child. In any case, the email suggests Wu had been sparring with his staff.
“You’re the best, but my Dad made me say that, even though you threatened to shut down his campaign.”
Ten minutes later a third email went to two female staffers. This time, it contained another photo and a similar “you’re the best” message. The name of Wu’s son appeared at the bottom of that email.
Whether the photo depicted a staged or real event is uncertain. Someone who appears to be Wu is in the full-body tiger costume. He is face-down on a made bed with his arms at his side, as if asleep or passed out.
A wallet and headphones are strewn next to him on the bed. Behind him, a child who appears to be Wu’s 13-year-old son stands beside the bed dressed in a T-shirt and khaki pants with his hands on Wu’s shoulders. It is not evident whether the boy is trying to wake his father, give him a back rub or play along with a joke.
Six minutes later, at 1:38 am, a fourth email arrived in staffers’ inboxes. The content related to Wu’s drinking. The subject line contained one word: “wasted.”
The email, with Wu’s son’s name at the end, said: “My Dad said you said he was wasted Wednesday night after just three sips of wine. It’s just that he hasn’t had a drink since July 1. Cut him some slack, man. What he does when he’s wasted is send emails, not harass people he works with. He works SO hard for you … Cut the dude some slack, man. Just kidding.” …
Then, at 1:40 am, a fifth email from Wu’s BlackBerry arrived with both children’s names at the end of the message. It appears to have been directed at one of Wu’s many longtime staffers, some of whom had worked for the congressman for about 12 years.
“My Dad says you’re the best because not even my Mom put up with him,” the email said. “[Y]ou have. We think you’re cool.”
Until announcing their separation in 2009, Wu and his second wife, Michelle, 48, had been married for about 13 years.
Staffers told WW they believe Wu wrote the emails himself and pretended they had been written by his kids.
Wu has since denied requests from WW for a face-to-face interview, opting instead to respond to questions in writing.
“I freely admit that it was an intense campaign, and I was not always at my best with staff or constituents,” he said through a spokesman on Feb. 14. “For all those moments, I wish I’d been better and I apologize.”
Wu then went on to score a big victory — his sixth — on Nov. 2 over GOP challenger Rob Cornilles in the largely Democratic First Congressional District, 55 percent to 42 percent.
Since his electoral victor, a number of his staffers have resigned. On Jan. 19, The Oregonian counted the departures of six congressional staffers and two consultants since the election. The paper also noted Wu’s “bursts of puzzling public behavior”:
“On Oct. 27, [Wu] gave a speech so negative and loud that a Washington County Democratic Party member complained formally to his office,” the daily newspaper reported. “The outburst was followed two days later by an episode at Portland International Airport, where Wu used his influence as a member of Congress to enter a restricted area and campaign for votes from off-loading passengers.”
Was the congressman, as one Wu spokesman speculated, just “joshing around with his kids the day before Halloween”? Or does his “puzzling” pattern behavior suggest something else?
On Friday, the congressman admitted to local KATU that he has sought professional help from a doctor, but offered few other details:
“To address my behavior and its consequences, I sought professional medical care and continue to obtain professional help from my doctor. Some of my stress was derived from a very tough campaign, but I was also dealing with raising two children alone and the death of my father.”
[Wu] also apologized, writing that he was “not always at my best with staff or constituents” and that he could have dealt with these difficult circumstances better.
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Comments (112)
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:55pm@Burnthills
Agreed, maybe he had been disappointed that he could not get a date with Pelosi for the inaguration ball to be held for the first progressive emperor of the world…
Report Post »Whostolemypig
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:47pmThey’re coming to take me away, HA HA
Report Post »They’re coming to take me away, HO HO HEE HEE HA HA
To the funny farm
Where life is beautiful all the time
And I’ll be happy to see
Those nice, young men
In their clean, white coats
And they’re coming to take me away, Ha-haaa!
bikerr
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:40pmAhh -memories! funny song.
Report Post »texasfarmer
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:46pmHe’s a democratic vote so they will keep him in. Crazy as the rest of them but just can’t hide it.
Report Post »Bookster
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:45pm:quote from the article:
“But his disturbing behavior led his campaign staff to deliberately keep him out of public view until after the votes were all cast, the WW reports.”
And yet instead of doing what would have been the right thing for the country and make their concerns public, the staffers were so bent on winning at all costs that they deliberately hid his potential mental problems from the public. Just one more example of the ends justifying the means. Here’s an idea, maybe just maybe there are times that the good of our country trumps winning at all costs.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:03pmBarry or Wu?
Report Post »ree2138
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 12:35pmI live in Oregon, and the people of Oregon knew of his weird behavior, but he had a “D” by his name so they elected him anyway. This is the liberal portion of Oregon North of Eugene to Portland.
Report Post »broker0101
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:45pmGlenn Beck predicted that Congressman Wu needed psychiatric help months ago. It’s scary how right he always is.
Report Post »Pragmatica
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 10:02pmI love you.
Report Post »LadyIzShy
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:44pmwhat is disturbing is they KNEW he needed help yet they worked to reelect him.. Good gosh what were they thinking?
Report Post »TheRealElvis
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:44pmBy today’s standards, he is definitely a born leader.
Report Post »Bigliardi
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 9:34amHe is a truly outstanding liberal democrat…..
Report Post »Shoot-To-Kill
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:43pmHoly Good Grief ! This is the kind of NUTJOB the idiots in Oregon want to represent them? OMG is there no hope for this country?
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:37pmI stand corrected, hubby also saw it on Fox News. Kudos, Blaze & Fox! [Maybe Fox producers are reading The Blaze?]
Report Post »Mannax
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:35pmYeah… He is a furry? I am scared.
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:34pmwhen a Train goes by, i wounder if he says …WU…WU…WU……….
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:37pmoooooopps ….wonder <—- above spelling
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:33pm…and where else would you read, see or hear about it but on The Blaze? Thank you, Glenn, for The Blaze!
Report Post »Iowa48
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 2:37pmIt was written up on The Daily Caller as well as the British Daily Mail. I am so embarassed to be living in his district.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:32pmI think if he puts A CORK IN IT, the wine bottle that is, he’ll be just fine!
Report Post »waterman
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:31pmwe have nut like him in illinois ,his name is dick [dummy] durbin.
Report Post »Whirled Peas
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:29pmI think he just needs a vacation in Spain for $200,000.000.00/per day. (Obummer stash, of course… wouldn’t want to rip off the taxpayer)
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:28pmThey knew him in college as Mu Shu Wu from GWU
Report Post »semidisk
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:26pmThat’s a shame. I met him six years ago and he was nothing short of a lovely guy.
Yet equally shameful are those who’d relate this to liberalism.
Report Post »Ser Scot
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:25pmFurries are the lowest rung on the Geek Hierarchy.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:22pmResults of a Godless society.
Report Post »ISeeDanger.com
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:21pmI hope they don’t “put him down”. There are adoption paths at many liberal shelters I’m sure…
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:20pmHe is not fit to reperesent his constituents.
Report Post »He should be working in WH, maybe the fister Kevin Jennings needs an assistant .
Plus he is good for the diversity
N37BU6
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:19pmI like him.
Report Post »komponist-ZAH
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 2:26amHe’s grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!
Report Post »shorthanded12
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:17pmHe was just upset he wasn‘t able to finish reading Nancy Pelosie’s “How to be a Progressive for Dummies”
Anything from the west that migrates east to hold a “HIGH” political office should be required to a complete mental evaulation.
Report Post »tarantula
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:14pmA crazy dem…hmm
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:49pmSend in the *trolls* or in this case the “clowns”!
Report Post »StrangernFiction
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 9:29pmThere are crazy ‘rats? Who knew?
Report Post »godlovinmom
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:13pmdon’t we all have problems…this guy is a nut and most Oregonians already now it…God help America!
WHITE LOTUS2x
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 6:49pmgodlovin: Wheher his kids were witness to this behavior or not would be very complexing. If they were up at that hour dealing with his odd behavior,seems it would be an experience that would cause problems for the kids. Iguess what I`m trying to get at, because this sounds realy crazy to me, is “ anyone thinking about the kids being around this nut”.
Report Post »godlovinmom
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:16pmgood question…if their mom has passed away and divorced from stepmom…dealing with this dad…exactly…hopefully there is someone looking after their welfare!
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 9:52pmWhat happened to all the other comments before this? At 9:51 they dropped all the previous comments??????
Report Post »LeroyJethroGibbs
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 10:11pmGive him a show on MSNBC.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 10:30pm@crackerone
If the original post gets removed for whatever reason, all replies go to the bottom, look on the next, or last page of comments.
And by the way, this guy should be the poster boy for not legalizing Pot.
Report Post »Rice Water
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 10:32pmAgain: Not nearly as creepy as Larry Craig.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 10:43pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »He’s the perfect Democrat congressman! What’s the big deal? I don‘t get all of attention this reprobate’s getting. I mean, he‘s par for the Democrat party’s course, especially in Oregon. Am I missing something here?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CatB
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 11:30pmGood thing he is a democrat .. otherwise the MSM would be calling for his resignation.
Report Post »godlovinmom
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 11:33pmCrackerone…I know that was trippy…I kind of sounded harsh calling him a nut…I really don’t know the man…especially since he’s a democrat… if he is having problems ..hopefully he gets help..
Report Post »silentwatcher
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 3:37amWhat’s the big deal? He fits right in with the rest of those lib nut jobs. Must be a ‘prerequisite.’
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 7:52amThat probably would have been good to know before the votes were cast, don’t ya think! Why on earth would his staff want an unstable man representing them just for the sake of victory? I think this really shows where the priorities of some people are and it is a very sad commentary on morals and ethics in this country.
Report Post »Old Truckers
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 12:18pmIn Chinese culture, isn‘t tigers somehow connected with aphrodisiac’s? I may be wrong here but just asking.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on February 22, 2011 at 7:13pmOK why doesn’t the Blaze put down which party people represent.. I had to go look it up.. Same problem when I read MSM sites… they only reference when it‘s a REPUBLICAN if there’s no party it a DEMOCRAT..
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