Pelosi calls for House ethics investigation of Oregon congressman

[Trajan]

Source: Chicago Tribune

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called Sunday night for a House ethics investigation of embattled Rep.David Wu, D-Ore., over allegations he had an “unwanted sexual encounter” with the teenage daughter of a close friend last Thanksgiving.

Pelosi issued the calls after Politico.com reported earlier Sunday that a Wu adviser said Wu wouldn't resign from office, but had agreed not to seek reelection next year.

“He isn’t going to be running for reelection,” a Wu adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Politico late Sunday night. “But he hasn’t done anything that rises to the level of requiring him to resign.”

Pelosi's office than issued the following statement: "I call on the Ethics Committee to initiate an investigation into the allegations against Congressman Wu. With deep disappointment and sadness about this situation, I hope that the Ethics Committee will take up this matter. I will send a letter to the Ethics Committee tomorrow asking them to formally initiate a review of this matter.”

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/kcpq-reports-oregon-congressman-accused-of-unwanted-sexual-encounter-20110723,0,4671749.story

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WTF ? .... This is sources from a nameless "Web Reporter Q13 FOX News Online" ? ...

Wu needs to get out ..... There are plenty of good Democrats in his district (Portland Oregon into Washington County) to take his place .....

I now get disgusted whenever I see him ..... Bah !

[gateley]

1. I heard it on the top-of-the-hour news on my local progressive

radio, they didn't source it, though.

I'm sure there will be more coverage.

Is Wu your Rep? How long has he held the office?

[Trajan]

4. 1998

winning most elections with comfortable margins ...

[gateley]

7. Think this will do him in? nt

[Trajan]

8. He will not run for re-election

I would like to see him step down, personally, for reasons given below ...

[gateley]

10. While looking for "proof" for your doubting neighbor, there

was a link to a story saying he said he would not resign over these allegations.

Of course, Weiner said that, too, so we shall see.

[backtomn]

27. Dems will be better if he leaves

They should have a better chance of winning the seat without this distraction. Although having him stay until 2012 might keep a Repub from being elected by avoiding a quick, emotional special election.

[Bette Noir]

2. What the hell? Who is the source?

Are we attacking a good Democrat because someone at a FOX affiliate tells us to? Last I saw, Wu was accused of being mentally ill because he wore a costume on Halloween.

He's my rep; I've met him, and I'm not going to throw him under the bus without more evidence than a story on FOX.

[ChrisBorg]

3. Google is your friend...nt

[Trajan]

6. It was his staffers who requested he seek medical help.

Actually, they demanded he seek psychiatric treatment .... 6 of those staffers left after the 2010 election.

He is my rep ..... I have met him twice (through work) .... Yeah .. He is a nice guy ....

But, when we wish to criticize GOP members for their various indiscretions and nutty behaviors, it would be nicer to NOT have to apologize for David Wu's erratic behaviors too ... I do expect OUR reps to be sane, intelligent and in full control of their faculties ...

Call it death by 1000 paper cuts .... This latest incident (which he has essentially admitted is true) is simply the last straw ...

He is not seeking re-election, so that is a moot point ..... Yet, I would hope that he would step down, and let the Governor replace him with another Democrat ...

[gateley]

9. Before you jump over a fellow DUer, with less validity than

the OP, why don't you look it up?

Here, I did it for you:

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20110725/APA/1107250513

[Trajan]

11. In all fairness ...

This is my opinion .... Others are free to think what they wish, and more power to them ...

I think he should go .... But it's not up to me ...

[renate]

12. there is a pattern of very weird behavior

He's my representative, and if I had to I'd hold my nose and vote for him over a Republican, but I'd vote for a garden slug over a Republican, and I really really don't like slugs.

I'm glad he's not running again. I feel bad for him, because he can't help his mental-health issues (his alleged sexual misbehaviors may or may not be part of that, or entirely separate--who knows), but I like belonging to a party that generally behaves better than the other one.

[gateley]

23. It appears he's had some troubles previously, and I can't help

but think that weighs on HIM, and that might affect his job? And, if he's been reelected so many times, that would indicate that he's doing what the people want. It's just so sad when we get a "good one" and their behavior takes them away (yeah, I'm thinking Weiner and Spitzer for starters).

When the Weiner thing was going down I was thinking that once you get the "power" and the "fame" and have so many yes people kissing your behind, it's got to skew your thinking. I bet they feel invincible and engage in behaviors that they normally wouldn't.

But, bottom line is, I'm sorry this occurs far too often. I WAS going to say for both Dems and Reps, but the Reps too often are spewing anti-gay hate while being in the closet themselves.

Hope you get a good one to replace him, whether he resigns now or just waits. I have faith in Oregonians!

[alp227]

5. First Anthony Weiner now this alleged pervy wanker D. Wu n/t

[cascadiance]

13. He's my rep too. I noted Wu's earlier problems on Oregon forum.. Kucinich interested?...

If he stays in office until the end of his term, but leaves then, I wonder if Dennis Kucinich might be more inclined to look at this election than Washington State that he was looking at earlier. Not sure of the demographics of the newer district in Washington, but this one that's Democratic leaning (though perhaps not as good as Blumenaur's or DeFazio's districts) might still be better demographics than the newer Washington district.

Hate seeing Wu go like this, but he still is a far cry from an old Republican congressman of mine who had to resign earlier in San Diego when I used to live there (Duke Cunningham).

I'd be doing a lot of volunteering if Kucinich moved up here to run. He'd make a good team with neighboring district's Pete DeFazio here.

I'm guessing Wu's situation might be discussed locally quite a bit at this Wednesday night's Washington County Democrats meeting at PCC here.

http://www.washcodems.org/

If I get some time from OSCON and other things that I'm going to this week, I might make a point of showing up there.

[No Elephants]

15. Good thinking! As you noted, Kuch had mentioned the shores of Washington State,

but Oregon is close enough!

[No Elephants]

14. Ethics Committee? Aren't the police all over this? Or was she over 18?

(Did I miss her age in the story?)

I'm guessing the article should say "the teen-aged daughter of a FORMER close friend?"

Good for Nancy, but how about also investigating Cantor and the rest of the thugs who are shorting the U.S. at the same time as they obstruct raising the debt ceiling?

[Tejas]

31. She was 18 at the time.

Supposed to have occured last November, no idea why this has suddenly come to light six months later.

[Yon_Yonson]

16. Great ... in the mist of everything else that's going on ... another Politician 'Family Values Guy'

WTF is wrong with these politicians and this guy is a lawyer to boot? I swear they have to much freetime on their hands!

[iwishiwas]

17. Good on Nancy although I know it is difficult to have do this to

a fellow Dem. But it has to be done. And the sooner the better.

[Danchi]

18. Questions unanswered

Some things leaped out for me in all the articles I read in regards to Wu.
-is this female a "teenager'?
-is the female a "young woman"?
-the females age was not stated.
-one article says he "forced" himself on her.
-Wu says the sex was consensual. He said she said.
-one article stated his office received a distraught phone call from a woman
but didn't identify the caller.
-Wu is separated from his wife so he's not cheating.
-Pelosi's lack of support of any Dems who has a finger pointed at them gives the RW
the ammunition they need to target anyone who isn't squeaky clean for elimination
because they know Pelosi and the Dems don't take care of their people.

[SHRED]

19. Where was this Pelosi re: Shrub?

[nolabels]

20. Good thing they didn't catch him with some profesional hookers and dirty diapers......

otherwise the whole country would stop and we would have wall to wall news coverage of it.

[swilton]

21. Wow, just wow!

I'm glad that Pelosi didn't have something else to do like protecting the country's SS/Medicare/Medicaid. :sarcasm:

[BobbyBoring]

22. Yeah really

Or while we're on ethics, how about SCOTUS judges that cheat on taxes?

[Ian David]

24. He doesn't need an ethics investigation. He needs to be involuntarily committed. n/t

[blackspade]

25. Once again sexual indiscretions trump

criminality in DC.

[Freddie Stubbs]

29. If he guilty of what he is accused of, it would criminality

[Doctor_J]

26. That's our leadership. Never failing to investigate a D

can we investigate Cantor for buying investments that will surge if the country collapses? People might want to know about that

[0rganism]

28. yeah, i had a feeling this was coming down the pipe

Wu's my congresscritter too and despite the furry photos, car wrecks, and some alleged wacky behavior, I've generally been pretty happy with how he's represented us here in OR-1. Rep. Wu and his staff even did my wife a solid by streamlining the process for getting her birth certificate sent over from Nigeria. But ever since his staff started bailing on him a while back, I've just had this uneasy feeling that the other shoe was going to fall, and it would be covered with bullshit, and leave nasty stains on the shag carpet.

Best thing Wu can do now is step down ASAP, get some mental health treatment, and pave the way for a saner Dem to take his place.

[Evasporque]

30. Margie...oh yah...jeesh...I'm so lonely....

[Lil Missy]

32. Didn't we here about this guy a while back? Doing batshit crazy crap?