Congressman's Ex-Staffers Say He's Mentally Unstable

Oregon Democrat David Wu recently won a seventh term to Congress, but several former staffers think he'd be better off in a psychiatric hospital instead of on the House floor. That's not an exaggeration, as the Oregonian explains. Staffers were so worried about his increasingly erratic behavior during the campaign—bizarre speeches, emails, and actions—they began making discreet inquiries about the availability of hospital beds. Staffers then staged an intervention with Wu, bringing along his psychiatrist, but he rebuffed them and left for a movie.

"This is way beyond acceptable levels and the charade needs to end NOW," wrote one of his pollsters in an email that day. "He needs help and you need to be protected. Nothing else matters right now. Nothing else." Six staffers resigned last month. Wu declined interviews but acknowledged he had recently sought "professional medical care," notes the Oregonian. "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." Full article here. (More Oregon stories.)