Some more on Rep. David Wu's super weird behavior... The congressman appeared the other day on ABC's Good Morning America, speaking out publicly for the first time since news broke about his crazy conduct. He expressed regret and calling his past behavior "unprofessional": Rep. David Wu Has Regrets.Over the weekend, Willamette Week reported that the congressman's staff members had made repeated attempts to stage "interventions" over concerns about his erratic behavior, demanding he seek mental health treatment. And of course, there was the infamous tiger costume photo...
Wu today apologized for sending his aides an e-mail photo of himself wearing a tiger costume. He also once appeared on the House floor denouncing Republicans as "faux Klingons," the fictional warriors in Star Trek.Wu says he is on medication and is getting treatment for his mental health issues. It sounds like he wants to put this all behind and move on. But who's going to work for him now? It sounds like several aides, including key members of staff, quit after he was re-elected in November. And that tiger photo? Definitely not going away anytime soon. More here: Strange Wu.
Wu said the tiger photo was "unprofessional and inappropriate," explaining that it was a costume he planned to wear for Halloween.
He said he was speaking out in the hopes that other people who have problems with their mental health will seek treatment.
The 55-year-old congressman, who is divorced, is taking care of his two children and has been dealing with the death of his father. He also told ABC he is caring for his 88-year-old mother.
Last Friday, Wu acknowledged in a statement that he was "not always at my best with staff or constituents" and admitted that he sought "professional medical care."