Posted on 02/28/2011 2:18:05 PM PST by MissesBush
U.S. Rep. David Wu says he was hospitalized after his 2008 campaign for symptoms that later were diagnosed as a reaction to a common mental health drug.
The Oregon Democrat said he felt dizzy and confused on Election Day that year, a period of time when his staff and family have said they were unable to find him.
"It came up that afternoon, and it knocked me off my can," Wu said, referring to the symptoms.
Wu discussed his mental health Sunday in an interview with The Associated Press at his Portland office, offering more details of his psychiatric treatment since reports first surfaced last month of bizarre behavior.
More The Oregonian’s continuing coverage of David Wu in Congress.Seven staff members have quit since his 2010 re-election campaign, during which the congressman gave angry speeches and improperly talked his way inside the secure portion of Portland International Airport. Three longtime campaign operatives -- Wu's treasurer, fundraiser and pollster -- also quit.
Wu says he was hospitalized for two days the weekend after the election somewhere in the Washington, D.C., area but that his reaction to the mental health medication wasn't diagnosed until the summer of 2009. He acknowledged, however, that it doesn't explain his behavior in 2010, which included sending photos of himself in a tiger costume to staffers.
He attributes his latest behavior to stress from his re-election campaign and marital issues that led toward the separation from his wife. The couple's divorce is pending.
Wu declined to detail the problems in his marriage but said they had nothing to do with his health.
In 2008, Wu was treated with a prescription mental health drug that he declined to name but described as "very common." Wu said that he reacted to an enzyme in the drug.
Wu spoke Sunday with The Associated Press after a series of interviews Saturday with Portland television stations. He has declined interview requests from The Oregonian since January, when the newspaper first reported staffers leaving because of his troubling behavior.
The congressman is "clearly acknowledging there is a medical issue here" beyond the period of extreme stress just before last year's election, said Erik Dorey, a Wu spokesman.
"He consulted with his doctor and it was an issue in 2008," Dorey said, adding that the two-day hospitalization "was essentially just for observation."
Dorey said Wu held a series of one-on-one meetings Sunday with elected officials and other figures in his district. He refused to say who they were, but said the congressman wanted to explain that he can continue to do his job effectively.
"It's fair to say he does intend to run for re-election," Dorey said, "but only when he has a chance to show his constituents he is the best man for the job."
Wu filed re-election paperwork with the Federal Election Commission last week, naming Robert B. Ross as his new treasurer. Wu had drawn criticism for naming himself as campaign treasurer after Lesley Bennett resigned earlier this month. He can't file for re-election with the Oregon secretary of state's office until this fall.
Wu declined to discuss his specific mental health diagnoses but said he has never been treated for substance abuse.
Wu attributed his outbursts in 2010 to stress from a tough campaign, a dissolving marriage and taking care of his children, ages 11 and 13.
Asked whether he can handle the stresses of Congress and of a future campaign, Wu said his October episode happened during a period of such extreme stress that wouldn't occur again.
"Anyone who has known me over a period of time has said that I handle a wide variety of things very well," Wu said. "Last October was an atypical period for anybody."
Wu said the staff departures were a wake-up call that he had been a "hard boss" -- curt with his staff when he's stressed and impatient when there was no need to be.
Wu said he would not step down, despite calls for his resignation from Republicans and from some Oregon newspapers.
"I can do this job, and I can do this job well," he said. Jeff Mapes and Charles Pope of The Oregonian contributed to this report.
Jeff Mapes and Charles Pope of The Oregonian staff contributed to this report.
Wu Hoo
No, this isn’t Gaddhafi goofy, not yet. Wu hasn’t been threatening rivers of blood.
I’d believe it that some supposedly benign CNS acting medications can bring about bad reactions in a significant minority of people. This isn’t a partisan issue — were Wu a Republican, the same thing could happen. Is Wu competent to represent their interests now and is he under adequate enough care for any illness that he is likely to remain competent, is what his constituents ought to be asking.
Yo Oregon, Wu’s your daddy...
But, his disclosure of treatment for mental health issues and even hospitalization (even if it was a reaction to medication) calls his fitness for the office into question.
If this guy was a Republican, it would be national news and MSNBC/CNN/ABC/CBS/NBC would be beating the drum for his resignation on an hourly basis. But, since he's a Democrat, the reaction is....
[crickets]
It’s unprofessional to pass out such home photographs to his staff, but clearly intended as humorous. Would to God that this was as “deranged” as any Democrat ever became.
“It came up that afternoon, and it knocked me off my can,” Wu said, referring to the symptoms.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ2A7g2tZ3c
I can personally testify that getting a wrong medication can temporarily send a sane person into a near-Alzheimer like fog. Call it “liberal” of me if you wish, but it looks like the problem was caught. Having a heart attack would probably have taken Wu out of commission longer.
Keep it classy, folks — disagree as vehemently as you wish with Wu’s politics, but don’t sully the political landscape with old stereotypes of mental illness.
It depends on the relationship with the staff. People in my organization have done it, and in some cases I've distributed photos I've taken of other people. But, we are a small company and that kind of thing isn't discouraged.
In a much larger company, the situation would be different (and has been, for me). But, I don't think it has any bearing on mental health. The problem here seems to be that it was piled on top of his other issues, and was something his detractors could document as "weird".
Frankly, I was skeptical of the entire thing and thought it was probably a personality conflict, until Wu admitted that he's been under treatment for mental health issues. But now, I don't think he's fit for the job. I know that many people are able to function well in society under these circumstances, but a US Congressman has a lot of responsibility. If there's even a hint that he's not up to the task, he should resign.
(And yes, that goes for any Senator or Congressman that can't keep up due to age, disability, or chronic illness)
Look at the bright side — if Congress drives him mad maybe he’ll quit and there will be an opportunity for a Republican :-).
Ah that scwewy wu
It sounds like Serotonin Syndrome. The reaction can be about like that of LSD. It happened to my wife twice and the doctors {six of them} missed it. It can happen with antidepressants especially SSRI’s.
At one level I kinda feel sorry for this guy. He clearly has mental health issues. He needs to be in treatment and probably should not be in Congress. At that level, we shouldn’t be attacking him or making fun of him. Having said that, he does need to go—no nonsense about adjusting meds. He needs to work that stuff out outside of Congress.
hey, we still have a rat who thinks Guam is going to capsize
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