This Week in the Mercury
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Politics Wu News: Yes, He Gets a Pension. No, No One's Saying He's a Furry.
Posted by Sarah Mirk on Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 3:25 PM
Not a lot of news on David Wu's resignation/career implosion except for two things.
One: USA Today has published what's essentially a press release from an antitax group noting that, despite resigning, Congressman Wu will still receive a pension. The idea of Wu receiving any public money might make some people sick, but the issue isn't really about Wu. It's about cushy congressional pensions. The same story flared up when Rep. Weiner resigned and became eligible for his $37,000 annual pension.
Two: It bothers me when news organizations pair the infamous Tigger photo with headlines about Wu's sex scandal. The photo's relevant because it shows he was having some sort of mental breakdown, but linking it in the headline is clearly a gambit to make David Wu look like a furry. Or at least to get readers to click through, wondering, "OMG! A congressman is a furry? Oh. Wait. Just an alleged assaulter." The actual allegations should be story enough.
Lookin at you, front page of AOL.com:
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