Jobless, David Wu Chills Out Amidst the Debt Ceiling Frenzy

The Times catches the resigned legislator peacefully smoking a stogie

Last night, before a planned House vote, John Boehner was trying to harangue legislators to support his debt ceiling bill using the tried-and-true method of a friendly pizza party in the office. If the postponement was any indication, the gambit didn't appear to have worked. But amidst all the frenzy, there was one Congressman who appeared to be curiously serene: Rep. David Wu. The legislator, who resigned in light of the allegation that he had an "unwanted sexual encounter" with an 18 year-old woman, was caught in a quiet moment by The New York Times as the rest of the Congressmen were being, as the paper described, "begged," "implored," and "berated" by Boehner.

Amid the frenzy of arm-twisting, debate and reporters swarming like bees in a sunflower garden, Representative David Wu, the Oregon Democrat who resigned this week amid a sex scandal, sat peacefully on the balcony off the speaker’s lobby, awaiting the last votes of his career and pulling on a stogie.