Oregon's Wes Cooley was doomed by revelations he had lied about serving in the Korean War. The hot-tempered Cooley added to his woes when he threatened to punch a pregnant reporter. Under pressure from state GOP leaders, he decided not to seek re-election. Jim Bunn, also from Oregon, was defeated for re-election in 1996, in large part because he married his chief of staff less than a year after divorcing his first wife. It does not take a psychiatrist or a minister to diagnose the factors behind the divorce boomlet.
Political life is notoriously tough on marriages.
Newcomers to Congress often cannot afford to bring their families along. But even if they could have, many in the Class of '94 left wives and children behind to make the political point that Washington was not their home. Aside from the strain imposed by physical separation, first-time lawmakers can easily become seduced by the trappings of power and their newfound celebrity status. The congressional work schedule did not foster family togetherness. Even before they learned their way around, the freshmen were thrown into a maelstrom in which 14-hour work days seemed almost routine.