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| Condit Self-Destructs
by John M. Curtis Copyright September 3, 2001
California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres admitted that Condit was “not straightforward enough,” failing to “ask for forgiveness” during the awkward 30-minute interview. Assessing the damage, “I have deep, deep concern about Condit’s ability to hold onto his seat in Congress,” said Torres, stating the obvious, but like so many others, scratching his head in disbelief. Even Condit’s damage control consultant Richie Ross couldn’t bite his tongue. “I think it will be very difficult for the congressman to get beyond this issue,” admitted Ross, suggesting that Condit’s political days were numbered. You know things haven’t gone well when your own damage control expert denounces you. Condit’s mission was simple: Publicly admit he made mistakes and ask for forgiveness. He really didn’t have to admit anything substantive—only that he had messed up. More stonewalling only hardened viewers, continuing the bad taste since he cut off the media shortly after Levy’s disappearance. Coached to the max and given a golden opportunity, Condit still couldn’t pull it off. Feeling guilty, but unwilling to admit it, he simply shot himself in the foot. Showing little regard for the Levy family, Condit didn’t breed sympathy from interested viewers. “I would never do anything to harm Chandra,” Condit told People magazine, trying to respond to Chung’s question whether he harmed Chandra Levy. But he never clarified whether he might support someone else harming the missing federal Bureau of Prisons intern. “They have no reason to be suspicious of me,” said Condit, referring to the Levy’s doubts that he’s been truthful since their daughter’s disappearance. Making inconsistent statements, refusing to talk to the press and caught engaging in suspicious behavior doesn’t reassure parents trying to solve the mystery of their daughter’s disappearance. “And I think it’s unfair when they make reference to maybe I had something to do with the disappearance. It’s not correct,” Condit told People magazine, suggesting that he’s been unfairly victimized. When Condit admitted an affair with Chandra during his third D.C. police interview, it had to be reconciled with his categorical denials to Susan Levy back in early May. Condit insisted to Chung that Susan Levy got her wires crossed—not, of course, that he changed his story. When asked by Chung whether he had an affair with Chandra Levy, Condit resorted to a memorized script: “I’ve been married for 34 years. I have not been a perfect man . . . I have made mistakes in my life. . .” refusing to acknowledge the sexual relationship admitted to in his third interview with the D.C. police. Acknowledging only that he and Chandra were “very close” but he “was not in love with her,” Condit flashed a cavalier side, also turning off viewers and breeding little sympathy. But perhaps more damaging than his unwillingness to admit to an affair with Chandra were his denials about extramarital relationships with flight attendant Anne Marie Smith and former congressional employee Joleen Argenti—both of whom claim that Condit’s legal team tried to coax their silence with signed affidavits. Denying these affairs on national TV gives the U.S. attorney in Washington more ammunition. After all, the Levy’s only real contention is that Condit deliberately withheld critical information during the early stage of the D.C. police investigation. Breaking his long silence and talking to the press, Condit reawakened calls for his resignation. Going public, Condit etched the record with inexplicable statements. “To be honest with you . . . I haven’t done anything that calls for resignation,” Condit told the Merced Sun-Star newspaper, failing to admit that his 3-month silence and reluctant admissions to police impeded important police work. “I hope Mr. Gepharadt’s comments today will serve to move the House of Representatives toward taking a very serious and thorough look at whether Congressman Condit has violated any ethical and legal standards of the House,” said Rep. Bob Bar (R-Ga.), who was among the first elected officials to call for Condit’s resignation. While Condit thinks he’s done nothing wrong, his public behavior since Chandra’s disappearance has been disgraceful. His Washington attorney Abbe Lowell and PR mouthpiece Marina Ein dug Condit into a deeper hole. By counseling silence and now encouraging continued evasiveness, they slammed the door on his possible rehabilitation. All the great expectations about breaking his silence were dashed when Condit hemmed and hawed in Chung’s hot seat. Looking defensive and unable to come clean, Condit sealed his political fate on national television. Blowing a golden opportunity, the preacher’s son allowed his unexpressed guilt to sabotage any chance of rehabilitation. What exactly he’s guilty of is anyone’s guess. Now faced with plummeting support in his own district, Condit awaits a fateful decision about fund raising and reelection. Without some major reversal, it appears that he no longer enjoys the support needed to win reelection in the farming community in which he held a virtual lock just a few months ago. Lost in all the hoopla is a missing 24-year-old woman and two loving parents whose suffering has no end in sight. Condit may not see his own disgraceful conduct as grounds for resignation, but fortunately he’s not the only one calling the shots. Unable to redeem himself, it’s time for the flashy central California Democrat to wake up and get off the public stage. Writing his own script and self-destructing, it’s abundantly clear that he’s chosen his own fate. Unfortunately, he still needs some help finding the exits. About the Author John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He’s director of a Los Angeles think tank specializing in political consulting and strategic public relations. He’s the author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. |
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lowing his best shot at damage control, embattled Rep. Gary A. Condit (D-Ceres) self-destructed on national television, proving, if nothing else, that damage control doesn’t work for everyone. Showing painful ineptitude, Condit finally got his comeuppance, breaking his 3-month silence since the unsolved disappearance of Chandra Levy on May 1. Proving that ‘it’s better to be silent than dumb,’ the 7-term congressman went against his better judgment, granting veteran news reporter Connie Chung a no-holds-barred 30-minute TV interview. With his long silence inflicting mortal wounds, Condit was coaxed out of his shell into a fatal media trap, believing that it was his best hope for rehabilitation. “Disturbing and wrong,” remarked House Democratic Minority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri, breaking his support immediately after Chung’s interview. “I didn’t hear candor,” Gephardt told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “I didn’t hear an apology,” dashing hopes of Condit’s apologists, that he was ready to step up to the plate and get beyond the crisis.|
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