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Condit's solid support bleeds away
By John Ritter, USA TODAY
MODESTO, Calif. — Gary Condit's safe and supportive congressional district
has turned frosty and skeptical with reports that he admitted having an
affair with a missing 24-year-old government intern.
Constituents who just a month ago defended the seven-term Democrat and took
him at his word that Chandra Levy was nothing more than a "good friend" now
are demanding full disclosure.
Across the district Sunday, some of them were calling for Condit's
resignation. Many expressed doubt that he can survive politically in a
district that had routinely returned him to Washington with more than 65% of
the vote.
"He ought to come clean about everything and stop speaking through his
staff," said Robert Bailey, 46, a recreational vehicle salesman from
Riverbank. "It just appears that he's trying to hide something."
Randy Reeves, who manages an auto repair business here, said Condit will lose
the support of many conservative voters like himself if it's true he was
unfaithful to his wife.
"I think he should resign, and if he doesn't, I'll be surprised," Reeves, 44,
said. "He was one Democrat I was able to support because of his integrity.
But now his integrity is suspect."
Condit, 53, has refused to comment beyond statements that he and Levy were
friends because, he said, he didn't want to distract from the police
investigation of her disappearance.
Washington police interviewed Condit for the third time on Friday and said
again that he is not a suspect. Law enforcement sources said that Condit
admitted in the interview that he was having a sexual affair with Levy, who
was last seen April 30.
A career politician, Condit had earned the loyalty of voters in California's
18th Congressional District through years of painstaking attention to
constituents' needs and a voting record that reflected the values of the
agricultural Central Valley. He has a reputation as a moderate who will break
ranks with Democrats when it's in the best interests of his district, which
spreads from the southern Sacramento suburbs toward Fresno.
But after weeks of silence and after an aunt said Levy told her she had been
seeing the congressman, his rock-solid base appears to be crumbling. Sunday's
Modesto Bee editorialized that "each day that passes without the public
hearing from him only increases the attention, the criticism and even the
suspicion. The public's confidence in him is eroding, his credibility has
been damaged and his character and ability to effectively represent his
district are in question."
An NBC News poll found that 53% of voters in the 18th District believe that
Condit should say more about his relationship with Levy.
And with the lessons of the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal, some
constituents said they don't understand what they see as Condit's lack of
damage control. "It would have been better for his political future if he had
fessed up early on rather than denying it or just not saying anything," said
Dick Jacobs, 56, who runs a non-profit agency for the disabled here.
Michael Lockard, 34, a commercial real estate appraiser here, said Condit has
borrowed Clinton's tactics: "skating around the truth and not being direct."
Lockard's wife, Dodie, 35, a pharmaceutical saleswoman, said, "People in
Modesto are disappointed that Condit wasn't honest with the community."
Most people say they don't believe Condit had anything to do with Levy's
disappearance. Others say they wonder whether he is hiding anything else.
"There are questions now" about his involvement in her disappearance, said
Lynn Reeves, Randy Reeves' wife.
Some are willing to give Condit the benefit of the doubt. "We haven't heard
his side of it yet," said Mike Streeter, 32, a physical therapist here. "But
if he really was just trying to cover his tail and holding up the
investigation, then he should resign."
Condit has a chance to regain part of his popularity, some say. "If the
public believes he's cooperating with the investigation, that he's not
leaving anything out, I suspect he can bounce back from this," Jacobs said.
Condit would next face the voters in November 2002.
"Besides, I don't think the Republicans have a strong candidate to put up
against him at this point."
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