Song of Praise by Condit political hack - now here is an item and here we go again about this "handsome" Gary Condit - the little twerp - such self praise is suspect. It does however answer one question in particular and this piece of self praise written by Gary in part, states that Gary from his campaign funds, spent over $9,000 that year in camaign money for "GIFTS and flowers"; it was then, I wondered is from where Condit took the money to buy Chandra Levy the $2,500 golden bracelet? For a man who is alleged to have taken a vow of poverty this one some expensive gift; in my day, girls did not take such gifts from men, in particular - married men? Be interesting to look at a few receipts here; in particular it is noted the the watch he received as a gift from another woman, which he got caught dumping which was traced - and I wonder, how much the lady had paid for this watch and surely, it would not have been a TIMEX or a toss away watch. This item tells of Gary Condits love of his motorcycle and friends associated with same? It is a very revealing article if one goes over it and the man who wrote the article - well one wonders but a lot of newsmen, like this Chris Mathews who was so in love with Gore, was former newsman associated with writing beautiful pieces of prose for the democrats - maybe this guy wanted to be on the Press Agent's list for it is obvious - well they keep calling this Condit HANDSOME - when he is such a little twerp, and body building sue hasn't done much for his build - and he is old looking for his age - he must have led a very rough life. Saba A solid gold bracelet for which he paid $2,000 - now if you note in this article how clever to make mention of gifts from his campaign funds - for he hs nothing to hide here? Note he seems to be a little short in recording modest expenditures claiming money does not get one elected to office- as for Chandra, with the $2,500 gift he bought her, and including the $10,000 for her return - my what a generous man and I doubt the latter amount will the latter amount ever be paid out. Current Floor Proceedings Visiting Washington, DC -(this item was reproduced on Condit Web Site for his own personal gain) To Valley Folks, He's Just Gary By J.N. Sbranti Bee Staff Writer (Published: Modesto Bee, Saturday, July 18, 1998) A while back, a poll asked Stanislaus and Merced county voters what they call their congressman. The overwhelming answer: Gary. No title. No formality. Just say Gary, and voters think Condit. They vote Condit, too. Over and over, they elected him by staggering margins. In 26 years, during his rise from Ceres city councilman to Stanislaus County supervisor to California assemblyman to U.S. congressman, he's never lost a race. He'll win in November, too. No one is on the ballot against him. Calling the 18th Congressional District "Condit Country" is more than a campaign slogan. It's reality. "Most people here get me. They understand I'm trying to do a good job, trying to be constructive and trying to be a good person," Condit says while weaving through a festival crowd in Patterson. "Hey, Gary!" shouts a guy across the street. "I voted for you." "Thank you. I appreciate that," Condit yells back with a wave. Condit can't walk far without someone approaching him with a grin and an out-stretched hand. "How you doin'?" is Condit's standard greeting, accompanied by a handshake, a squeeze around the shoulders or a kiss on the cheek. He personalizes his conversations - "How the kids doing?" "You're looking good," "I like that hat" -- enough to convince constituents he remembers them. "Gary has worked very hard at cultivating the informal I'm-your-neighbor image," observes Steve Hughes, chairman of the politiat California State University, Stanislaus. "It's paid off. People feel comfortable with him." Condit, a handsome man who smiles often, says his rapport with people evolved over his years in the public eye. "I've always been open and friendly, and basically people have been really good to me," says Condit. He admits his memory isn't perfect, and he loves name tags. "Mostly I just listen." He listens. He remembers. And he votes the way valley folks want. Condit prides himself on putting his constituents' center-of-the-road interests far above party politics or self-promotion. Down to earth "Gary's really down to earth. He's not pretentious. Not arrogant," says Mike Lynch, his longtime chief of staff. "He hasn't fallen to the seductions of political power." Case in point: Condit's home number in Ceres is listed in the phone book. Call it and he or his wife, Carolyn, will pick up. No answering machine screens calls. People phone him often. Sometimes they want to chat or to complain, but mostly they want help. Carolyn recounts a typical call. An elderly woman from Denair called for advice on how to vote on the long list of confusing state propositions. The congressman took the time to talk her through the ballot. "We're very attentive to constituents' problems," Condit explains. "That's a very big priority to us." The congressman regularly uses "we" and "us" rather than "I" and "me" when talking about accomplishments or philosophy. Ask him why and he'll tell you he hates it when it sounds like he's bragging. "Gary's not a grandstander. He doesn't give a whole lot of speeches. He doesn't attract people to himself with a lot of public overtures or acts," says former Rep. Pete Geren, a Texas Democrat who was sworn into Congress the same day as Condit in 1989. "He's a guy who lets actions speak louder than words." Blue Dogs Geren, Condit and like-minded conservative Democrats joined three years ago to form the Blue Dog Coalition. The group has elbowed its way to power in Washington, providing key votes to pass welfare reform, balance the budget and reduce government regulations. The Blue Dogs' success hinges on lobbying both Republicans and Democrats. Geren says Condit does that exceedingly well. "Gary has friendships of the broadest spectrum of anybody in the Congress. It's one of his great strengths," Geren says. Condit is a different kind of politician, Geren says: "He's quiet, understated. Over the years, he's slowly built faith and trust with more and more members. That has allowed him to become increasingly influential in shaping the work of Congress." The diversity of his supporters is broad indeed -- from radio talk show host Mike Reagan on the far right to gay Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank on the far left. "He's an independent thinker," Frank says. "He's generally respected and admired by the Democrats for this reason. ... They regard him as someone who tries to be supportive and tries to work with other people, but he's not opportunistic about it." Reagan, who is former President Reagan's son, praises Condit as a straight shooter. "Right or wrong, Gary Condit knows why he believes something," says Reagan, who's had Condit guest host his nationally broadcast show. "What a lot of people do is put their fingers in the wind (to see which way it's blowing). ... But Gary knows why he believes in something instead of just stating the party line." His bipartisan nature is evident in his Washington office, where photos of both President Clinton and Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich hang. "You've got to look for the solutions, and it doesn't matter where they come from," Condit explains. "People want us to do the job and just make government work." Independent streak Condit's independence goes way back. His best-known defiance of party hierarchy came in 1988, when he and the so-called "Gang of Five" tried to boot Willie Brown from the powerful post of speaker of the California Assembly. The effort failed, and Brown punished Condit by stripping away his staff, his committee assignments and his prospects for influencing state legislation. But timing is everything in politics. A few months later, popular valley Democratic U.S. Rep.Tony Coelho left his House seat at midterm to head off a brewing financial scandal. Condit won the special congressional race without a runoff. Condit's been elected by better than 2-to-1 ratios since. His father, the Rev. Adrian Condit, thinks there's a reason. "I'm a very strong Bible-believing minister, and I believe with all my heart that God has had his hand on Gary because every time he was ready for a step up, a door opened up," his father says. He expects more doors are yet to open. A life in politics, however, was never one the Rev. Condit foresaw for the son he watched being born 50 years ago on the family dairy in Oklahoma. As a little boy, Gary tagged along with his father to tent revivals. He sang hymns before his father preached. People loved his music. His young voice could be heard on radio, too. "We used to sing in a quartet with two other girls that were preachers' daughters," recalls his older brother, Burl Condit, a Modesto police sergeant. Not all of Gary Condit's youth was spent in church. Burl tells how his kid brother once bailed him out of a fight, taking on an older boy behind the Flying-A service station: "Gary whipped this guy and whipped him pretty good, too." Condit worked during high school. He spent one rough summer as an oil field roustabout, earning enough to buy an almost-new 1964 Chevy Impala. Young family But his money soon had to go toward more basic needs: Gary and Carolyn married and became parents while they were still teen-agers. The young couple followed the Rev. Condit in 1967 when he left Tulsa, Okla., to become pastor of the Village Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Ceres. "He worked his way through college supporting his family," the Rev. Condit says. "He's done it the hard way." Before graduating from Stanislaus State, Condit loaded ammunition in Riverbank, canned tomatoes in Modesto and sold paint at Montgomery Ward. "That's why Gary has a feel for young working couples," his father says. The congressman has a feel for children, too. At festivals or elsewhere, he singles out youngsters. "What's your name?" Condit asks one boy waiting for a parade in Patterson. "Give me a handshake, buddy. What grade you in? ... How you doing in school? ... Keep up the good work." He reaches out to other children throughout the day. "Some kid is always watching us, and some of them need a word of encouragement. Just take a few minutes and talk to them. Those are important moments," Condit says. "A word of encouragement gets you through the difficult times in your life. ... Every time in my life, that would happen." Guards privacy Condit, however, doesn't talk publicly about difficulties in his own life. Ask him about regrets and he quotes Frank Sinatra: "You know that song? 'Regrets, I've had a few but too few to mention.' " He doesn't dwell on his problems. "Anger and frustration is sort of wasted energy. I try to get over them quick," Condit says. "I work really hard at staying centered and staying balanced." Condit says he constantly strives to remain patient, compassionate and simple. "I try to have patience and compassion for everybody and everything, including myself," he says. "And I try to not take myself too seriously." Keeping life simple while commuting between Ceres and Washington can be tricky, but Carolyn says they make it work. She stays in the Ceres home they've owned for more than 20 years while he bounces between there and their one-bedroom condo in the District of Columbia. "They juggle it so well. My mom and dad work as a team," says Cadee Condit, who soon will graduate from college in Sacramento. She says her father always comes through when the family needs him. She cites the time she wanted her dad to be her escort at the Ceres High homecoming. "He made it home just in time to put on a tux, go to the football game, walk as my escort, dance one dance, pose for the official picture, then catch the red-eye flight back to Washington." Call him Chief Condit flies so often that his 2-year-old grandson thinks he's a pilot. "Every time my boy Couper sees a plane, he yells 'Chief, Chief!'," says son Chad Condit, noting the grandkids' name for Condit. Chief is a perfect nickname for the congressman, according to the Rev. Condit, because "he's got quite a bit of Indian blood in him, and he likes to be in charge." He likes to have fun, too. "When I was a little girl and he was in the state Assembly, we used to sneak up to the Capitol roof to have lunch," Cadee says. She doesn't know how her dad skirted the security alarms. "We'd just sit up there and have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." Instead of a roof, constituents these days are more likely to see Condit seated on a big ol' Harley-Davidson motorcycle, wearing black leather chaps. "I go riding all over the district. Most people don't recognize me," Condit says. "It's therapeutic." A picture of him and his "hog" can be seen at Legends Cafe in Modesto. The display marks his entry into the Easy-riders magazine Hall of Fame. The publication, known for its photos of scantly clad women and motorcycles, lauds Condit as "an unsung hero of the battle that resulted in the repeal of the national helmet law and speed limit." While insisting he's a cautious biker, Condit likes to push himself. He takes pride in keeping physically fit, and he says there's not much that scares him. "I don't dwell on fear," he explains. "Life's an adventure." His motorcycle stays in California, however, so when he's looking for fun in Washington, he turns to best buddy Rep. John Kasich. "He likes country music and I like rock 'n' roll. We swap that back and forth," says Kasich, a Republican from Ohio. "I took him to hear Pearl Jam last year, and he got himself stuck in the mosh pit. He thought people were trying to fight him." Condit says he couldn't get out of the pit fast enough, away from the frenzied slam dancing. Kasich and Condit also shared good times at a Rolling Stones concert at RFK Stadium. "Gary talked me into going. We went, but we didn't have a ride home, so we had to hitchhike back," Kasich says. "No cabs go to a Stones concert." Great friend Concert escapades aside, Kasich calls Condit a great friend. "I trust him. I respect him," confides Kasich. "I'm not aware of anybody who doesn't have good things to say about him. I'm sure there are people out there, but that would just be people who would be jealous. He's a very centered guy. He's got a lot of gravity." He also has a growing power base inside Washington and out. His reputation is as a consensus builder. "Gary was very instrumental in helping bring together the bipartisan effort in Team California," says Lucille Roybal-Allard, a Los Angeles liberal who chairs California's Democratic congressional delegation. Team California is a coalition of lawmakers from all levels of government -- local, state and federal -- from both parties. It identifies key California issues, then mobilizes the state's clout to fight for them. Condit got the group going last year, tapping ties he established during his terms in city, county and state offices. In picking which issues to champion, Condit says his primary focus is fairness. "I'm passionate about people and groups and government being fair," he says. "Another hot button issue for me is bullies ... and people who push other people around." A classic gang of bullies, Condit says, was the tax-protest group that targeted Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder Karen Mathews. Mathews was attacked in 1994 after her office refused to process bogus documents filed by the group. When the investigation into the case stalled, Condit helped spur the FBI into action, and he contributed campaign funds as a reward for catching the criminals. Nine members of the Modesto-based Juris Christian Assembly eventually were convicted in connection with the case. "More than any other legislator, Gary's been open and willing to carrying any legislation that would help me," says Mathews. She says Condit currently is pursuing a law to forbid convicted federal criminals from harassing their victims. "Did you know I'm being sued right now from people in prison?" Unlike some lawmakers who go off to Washington or Sacramento, Mathews says, Condit doesn't forget his constituents: "He's responsive to you whether you're a top official or just plain folk who work out in the field. He's got an open ear." Back in Washington, Condit has the ear of Congress through his guidance of the Blue Dogs. He avoids calling himself the Blue Dogs' leader. Formally, he is the coalition's administrator and de facto spokesman. The 20-plus members cram into his office each week to debate strategy. A huge portrait of a cobalt-blue terrier by artist George Rodrigue overlooks the room. "We're a solution-oriented group," Condit says. "We're for welfare reform. We're for balancing the budget of the country. We're for putting a little touch of common sense into federal regulations." Condit's common-sense views get quoted in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and on CNN and network news shows. The Blue Dog spokesman has even been on the TV shows like "Cross Fire." The Blue Dogs pulled their catchy name from the term Yellow Dog Democrat, a reference to Southern voters so faithful to the Democratic Party that they'd rather vote for a yellow dog than a Republican. There are no such qualms for Blue Dogs, who often break with party leaders to support Republican-authored bills. Condit, in fact, crosses party lines more than most House Democrats. Centrist views Political parties aside, Condit is in the middle of America's political spectrum. With few exceptions, special-interest groups rate him in the philosophical center. Not everyone believes that staying in the middle of the road is a virtue. quot;You can't pinpoint a hard-core political philosophy that guides him," says Rick Minyard, the conservative radio talk show host for KFIV in Modesto. Minyard is one of Condit's most outspoken critics. "You can't say he stands for something ... and that's frustrating. I don't trust people who don't have a philosophy." Chief of Staff Lynch contends that Condit's centrist views appeal to most people. "What both sides know about Gary is that he'll deal with you straight," Lynch says. "He's as you see him. He has no hidden agenda." About Lynch's only criticism of his boss is that Condit is a lousy fund-raiser. While many incumbents have $1 million war chests, Condit has about $100,000 in campaign money on hand. "I have a theory: If you try to do the right thing, you vote your district and you vote the way you should be voting, then you need less money," Condit says. Because Condit doesn't need to pay for campaign ads or signs, he has the luxury of sharing donations with like-minded candidates and contributing to local charities. He buys presents, too. Last year, Condit spent more than $9,000 in campaign funds on gifts and flowers. "We send congratulations stuff to people," he explains. And flowers from his office show up at many funerals. "He's built up a tremendous machine," says Bill Conrad, a Modesto city councilman who was Condit's Republican challenger in 1996. Conrad says Condit's excellent staff, consultants and grass-root support make him tough to beat. "It was great to run against him. I learned a lot from him." While neither Conrad nor any other Republican is challenging Condit this election, that doesn't mean he is unbeatable, says Jennifer Jacobs, a Republican insider and chief of staff for Assemblyman George House. "Things are always changing, and this area is getting more and more conservative all the time," says Jacobs, noting that Condit's moderate stands may not always align with his constituents. "A large percentage of the valley is swinging toward Republicans." Condit doesn't plan to step aside anytime soon. If he has ambition for higher office, he is not mentioning it publicly. "He has a lot of good work still to do in Congress," Chad Condit says. Source: The Modesto Bee
http://www.house.gov/gcondit/modesto_bee.htm
