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To: Poet who wrote (1668)	8/15/2001 2:55:06 PM
From: Poet	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1857

Hubris: August 15, 2001 Condit Planning Fund-Raiser, in Sign of Next Re-election Bid By EVELYN NIEVES AN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14 — With polls showing that a majority of his constituents no longer support him, calls for his resignation from the local newspapers and a name that has become tied to a missing 24- year-old woman, Representative Gary A. Condit appears to be trying to rehabilitate his image in time to run for re-election in his Central Valley district next year. Mr. Condit is proceeding with plans for the annual "Condit Country" fund-raising barbecue in Modesto, Calif., in the fall, said Marina Ein, a spokeswoman, confirming a report in today's New York Post. Mr. Condit, a seven-term conservative Democrat, was widely popular before Chandra Ann Levy, a federal intern from his district whom he called "a good friend," was reported missing. Ms. Ein, who was hired by Mr. Condit in Washington to handle the press on the Levy case, also said the representative was working out the details for his first public appearance to discuss the matter. For more than three months, Mr. Condit has been ducking reporters staking out his Washington apartment and office, his home in Ceres, Calif., and his district office in Modesto. But on Sunday, he issued a lengthy statement criticizing calls for his resignation by The Fresno Bee and The Modesto Bee, the major daily newspapers in the 18th Congressional District, saying the editorials were unfair. On Monday, Mr. Condit's chief of staff, Mike Lynch, appeared on CNN for the first time since Ms. Levy's case cast a spotlight on the congressman. He defended his boss's public silence, criticized speculation by the press and affirmed Mr. Condit's plans to seek an eighth term. The congressman, Mr. Lynch said, has been cooperative with the police, who have interviewed him four times, even as he maintained a public silence about the case. The police have said he is not a suspect. Mr. Lynch would not answer questions from the CNN reporter, Wolf Blitzer, about whether Mr. Condit had had a romantic relationship with Ms. Levy, whose family has publicly said was having an affair with the 53- year-old married representative. Mr. Lynch, who in the early weeks of the case had denied that Mr. Condit's relationship with Ms. Levy was sexual, said: "The fact of the matter is, that whole relationship issue is irrelevant anyway. You know, the issue here is the disappearance." Mr. Lynch's office said he was not available today. Most of Mr. Condit's colleagues from both major political parties have been silent on his actions. But privately, California Democratic leaders and political analysts have said Mr. Condit's career is probably over, especially after a flight attendant who said she had had an affair with Mr. Condit announced that he had urged her to sign an affidavit denying it. He has not denied the affair but has, through his aides, denied urging the flight attendant, Anne Marie Smith, to lie. Last month, a CBS News poll of 1,001 Californians found that 53 percent of those asked would not vote for Mr. Condit again, and 64 percent thought he had hindered the police investigation.