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CNN Live At Daybreak

Congressman Condit Back on the Hill

Aired September 05, 2001 - 08:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Washington, where Congressman Gary Condit is due back today after the month-long summer recess, but the mood is decidedly different on Capitol Hill since Condit spoke publicly about his relationship with Chandra Levy. And there are increasing signs his political future is in doubt.

CNN's congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl is up on the Hill this morning -- good morning, Jonathan.

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Well, with Congress back in session, Condit will be facing his colleagues for the first time in five weeks and with widespread disappointment with his media appearances over that August recess.

The congressman's daughter, Cadee Condit, went on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" last night to offer a vigorous defense of her father.

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CADEE CONDIT, REP. CONDIT'S DAUGHTER: Well, the reason I'm here tonight is because people have made my dad out to be this demon. He is the most loving, caring, compassionate man I know. Anyone who calls my dad a murderer, I'm going to come on your show and defend him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: Political observers on Capitol Hill say that with a busy fall agenda up here that the interest in the Condit story is not quite what it once was or what it was even before Congress went on its August recess.

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CHUCK TODD, "THE HOTLINE": I think there's going to be an anticipation that this gets out of the way now. Get it out of the way this next week or two. And I think a lot of Democrats -- a lot of House Democrats are going to want Gephardt to whatever punishment that's going to come, whatever committee assignment they want to take away from him, do it now, get it out of the way. They don't need another two months of Gary Condit dominating the news.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KARL: Now, Gary Condit does have two very key committee assignments here on the House of Representatives side of the Capitol -- one is the Agricultural Committee, the other is the Intelligence Committee. But aides to Democratic leader Dick Gephardt say that it is not clear that Gephardt can actually do anything in terms of stripping those committee assignments away.

Gephardt has been very critical of Condit's behavior in his comments of those media interviews that he did over the August recess. But his aides say that there isn't any precedent to actually remove a member of Congress from a committee assignment while Congress is in session. And those aides to Gephardt point out to a number of Republicans over the years who have actually continued to serve on their committee assignments even after they have been indicted.

So it's unclear what punishment, if any, Gary Condit would face up here from his colleagues -- Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jon Karl, thanks so much.

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