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CNN Live At Daybreak

Condit Tells Colleagues He's Leaning Toward Retirement

Aired September 07, 2001 - 07:04   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: A published report out this morning says California Congressman Gary Condit is telling colleagues he's leaning toward retirement.

Our Bob Franken has been reporting that Condit's friends believe he'll leave office. Bob joins us now from Washington with the details -- good morning, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.

And that's been based on conversations over the last week, during which time CNN has reported that people who speak with Condit and have spoken with Condit have come away with an impression. They say that that is his inclination. So the "Washington Post" is saying something similar in a slightly different way.

Now, the family has even brought this up and say there has been quite a bit of discussion about his resigning, that pretty much everybody has given up not resigning, on announcing that he would not run again. They pretty much say he is not planning to resign but is probably, in their minds, going to, in fact, ultimately decide not to run again. The family has spoken, of course, on the "LARRY KING SHOW." His daughter Cadee said it is a "50-50 proposition."

As a matter of fact, she said that really she bases her feelings on the fact that her father, Congressman Gary Condit, has really lost a lot of his morale.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CADEE CONDIT, GARY CONDIT'S DAUGHTER: You know, I don't know if we'll ever get the twinkle back.

LARRY KING, HOST: Oh, really?

CONDIT: It's just unbelievable how much this has changed him.

KING: Yeah, that's--there was a twinkle?

CONDIT: That's right.

KING: But this is something new to us, we didn't see this.

CONDIT: My dad loves life. He loves to go to my nephew, his grandkids' little league games. He loves to work out in the back yard, your regular stuff, and that's just been sucked out of him. And he can't go to little league games anymore because he'd be followed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Now, there was quite a bit of speculation last week he would announce his decision, Congressman Condit, before he came back to Washington. Now he's consulting with some of his friends and colleagues, as we know. There is an October fundraiser the congressman has and there is a possibility he'll wait until then or he could wait until December. And, of course, he could decide that he's going to tough it out.

All of these are possibilities. The friends also say nobody should draw a conclusion until Congressman Condit does -- Carol.

PHILLIPS: All right, Bob Franken, thanks so much.

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