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CNN Live At Daybreak

Will Condit Call It a Career

Aired September 07, 2001 - 08:05   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: We're going to talk about Gary Condit now: Is he going to call it a career? Well, a published report out this morning says the California congressman is telling colleagues he is leaning toward retirement.

CNN has been reporting similar information, and our Bob Franken is with me now with more details -- hi, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

And that's the "Washington Post" making that report. For the last, almost couple of weeks now, CNN has been quoting friends of the congressman -- associates of the congressman, some of whom have spoken with him saying they believed as the result of their experience with him that, in fact, he would probably announce he would not run again for reelection next year. They say that resignation is not really something they consider hardly possible, but the possibility that he would not run is something that they all expect.

Many of them have had conversations with Condit. Members of his family have talked openly about the fact they have discussed this. His daughter, Cadee Condit, told Larry King it was about 50-50 that he would call it quits and announce he was not going to run again.

There was quite a bit of speculation from these same people last week that before he came back to Washington the congressman would have announced his intentions. Now, of course, he is here. He is assessing, we are told by associates, how his colleagues are going to receive him. There are various deadlines that they have put up. It could happen anytime, they say. It could be in October before a major fundraiser that Condit normally holds. It could come before the December 7 filing deadline in California. And they warn that Condit is really vacillating.

On "LARRY KING LIVE" earlier this week, Cadee Condit, the congressman's daughter, talked about his morale.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CADEE CONDIT, GARY CONDIT'S DAUGHTER: He's OK. I mean, it's tough. I don't know how he's held in there for the last four months. It's been the most difficult thing in our life.

LARRY KING, HOST: Your brother said it showed on him. CONDIT: Yeah, oh, unbelievable.

KING: Do you see a different guy?

CONDIT: Totally different guy. He's heartbroken.

KING: Lines coming where they weren't there before?

CONDIT: And I'm really sad that my kids might not get to meet the Gary Condit that raised me.

KING: How do you mean?

CONDIT: Well, I don't know if we'll ever get the twinkle back.

KING: Oh, really?

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Now, if the associates, who said he was going to come to Washington and weigh the reception he got from his colleagues in Congress, if they are correct, then the experience that people have noticed thus far is he has gotten a much warmer reception than many thought that he would, considering the fact that so many people sort of walked away from him after the interview -- the interviews -- the media interviews, which caused really kind of a negative effect.

So, the decision has not been made, we are told by everybody. But the congressman is considering it. A lot of those closest to him certainly are recommending that he not run for reelection -- Kyra.

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

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