Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Public Reaction To Condit's Interview

Aired August 24, 2001 - 11:07   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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: If today is like most other days, we will hear live from Chandra Levy's parents within the next hour or two. They're said to be less than happy about what Congressman Condit had to say, or did not say. To quote their attorney, "They are outraged."

CNN's James Hattori joins us now from the Levy home in Modesto, California. James, what are you hearing out there?

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Steve. We have not heard publicly yet from the Levys, and it remains to be seen if they are going to have any comment tonight. It's unclear when we will hear from them. They are, we are told, very upset with what they heard and saw last night. On the edge of their seats the entire time, we are told.

It's been -- they've been keeping a pretty low profile in recent days, in fact. They haven't had a whole lot to say to reporters. We're hoping to hear from them later, perhaps in a couple of hours.

If they were looking for some revelation into the disappearance of their daughter who's been missing for nearly four months now, they were likely disappointed with what they heard last night. Maybe disappointed, too, when they head that Congressman Condit say that he did not lie to the Levys, insisting that he never denied he was having an affair with their daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. GARY CONDIT (D), CALIFORNIA: I never lied to Mrs. Levy. But, I'm sorry if she misunderstood the conversations.

BILLY MARTIN, LEVY FAMILY ATTORNEY: From the beginning, all the Levy family has wanted is for Congressman Gary Condit to tell the truth and to help them in the investigation of their missing daughter, Chandra Levy. We had a chance to see tonight that he continues to duck questions. We think he's dishonest in his answers, and he is continuing to frustrate the investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HATTORI: Attorney Billy Martin being a lot more outspoken so far than the Levys themselves. If they choose to make a comment today, Stephen, we will have it for you. FRAZIER: And if they do, James, it wouldn't be a sort of schedule event, it's that sort of comings-and-goings scene that we've often viewed in the past. Is that right?

HATTORI: Exactly. Dr. Levy heads out to work first in usually about an hour or so. If he chooses to make a comment, he steps to the cameras and says something. Mrs. Levy, a lot less structured. If she chooses to come out she'll make a comment. But there's no set schedule at this point.

FRAZIER: James Hattori doing vigil duty outside the Levy home in Modesto. James, thank you very much.

Besides the Levy family, Congressman Condit's performance in this media blitz really matters, when you get down to it, to one group of people: The voters in his home district.

National correspondent Frank Buckley is also in Modesto. He has drawn a choicer assignment, he's been at a restaurant earlier today. I don't know if -- yes, he's still there. Frank, what's the buzz there?

(LAUGHTER)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Stephen, we're at the Mediterranean Market and Grill. And as you know, food is a major priority for me, and we've been talking as well about politics and about the interview. And one person who has been doing that with me is one of waitress here, Bobbie Samroman (ph), who is the person who forced me to have an omelet this morning and go off my diet.

I wanted to ask you, you said that you were able to watch the entire interview last night. What were your impressions?

BOBBIE SAMROMAN: I feel that Connie Chung had a lot of good issues, but I don't feel that Gary actually gave us any good responses to it. And I feel he needs to be more truthful about it, and -- down the road as far as coming to vote for him again.

I feel that he needs to let us know exactly what his issues were with her, and to put us all at ease a little bit to see what kind of congressman we do have.

BUCKLEY: You have a chance to hear a lot of discussion here, this is a place where a lot of people gather in the morning for breakfast, a lot of regulars. What are people saying today?

SAMROMAN: The same thing. They think that he needs to be -- come out with what really has happened between him and the Levy girl. And just to let people know exactly what did take place. I think he's contradicted himself a lot. He used the same issue of, I've been with my wife for 34 years and I'm not perfect.

We know that, but we need to know exactly what did happen, and what the issues with him and her at the very end there, too. BUCKLEY: Did you think that Gary Condit struck the right tone at least, in terms of, do you think he had anything to apologize for, did he do that enough, or did he need to apologize, frankly?

SAMROMAN: Oh, I think he needs to apologize. I think he needs to apologize to the public, to the community. And I think he needs to really do a lot of it, because he's not telling us anything. We need to know something. What's going on, what's really happened here, you know? If he did have a relation with her, That's the whole big issue there.

I think he needs to apologize. My opinion is he does, and he hasn't apologized.

BUCKLEY: You are a Democrat, and you voted for Gary Condit last time, right?

SAMROMAN: Yes.

BUCKLEY: Would you vote for him again? I mean, it's still a year away.

SAMROMAN: He would have to really prove himself to me that he was going to be the man that he's always been. He's been a good one, but I think he would really have to prove to me, to make a lot of issues to me.

BUCKLEY: Appreciate it, thank you very much.

SAMROMAN: Thank you.

BUCKLEY: Bobbie Samroman, a waitress here at the diner where we had our breakfast.

Stephen, back to you.

FRAZIER: Frank Buckley reporting from a restaurant in Modesto, California. That one was telling, Frank. Thank you very much.

Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you so much. They don't vote for Gary Condit, but you can certainly count on New Yorkers for a blunt assessment anyway.

So, let's check in with our Jason Carroll who's getting the scoop on what people think in Manhattan. Jason, hello.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, you are so correct, Daryn. You can always count on a New Yorker for an opinion. You can always count on the tabloids for a dramatic headline. Take a look at "The Daily News:" I Didn't Love Her, I Didn't Kill Her.

That's one of the covers here that we've seen on "The Daily News." The "Post" has Gary Condit on the cover, as well as the "New York Times." Daryn, also "People" magazine, this is the article that I'm sure a lot of folks are going to be talking about as well, "Gary Condit Talks." It has been on the newsstands ever since early this morning, and it has been flying off the newsstands as we've been out here.

Right now we've got Sandy and Zain. We've been getting opinions all morning longer, Daryn, as you know. Sandy, you heard the interview last night?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CARROLL: What did you think?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I thought that he, in particular, ducked tough questions and that he tried to act as though the fact that he's been married for a very long time was enough to make people think that he had nothing to do with her disappearance.

CARROLL: Anything that was not asked, that you think should have been asked?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, that that's a poser. Not asked that you think that somebody should have been asked.

CARROLL: That's a tough one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that he should have said that he would take a lie detector test, that was going to be -- well, that he should have just taken a lie detector test.

CARROLL: OK, all right I'm going to bring in...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From Chandra Levy's parents.

CARROLL: OK. I'm going to bring in Zain here. Don't you go away. Zain, again, you heard the interview last night. Some of your thoughts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I heard excerpts from the interview. I didn't see the interview, per se. But, I don't know. It seemed rather disappointing that he didn't elaborate at all. He -- it was a yes or a no to all of the questions.

CARROLL: Now, how would you want him to elaborate even more? What did you want him to say that he didn't say?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we read the headlines this morning that he didn't love her, but he didn't kill her, you know. But on the other hand, he had an affair with her, which is rather enigmatic that he would say he had an affair, yet didn't love her.

CARROLL: Now, you had also said that the interview was long overdue. Do you agree, Sandy? Do you think that the interview came at the right time, or should it have come sooner?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it should have come sooner, and I also think the fact that he was so cold and so stony faced, as though nothing meant anything to him. He was just so out of it, so robotic that that alone made me think that he definitely had something to do with her disappearance.

CARROLL: Are either one of you going to check out "People" magazine, see what he has to say in there, to see if there's anything different?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think I shall. Yes, yes.

CARROLL: All right. Thank you, both of you. Once again, just getting different opinions here in New York City.

Have a good trip.

Getting different opinions here in New York City. Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: All right, Jason. Thank you so much. Appreciate that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com