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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Will Gary Condit Run for Re-Election?

Aired August 14, 2001 - 20:00   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.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Tonight, reaction to our exclusive interview with Gary Condit's chief of staff, Mike Lynch, who made news.

Will Congressman Condit seek re-election?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE LYNCH, GARY CONDIT'S CHIEF OF STAFF: He -- early on, long before this issue, he has decided to seek re-election, and those plans have not changed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Gary Condit has lost his editorial support, but what about the voters? We'll go live to Condit country, and I'll speak live with three reporters who've been closely following the Chandra Levy story since day one.

After leveling a Palestinian police station, Israeli forces move in on villages near Bethlehem. Tough responses to recent violence, including the bloody suicide bombing in Jerusalem. I'll speak with "USA Today" correspondent Jack Kelley, who almost became one of the victims of that blast.

New Jersey's Supreme Court steps in as a divorced couple battles for custody over their frozen embryos. Could the U.S. Supreme Court be next?

Good evening. I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting tonight from Washington.

Let the campaign begin. Embattled Democratic Congressman Gary Condit is gearing up for next year's congressional election. His chief of staff, Mike Lynch, said on this program last night that the fallout from the Chandra Levy investigation has not changed Condit's plans to seek re-election. Lynch also said Condit will speak publicly sooner rather than later.

Today, sources close to the congressman said that would happen sometime between now and Labor Day, and that's our top story.

Condit's political plans came despite calls for his resignation from newspapers serving his district, newspapers which had been longtime supporters. To help us take the pulse in what has long been known as Condit country, let's go live to CNN's Rusty Dornin, she's in Modesto, California. Rusty, give us the reaction.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, you know, newspaper editorials may or may not sway people's minds in this case. Now, certainly it adds another rock to the ever-growing pile of boulders, but one segment of the population we have not heard much from is the agricultural community.

Now, not all of Condit's constituents live in towns and cities. Much of his big money backing comes from the wealthy farmers and ranchers. We haven't heard much from them on this, and until Condit says something, we probably won't.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Fourth-generation peach farmer John Mundt picks his crop a few miles from Congressman Gary Condit's house. Mundt has always voted for Condit, so has his family.

JOHN MUNDT, PEACH GROWER: What he is trying to accomplish has always been pro-agriculture. So, in that respect, we have always backed Gary, and we're -- you know, this is kind of Condit country.

DORNIN: It was, but after a stinging editorial in "The Modesto Bee" and an angry response from the congressman, Condit country may not be what it used to be.

MUNDT: I'm like probably a lot of the growers, we're on the fence. We want to see what Gary has got to say and how it is going to affect the ongoing investigation, and that will be the determining factor whether we still support Gary or not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm still withholding judgment, because I don't think all the pieces are in.

DORNIN: Enough pieces, though, for some Modesto residents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As long as he has done a good job, I mean, it shouldn't really matter. Politics has nothing to do with his sexual relations.

DORNIN: Despite mounting pressure to encourage Condit to quit, the congressman's chief of staff says he will run for re-election.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He can run for office as many times as he wants, I don't think his chances are going to be too good, not after all this.

DORNIN: What people think across the nation showed up in more than 300 letters and e-mails to "The Modesto Bee" following its editorial. From as far away as Florida, Michigan and Colorado, it was nearly three to one in favor of Condit's resignation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: So, it has become sort of a waiting game. What will he say and when will he say it? Constituents here have yet to see hide nor hair of Congressman Condit -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Rusty, the pressure on Congressman Condit seems to be enormous right now. I take it the anticipation in his district must be building right now?

DORNIN: It's building very high, Wolf, but yet people just are unsure if he really is going to step forward before he goes back after the recess back to Congress. They're hoping that he will, that he will come forward and say something, but then there are also those who are wondering how will he do this? Will this be a public statement where he will answer any questions at all, or will this be a controlled environment, where he only wants to say what he wants to say?

BLITZER: Rusty Dornin in Modesto, thank you very much.

They've been looking into the Chandra Levy case and the Gary Condit connection from the beginning. I'm joined now by Tom Squitieri, national correspondent for "USA Today," Michael Doyle, the Washington correspondent for "The Modesto Bee" and "The Fresno Bee," which serve Gary Condit's district, and CNN national correspondent Bob Franken. Thanks to all three of you for joining us.

Michael, first of all, what are you hearing back home in Modesto, what are you hearing beyond what Rusty said about the reaction to Gary Condit's latest statement and the interview we did with Mike Lynch?

MICHAEL DOYLE, "MODESTO BEE," "FRESNO BEE": Well, as Rusty mentioned, actually more than 400 e-mails and snail mail letters have been received by "The Modesto Bee." By 99 to one margin, they've been in support of the editorial, which raises a lot of concern for the congressman. When I have talked to campaign contributors to Mr. Condit in the past, there has been some indication of some erosion. I think the basic response is waiting to see what he has to say.

BLITZER: And as far as what you are hearing, there is no doubt he's going to seek re-election?

DOYLE: No indication whatsoever, except that his plans are to seek re-election, and as he said in his statement and Mr. Lynch reiterated last night on your show, he fully intends to let the voters decide his fate.

BLITZER: Bob, one of the themes we heard from Mike Lynch yesterday, which I assume will be a theme that Gary Condit will make -- it's the news media's fault for all the apparent trouble that he is in. I want you to listen to this excerpt from the interview from what Mike Lynch said last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNCH: The police have said from day one that Congressman Condit has no link to the disappearance of Chandra Levy, they have said from day one that he has been fully forthcoming of information related to the disappearance. You know, they have said -- they have said all that stuff. You have seen all the quotes. You guys in the press -- not you guys, but many people in the press -- just don't print it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Is that a successful strategy? Other politicians have used blame the media in the past.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And they have been successful with it on occasion. I don't think that Gary Condit has been successful with it. He might have been, but many people believe that the way he does the media handling was amateurish, that he didn't go a good job of it and wasn't able to make the complaint that normally sticks stick.

BLITZER: You have seen this kind of strategy, blame the news media, covering Watergate, covering a lot of stories over the years. Is this going to be an effective strategy, as part of his strategy?

TOM SQUITIERI, "USA TODAY": There is a big difference in the past blame the media strategies, Wolf, and that is, right now there is a missing girl, a missing young woman who is a daughter of two of his constituents. So, until that is resolved, until she is found or there has been some resolution of it, that's the political sword of Damocles over Condit's head right now.

He can blame the media all he wants, but we didn't introduce him to Chandra Levy, we didn't buy her those gifts, we didn't do any of the stuff that has led to the dilemma he is in.

DOYLE: There's a point as well, which is that the blame the media strategy may fall short of the media's feeding appetite. All indications are to our newspaper and the e-mails we get, there is a tremendous appetite for information on this story, and so that may hinder that kind of strategy.

BLITZER: Bob, Mike Lynch denies that there is a change in strategy, but it seems, at least to me, and you have been covering this story from day one, seems that there is a more pro-active effort on the Condit behalf. I want you to listen to what Mike Lynch said last night in insisting there is no real change in what the congressman plans to do. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNCH: Let me make very clear: This is not a change in Congressman Condit's position or strategy. He has said from the beginning of this issue and the beginning of the inquiries that at the appropriate time in the investigation, he would make a public comment, and he would do it through the appropriate venue and to the appropriate people. This is not a change at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Is it a change?

FRANKEN: No. No. Quite frankly, he has had his representatives out there before -- Abbe Lowell, of course, has spoken publicly, others have spoken on behalf of Congressman Condit, as did Mike Lynch. In addition to which, he's absolutely correctly. From almost day one, Abbe Lowell and Congressman Condit and his staff members have said at the appropriate time -- they would determine what's appropriate -- that they would speak out. No, I don't see any change at all.

BLITZER: But Tom, the fact that he issued this lengthy statement Sunday night after those two editorials urged him, called on him to resign, the fact that they put Mike Lynch out -- I haven't seen that kind of public posture lately.

SQUITIERI: No, you are right about that. I think that was a direct response to the two editorials in "The Modesto Bee" and "The Fresno Bee,". and as well as the one in the Ceres weekly paper, the week before, his home town paper. They couldn't let that sort of hemorrhaging beginning off of those editorials. Mike has pointed out that the sort of response from readers to that, you couldn't have let that to go unchecked.

BLITZER: Is there any sense right now, Mike, what kind of public appearance he will make, the format? There has been a lot of speculation, we are told, that he will do it before Congress comes back in early September.

DOYLE: And we are told it will be sooner rather than later, but all indications that I have are that those decisions are being made right now -- the venue, the questioner, whether there will be a questioner, whether it will be done strictly locally or not. I believe that it's a tough choice for the campaign people to make is, who they will talk to, and how, and when, and my indications are that that's still being decided.

SQUITIERI: And I'm willing to believe, Wolf, that Condit is very, very actively involved in the discussions and the formulation of how this is going to happen.

FRANKEN: And in fact, that's an interesting thing to remember here: Condit, with all his advisers, is really running the show. The statement that was put out the other night, grammatical errors and all, was written by Gary Condit.

BLITZER: Was there any wiggle room in the statement that was put out the other night, grammatical errors and all, were written by Gary Condit.

BLITZER: Was there any wriggle room in the statement that Mike Lynch made last night seeking re-election? Listen precisely to what I asked him and what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Mike Lynch, we only have a second left. Will Congressman Condit seek re-election?

LYNCH: Early on, long before this issue, he had decided to seek re-election, and those plans have not changed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Any wriggle room?

SQUITIERI: I think there is wriggle room there. I mean, he made the decision before this issue came up. Something happens down the road that could change that decision.

BLITZER: Do you agree?

DOYLE: I do agree. This case study over the last few months have shown us that what spokesmen say at any given time can always be made inoperative later.

FRANKEN: But we're assuming that he's going to change his mind. It's about 12 to 13 -- 15 months until the next election. That's eternity.

BLITZER: But he's got a fund-raiser that annually -- that he schedules in October, a big one in Condit country. Indications are that he's going ahead with that.

DOYLE: Indeed, on October 20 at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds it will be held. It will be crucial for three reasons: One, to raise the money he needs to run again; one, to demonstrate to his grassroots base support that he's still active, and three, there will be a lot of reporters that don't normally show up in Modesto at that event to see how it goes.

FRANKEN: But to argue just the opposite point, two months is a political eternity too. He could change mind.

SQUITIERI: Well, I was going to say, point four is to show the establishment Democrats in Sacramento, as well as in Washington, that he can still win that seat and hold the seat and they'd better not try to redistrict him out.

BLITZER: I thought one point that Mike Lynch made that probably scored points, was that -- let's not lose the fact that the investigation still continues, trying to find Chandra Levy. I want you to listen to what he said on this specific point last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNCH: In the final analysis, at the end of business, at the close of the day, people are going to recognize that Congressman Condit has no link to the disappearance, and that we have mystery here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Is there a sense that there is some development? Is there anything happening? And I want all three of you to weigh in on the investigation of missing -- this missing person that is moving this case forward at all.

SQUITIERI: There are developments happening very slowly. I think it's really self-serving for anyone to say that nobody is a suspect yet until we find out -- indeed, solve the mystery. So the idea that any story about Congressman Condit and his staff is not relevant to the search for Chandra Levy -- you can't say that until you know what happens at the end.

DOYLE: On that, I agree there are developments. They are through the FBI team led by Brad Garrett, who are famous for taking years, if necessary, to investigate. They are probably going back to square one and rebuilding the investigation.

The second case is the story about Gary Condit is now on separate track entirely. Maybe it's unfortunate, but his future is now a separate story from the investigation.

FRANKEN: To embellish Tom's point, yes, Congressman Condit and his staff are still the object of the attention of the authorities. But so are other people, and the Condit people want to make this point repeatedly. The police say he is not the central figure in this investigation. They are looking at a lot of people, the police say, and certainly Congressman Condit's people say.

BLITZER: OK. I want to thank all three of you, Tom Squitieri, Mike Doyle, Bob Franken. Three of the best in the business covering this story not only for your own organizations but for us as well. I appreciate it very much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

BLITZER: And this programming note: Chandra Levy's parents, Susan and Bob Levy, will appear on "LARRY KING LIVE" tomorrow night at nine p.m. eastern for the full hour.

In other news tonight: President Bush turned his attention to the latest flare-up in the Middle East. Describing a "cauldron of violence, " he called on Israelis and Palestinians to help put the fire out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The cycle of violence has got to end. In order for -- in order for the peace process or any peace process begin. And therefore, Mr. Arafat must clamp down on the suicide bombers and on the violence, and the Israelis must show restraint.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The president's comments came as Israeli forces closed in on a Palestinian village near the town of Bethlehem. The two sides differed as to whether Israel sent tanks into the villages. The area has been a recent flashpoint, and was the scene of gun battles today.

Just hours earlier, Israel sent tanks and armored bulldozers into the northern West Bank city of Jenin, flattening a police station. Israel described that area as a "hornets' nest" of suicide bombers, saying the raid was a signal to the Palestinian Authority to put a halt to terrorist attacks.

The suicide bomber who blew himself up in a Jerusalem pizzeria Thursday took the lives of 15 other people. "USA Today" Correspondent Jack Kelley was almost one of them. In an interview we hoped to bring you last night, but couldn't because of breaking news, I spoke with Kelley about his nightmarish experience.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Jack Kelley, thanks so much for joining us. Tell us, where you were precisely last Thursday when that Sbarro pizzaria exploded.

JACK KELLEY, "USA TODAY": Sure. We had walked into the Sbarro. We had hoped to get a slice of pizza, but there were lots of young families there. So we had walked out. As I walked out, the gentlemen who would be the suicide bomber was right in front of me. I said, "excuse me" and I continued to walk 30 yards down. And that's when the bomb exploded.

BLITZER: How did you know later that that individual was in fact the suicide bomber?

KELLEY: Because right after the bombing, we actually walked into the pizza restaurant and unfortunately there was gentleman's head laying on the floor and I could recognize him as the gentleman who I had saw a couple of nights earlier.

BLITZER: You wound up having lunch right across the street, is that right?

KELLEY: About 30 yards down that same -- on that same side of the street, that's right.

BLITZER: What happened when you heard the explosion? Give us your eyewitness account. You obviously ran outside. What did you see and what did you hear?

KELLEY: As soon as the explosion took place, I was knocked right to the ground, as was the gentleman who I was with. I turned back then and I remember seeing three bodies hitting the ground. As soon as the three bodies hit the ground, their heads decapitated, we ran straight on up there and I -- the first person who I came in contact with was a woman who had a nail stuck in her eye, apparently from the bomb. There was one other woman with several nails inside of her body and there was a young girl face whose had been charred and burned beyond recognition screaming out the name of her mother.

BLITZER: In addition to being a reporter, you are obviously always a human being. What kind of emotions were you going through witnessing what this -- carnage.

KELLEY: Well, as a reporter, I instantly went on auto pilot and did what I was supposed to do. There was one point when I just stopped and just looked throughout the entire area and I realized that I was surrounded by nothing but blood and flesh. And a gentleman turned to me -- he had lost his legs -- looked at me and said, "Please help me. I'm dying." And I really couldn't do anything. I just sat there and within a couple seconds he passed.

BLITZER: How has all of this -- these past four days -- how has it affected you personally?

KELLEY: I guess I've come to realize that there is little chance for any peace opportunity here. This has been going on for 2,000 years and it's going to go on for the next couple of years. I passed by the Sbarro several times, and I seem to relive what I saw. And I'll probably be living with that for a couple of months.

BLITZER: I take it you have been having trouble sleeping or trying to sleep at night?

KELLEY: My best rehabilitation is to write what I see and write what I feel and to get it out of my system that way. This has been a little bit harder, because you keep living with the images of gentleman turning to me, of the child coming up to me, but you just try to write as much as you can so that the reader will hopefully feel the same thing feel and sense the same thing you sensed.

BLITZER: Jack Kelley, a traumatic experience for you. Thanks so much for sharing some of that with our viewers tonight. Thank you very much. Powerful experience.

And up next, a bizarre custody battle involving frozen embryos. Can one woman's embryo be used against her will? The New Jersey Supreme Court weighs in. And if you're afraid of sharks, you definitely want to stay away from this stretch of water. The location, when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome Back. New Jersey's Supreme Court says the frozen embryos of a divorced couple cannot be implanted in another woman. The court took the side of the woman who didn't want to become a parent again against her will. Her former husband wanted the embryos preserved so they could be adopted or donated to an infertile couple. The court ruled the embryos could be stored or destroyed, but not used by someone else.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JAMES KATZ, FORMER WIFE'S ATTORNEY: We are thrilled. The court reaffirmed everything we said which is that parenthood should and matter of choice, not coercion. And that the act of bringing a child into the world is an act of love and should not be something bartered in the marketplace. (END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC SPEVAK, ATTORNEY FOR FORMER HUSBAND: However we believe that that issue has to be brought to the highest court. And that is one of the reasons we are discussing this with our client. But we believe that the decision was made once they went into IBS treatment program. And once they decided to go through with that, at that point their choice was made.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BLITZER: The attorney for the former husband also says his client hasn't decided yet whether to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Midway Airlines is blaming drops in business traffic, low fares and the high cost of fuel as it files for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy protection. The carrier is cutting service to nine airports, including Los Angeles and cutting back on flights to other routes. Midway says it will drop 700 people from its payroll and get rid of 17 planes.

Out West, more than 17,000 firefighters are trying to contain blazes in eight states. The National Interagency Fire Center is shifting its focus to Northern California, Oregon and Washington. Several areas in California were evacuated because of the threat from six large fires. The fires in California have scorched at least 100,000 acres.

A warning for swimmers and boaters to stay clear of the waters north of Tampa Bay, Florida. After hundreds of sharks were spotted near shallow waters, they could be easily seen from air. Authorities say they've spotted bull sharks, hammerheads and nurse sharks. The sharks were first seen yesterday. No one has been attacked.

Tonight on "The Leading Edge," a new study suggests elderly women can benefit from taking estrogen, even when they begin late in life. The study found estrogen replacement therapy significantly improved bone density in frail, older women. The study appears in tomorrow's "Journal Of The American Medical Association."

A giant solar-powered wing has boldly gone where no airplane has gone before -- 96,500 feet above Earth, to be exact. It's called the Helios, and its one of NASA's experimental aircraft. The flight broke the old altitude record by more than 10,000 feet.

Kermit the frog and hundreds of other historic objects from the National Museum of American History here in Washington are now on display in cyberspace. The Smithsonian Museum lacks the space to show all of its million-plus belongings, so it's launched a new Web site, "History wired: A Few of Our Favorite Things." You can find a like to that site at our CNN web site, CNN.com/wolf.

Up next, I'll open our mailbag. As you can imagine, we received lots of reaction to my interview last night with Condit chief of staff Mike Lynch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Time now to open our mailbag. We were flooded with reaction to my interview with Condit chief of staff Mike Lynch. John from Louisiana: "Just watching him squirm and avoid the questions you asked, literally made me nauseous."

Elton from New York, "I have never heard anyone say so much while really saying so little."

Carmela from Waldorf, Maryland: "I was infuriated to see that CNN wasted valuable air time having Mike Lynch on your show. Why didn't the coward, Mr. Condit, come to your show to defend himself?"

Barb from Arlington, Virginia: "I'm glad you had Mr. Lynch on your program. He is a good spokesman for Congressman Condit. The media have made a circus of a serious situation."

And John from Texas: "It is a tragedy that Miss Levy is missing, but the only thing that the congressman appears to be guilty of is adultering with a young woman who did not work for him."

Remember, I want to hear from you. Please e-mail me at wolf@CNN.com. And you can read my daily online column and sign up for my e-mail previewing our nightly programs by going to my Web site, CNN.com/wolf.

Please stay with CNN throughout the night. A panel on the British royal family is on "LARRY KING LIVE" at the top of the hour. Up next, Greta Van Susteren. She's standing by to tell us what she has -- Greta.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST, CNN'S "THE POINT": Twenty-six-year-old Helen Beasley is a surrogate mother. She is pregnant with twins. The problem: the deal was only one. Now she is in court. We will talk about to story plus a panel of journalists. We are not going to just talk about Condit country. We are going to talk about how Condit is playing in the rest of America -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks, Greta. Sounds good. Tomorrow night, I'll talk with John Walsh, the host of "America's Most Wanted." If you have questions you want to ask him, to go to CNN.com/wolf.

Thanks very much for watching. I am Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "THE POINT WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN" begins right now.

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