Spotlight Focuses on Condit’s Conduct

In “Circling the Wagons ‘Round Gary Condit” (Commentary, Aug. 23), Thomas Doherty asks why Condit’s fellow members of Congress are reluctant to judge him. The answer is simple. There is no proof Rep. Gary Condit (D-Ceres) had anything to do with Chandra Levy’s disappearance.

All that is known is that Condit had an affair with her. Since Condit and many others in Washington consider such philandering to be one of the perquisites of their office, who among them could, or would, cast the first stone? Surely none of them want to be the next Bob Livingston, Newt Gingrich or others whose peccadilloes were exposed to public view as a result of the Clinton/Lewinsky affair.

George W. Serbia

Irvine

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Re “Condit, on TV, Avoids Details of Relationship With Levy,” Aug. 24: At last, the famous Condit speaks! In the interview with Connie Chung he admitted to a warm friendship with a young woman who has probably met with foul play. And then came the astonishing question (astonishing because what the heck did that have to do with anything?), “Did you have an affair with Chandra Levy?”

I waited for him to say (which he didn’t), “Do you mean, did I have sex with the girl? Sorry, I won’t answer that. And you insult me by thinking that I might besmirch the reputation of any woman.”

Not long ago, even mentioning a paramour’s name in a tavern would invoke a duel. Please, please, can’t we have an end to this tempest in a chamber pot?

Carleton H. Ralston

Los Angeles

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Condit is a dead mouse on the kitchen floor of America and needs to be swept into the trash. His conduct on “PrimeTime Thursday” was really sad in so many ways. He’s finished, and his arrogance won’t allow him to read the writing on the wall.

Jesse Vega

El Segundo

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It was heartening to read in George Skelton’s Aug. 23 column that Condit favors posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms. This should certainly discourage schoolchildren from committing adultery.

Margaret Morris

Ventura