Knowing When to Leave

After months of silence, Gov. Gray Davis this week gingerly addressed the controversy about Rep. Gary A. Condit, a key Davis ally in California’s Central Valley: “I’m disheartened that Congressman Condit did not speak out more quickly or more fully.” Condit’s two adult children, Chad and Cadee, promptly quit the Davis payroll in a huff.

That this is a family in crisis and even deep denial is painfully evident. What interests us is how Condit’s mendacity since the disappearance of his “close friend,” federal intern Chandra Levy, has affected his ability to do his job. His children said that their high standards of loyalty required them to quit the Davis staff. Their father should consider his loyalty and obligations to his Central Valley constituents and quit. Or at least he should end his political career by not running for reelection next year.

Since Condit (D-Ceres) gave ABC’s Connie Chung an interview last Thursday, his personal ratings have sunk as much as ABC’s briefly soared.

He was supposed to follow Bill Clinton’s worn tracks, showing a measure of contrition. But Condit’s strategy, if that’s the right word, seems to be to attack the messenger. As Condit portrays it, he’s the stand-up guy; everyone else is lying or befuddled.

But the Condit affair is also about the Democratic Party. By now, it’s appropriate to ask where the California Democrats have been hiding.

We’re not talking about tangled issues such as water rights, Macedonia or the budget surplus. It never required keen antennae to detect that something has always been amiss. But instead of prompting indignation, Condit’s actions have been met with something of a yawn by leading Democrats. Condit was popular in his district and a high vote-getter. That, coupled with politicians’ congenital reluctance to criticize a colleague, gave Condit a blanket of immunity for far too long.

The other thing much on Democrats’ minds, of course, is the fate of Condit’s district. In what promises to be a close election for the House next year, each seat counts. The redistricting of Condit’s seat has occupied Democrats more than such details as the fate of Chandra Levy or the congressman’s conduct.

Still, the costs of defending Condit are finally growing too high. House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt has done a somersault, going from calling Condit a man of honor to deploring his stonewalling. We may never know what happened to Levy. But we do know that Condit’s flimflam did nothing to help.

Condit thought his evasions would protect his career. Instead, they destroyed it.