REP. Gary Condit’s political future now looks so precarious that fellow California Dems are considering carving his district out from under him through redistricting.
“The question is whether his district can be saved under any scenario, or whether we should cannibalize it to help other Democrats,” said a California Democratic strategist wary of the political fallout over missing intern Chandra Levy.
“I don’t see how he recovers, and there’s a growing feeling that he’s a goner,” the strategist added.
Just three weeks ago, the same strategist pooh-poohed the idea that Condit’s seat could be vaporized when new lines are drawn for the 2002 election, based on the 2000 census.
Asked what’s changed, the strategist replied: “The flight attendant saying he asked her to lie. Him admitting he had an affair with Chandra Levy. Cops searching his apartment and taking his DNA. The earth has moved.”
And Dems don’t have much time to sort it out.
Normally, the redistricting must be done by Sept. 14, a mere two months from now. The only alternative is a special legislative session. But that would look crude if it appeared to be aimed at Chandra-related political calculus.
Democrats control redistricting in California since they control both houses of the state Legislature and Gov. Gray Davis is a Democrat. The state is gaining one House seat.
But Condit’s seat is marginal; President Bush won his district by nine points, even though he lost California by 12. And analysts say it’s doubtful that any Democrat, including Condit, can win the district now.
So, Dems are weighing taking chunks of Democratic voters out of the district and moving them into adjoining districts to bolster lawmakers like Rep. Cal Dooley. If Condit’s a lost cause, why “waste” those votes for the next 10 years?
Their decision is complicated by the fact that Davis is close to Condit and has hired his kids. If Democrats do anything that seems to be aimed at protecting Condit in redistricting, they risk a backlash. But if they decimate his district, they’ll be giving the impression that he’s guilty of something.
Democratic leaders in Congress are also getting testy about Condit. House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt yesterday ducked questions about him at a news conference while TV cameras were rolling.
When a few reporters chased him down the hall to press him, he replied: “The issue is whether Gary Condit is cooperating with police,” adding he thinks Condit is.
Hardly a ringing endorsement.
Judicial Watch, the conservative legal group, is growling that Republicans seem reluctant to join it in filing an ethics complaints against Condit. But GOP strategists say that shows they’ve learned something from Sexgate.
“Why make it look partisan? Why should we get involved when he’s doing a fine job of bringing himself down?” asks a House GOP strategist.
Says another: “It’s just so yucky that no one wants to get near it.”