Carolyn Condit's illness
Patty
Condit's wife, Carolyn, lives in Ceres and sees him when he visits on weekends and during
her occasional trips to Washington. Aides say she has suffered from mild health problems
after contracting encephalitis several years ago.
Congressman stays quiet on intern's disappearance
Parents press Condit to talk to police again
By Ellen Gamerman
Sun National Staff
Originally published June 23, 2001
WASHINGTON - Rep. Gary A. Condit was a man on the move this week, hurtling down Capitol
Hill corridors, dashing out of committee hearings, escaping behind the closed door of his
office - at one point even covering his face with his hands when a camera was pointed his
way.
As reporters shout questions about his friendship with Chandra Levy, a 24-year-old intern
who vanished seven weeks ago, the California Democrat avoids them all. Of the mysteries
surrounding the disappearance of a woman Condit has described as a "good friend" and
"great person," one of the most intriguing questions lies in his strained silence.
"Gosh, this just doesn't look good," said Jeff Benziger, editor of the Ceres Courier,
Condit's hometown paper in the San Joaquin Valley. "He just can't come out and say he
absolutely had nothing to do with this girl, and that really bothers me. It seems like
he's running away."
On the run in the midst of a media frenzy, never breaking a frozen smile to utter a public
word about their relationship, the married lawmaker has fueled a tabloid-style story as he
seeks to avoid it.
The 53-year-old with spiky blond hair and a well-tended tan has appeared wan and tired.
This week, as colleagues approached him on the House floor in gestures of support, he
thanked them for their concern and assured them he was fine.
Police have said he is not a suspect. Even so, he has turned from cameras and refused to
talk to reporters. Instead, he has released short statements saying the focus needs to be
on finding Levy, and he has left the emphatic denials of a romantic relationship to his
staff.
Now, Levy's parents, who have waged a public relations campaign to keep the police focused
on their daughter's disappearance, have hired a high-profile Washington lawyer, as has
Condit.
Yesterday, both sides issued dueling statements over the timing of a much-talked-about
meeting that has yet to materialize between Condit and police to discuss Levy's last days
before her disappearance. The Levys urged Condit to see police yesterday; Condit said he
wants to meet with authorities as soon as possible and is trying to schedule a time.
"I'm sure this would wear on anybody," says Rep. Mike Thompson, a friend and fellow
California Democrat who sat through an Agriculture subcommittee hearing as photographers
trained lenses on a stressed-looking Condit during discussions of cottonseed oil.
"I've asked him how he's doing, and he said he's holding up," said Thompson.
Condit's aides take pains to point out their boss set up a reward after Levy vanished and
urged the FBI to join the search. They insist he is active behind the scenes.
"He's said from the start, when the investigation warrants it, he's willing to talk to
anybody about any of this at any time," said spokesman Mike Lynch. "Until then, it's
irresponsible to go out and do that. You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you
don't."
Levy, from Condit's district, had just completed a six-month internship in the public
relations office at the federal Bureau of Prisons when she disappeared. Levy, who had told
friends she was involved with someone whose work involved Capitol Hill, was last seen at a
Washington gym April 30.
Susan Levy has said her daughter told her she was having an affair with Condit, though she
later backed off that assertion. Published reports also say that Chandra Levy called
Condit's pager repeatedly before she vanished. Levy - whose parents were expecting her to
return to California to receive her graduate degree - disappeared, leaving her wallet and
packed bags in her apartment.
Condit met with the Levys in Washington on Thursday night, with lawyers present. He is
expected to meet with police as early as today.
"We are re-interviewing, trying to get some clarity so we can paint a better portrait of
Chandra Levy," said Executive Assistant Police Chief Terrance Gainer. "The congressman was
helpful before. We've learned a lot more since then, things in the press, which we hope to
clarify, too."
Condit hails from a swath of farm country where residents overwhelmingly backed George W.
Bush in the last election.
Many voters in the district don't look warmly on politicians who face questions about
their relationships with Washington interns. Though he was one of 31 House Democrats to
vote for an impeachment inquiry during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Condit ultimately
voted not to impeach Bill Clinton. He was sharply criticized by constituents as a result.
"This is a real danger to Condit because he's had this altar-boy image here," said Tony
Quinn, a political analyst in California. "If people think he's playing around in
Washington, that's going to hurt him."
Condit, the son of a Baptist minister who married at 19, normally blends easily into his
district of farmers and cowboys. By age 24, he was a Ceres city councilman, then Ceres'
youngest-ever mayor. Days before the Levy story broke, he was riding in the back of a
pickup truck in the annual May Fair, waving at a crowd he has known most of his life.
"It's just a witch hunt, what they're doing to him now," said Tom Moore, 61, a Ceres
retiree who has known Condit for nearly 25 years. "They're going, 'Let's hang somebody.'"
Condit's wife, Carolyn, lives in Ceres and sees him when he visits on weekends and during
her occasional trips to Washington. Aides say she has suffered from mild health problems
after contracting encephalitis several years ago.
Before all this, Condit seemed open and fun-loving. He jumped into a mosh pit at a Pearl
Jam concert. He appeared with House members in a tongue-in-cheek calendar, "Hunks on the
Hill."
"All our girlfriends were just in love with him when we were younger because he's so
good-looking," said Bridgett Green, 27, a waitress at Perko's Cafe in Ceres and a family
friend. "Everybody always wanted to go to their house because Gary was going to be there."
Back home, Condit is described as a devoted father of two adult children - neighbors
recall him years ago cheering for his daughter at her Bobby Socks softball games and
rooting for his son, a high school quarterback. Every year, tickets sell out to his
fund-raiser at the fairgrounds, a barbecue dubbed "Condit Country."
Now, during 100-degree days in the Central Valley, some folks fret about their favorite
son as he endures another kind of heat.
"People have known Gary for so many years, they're wondering how their hometown boy could
be suspected of some kind of romantic involvement," said old friend Tom Moore. "Until they
can come up with some kind of ironclad evidence that he did anything wrong, they ought to
leave him alone."
Kris Baker
Patty wrote in message ...
>Finally as reported in the article below
>Condit's wife, Carolyn, lives in Ceres and sees him when
>he visits on weekends and during her occasional trips to
>Washington. Aides say she has suffered from mild health
>problems after contracting encephalitis several years ago.
Although this isn't what anyone guessed as her illness, it
could result in some symptoms that were proposed:
After-effects of encephalitis
http://glaxocentre.merseyside.org/1outcome.htm
Loss of Physical Sensations
Personality Changes
Physical Difficulties
Lack of Initiative and Motivation
Memory problems
Slowed Responses
Emotional problems and Lack of Insight
Inappropriate Behaviour
Poor Planning and Problem Solving Skills
(ie, stayed married to a man who posed for a
"Capitol hunks calendar)
Poor Perception
Recognition and Judgement
Inability to Understand and Communicate
Poor Concentration
Headaches
What is encephalitis?
http://glaxocentre.merseyside.org/1enceph.htm
inflammation of the brain. It differs from meningitis which is
inflammation of the meninges (the layers which cover the
brain). It is very rare. There are approx. 7 times as many
cases of meningitis reported as encephalitis. Encephalitis
can occur at any age in any part of the world and is usually
the result of a viral infection.
Kris
Patty
"Kris Baker" <kris....@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:6R9Z6.407$gX1.11...@newssvr15.news.prodigy.com...
:
: Patty wrote in message ...
:
Is there any relation to encephalitis and ticks?
Patty
Kris Baker
I'm sure ticks can spread almost any disease, but I
couldn't find anything relating the two. I did find lots
on mosquitos, though -- something I always worry
more about than ticks, after learning that mosquitos
were the leading spreaders of various illnesses and
kill more people throughout the world than almost
anything else.
http://www.deet.com/content/htm/deetnews.htm
The mosquito-borne "West Nile disease" is a form of
encephalitis (so hard to spell/type!), as are three other
mosquito-borne diseases.
These particular forms of encephalitis are not a
problem in the Western US (ie, California and environs)
but would be a problem on the East Coast (DC, NY,
etc).
Kris
Maggie
>: >Finally as reported in the article below
>: >Condit's wife, Carolyn, lives in Ceres and sees him when
>: >he visits on weekends and during her occasional trips to
>: >Washington. Aides say she has suffered from mild health
>: >problems after contracting encephalitis several years ago.
>:
>:
patty said:
>Is there any relation to encephalitis and ticks?
***You guys really believe this encephalitis thing? Remember, it's coming from
the same people who've been insisting for weeks that Condit was just "good
friends" with a 24-year-old intern. While Mrs. Condit may, indeed, have
suffered from encephalitis a few years ago, I suspect her real problem is
something else of longer standing.
Maggie
"Researchers have long known that there is one extremely common genetic factor
that confers at least a ten-fold increase in the propensity to exhibit
criminally violent behavior. It is called the Y chromosome."--Francis S.
Collins
Insomniatrix
Maggie wrote in message <20010624011715...@ng-fc1.aol.com>...
Well her medical records are private, so we'll have to take them for their
word.