Started 07.14.01, posted 07.18.01

[ I want to stress what a tragedy Chandra Levy's disappearance is for the Levy family and friends. Hopefully some benefit from the maelstrom of publicity surrounding this case will help bring their daughter safely home. My thoughts go out to them. ]

Now to the absurd and ridiculous. The flight attendant who allegedly had an affair with Condit was disturbed by a series of neckties tied together around a bed indicative of bondage sex. We all have our own lines to cross or not. Don't get me wrong, I sincerely applaud the woman for coming forward. She's quite brave. Clearly, there's much that is not known about the whole case, if we can call it that. This flight attendant is doing the right thing by speaking out and perhaps her actions will be helpful in locating Chandra Levy. The flight attendant is also looking out for her own tail. It is about the last form of insurance I would want, but jumping full on into the spotlight of political scandal is one way of hedging against possible bodily harm or other unexplained mishaps.

No Clip-ons Please

Maybe all those air miles have things mixed up. Possible bondage sex may be kinky but not morally wrong, unless the ties that bind were not for Mrs. Condit, in which case it would be kinky adultery. As long as no one gets hurt, adult activities between a consenting, monogamous couple can run the kinky gamut as far as I'm concerned.

Let's look at the bondage issue, assuming that the only evidence of kinky sex is this series of neckties.

1. If someone was really into bondage, do you think they would deplete their entire tie rack? Wouldn't a bondage regular have a worn set of requisite leather straps and chains instead?

2. Neckties don't necessarily indicate habitual bondage. Maybe someone has a tie fetish. Or, it indicates that someone who used Gary Condit's bedroom in question had a fantasy about tying up a sexual partner one or perhaps a couple of times. If the couple enjoyed it, they would maybe find more permanent restraints or would start ordering bulk quantities of neckties. Evidence of such has yet to be revealed.

3. The flight attendant's attorney suggests that the neckties scared his client. Were they polyester, clip-on or really wide ones from the 70's? We can glean from this comment that the flight attendant didn't like the idea of being tied up. Working in the cramped confines of an airplane, can you blame her?

4. Why is it assumed the female party would be tied up? Maybe the man was fit to be tied.

5. If the flight attendant that allegedly had an affair with Condit was freaked out by the ties on the bed, imagine the reaction from the housekeeping staff. Wonder what they'll have to reveal and when they'll reveal it.

6. To my knowledge, the condition of the ties has not yet been disclosed. Are there signs of wear and tear? Could they simply have been placed there as a joke?

7. And just one more time... Having an affair with a married man -- okay. Being tied up by a married man -- bad. Just wanted to make sure I was clear on that. I'm no mathematician but something is just not adding up here. Something else has got to blow.

Being An Intern

I remember a time when being a page or an intern in Washington D.C. was an impressive accomplishment. It was an honor limited to top study body members with stellar academic records and well rounded by extra-curricular activities. I suppose it never hurt to have family friends in high places either.

Based on the Chandra and Monica examples, apparently drunken college boys are just too lowly to trifle with when heads of state are available. Of course interning in D.C. likely submerges one in an environment charged with excitement and power. The combination of power and youth is not always a good one. Certainly the tender ages of the early twenties is a time when many have made mistakes. Most of them are just not blazed across the television.

I wonder if this will create a dearth of intern applicants for Democrats. It may be the start of an ironic trend where parents vote for one party and insist their daughters intern for the other side.

History Repeats Itself

Condit's avoidance to actively aid in the search for Chandra Levy, or, at minimum, being forthright is more than disappointing. It is shameful, cowardly and despicable. Who is getting paid to advise this man? Did the person that said, "Gary, trust me, don't worry about it. You stay tight lipped and next week this will all be forgotten," start collecting unemployment yet?

Is there someone else this reminds us of? I believe we're entitled to have high expectations for the behavior of elected officials. Maybe we need to elect individuals with higher standards. It's sad that with this story all the lewdness surrounding it gets so much attention. What about the other members of Congress doing their jobs and not their interns? Maybe if our viewing standards were higher, such media focus would dissipate.

Condit taking a lie detector test, there's an oxymoron in there somewhere. Did anyone administering the test check to see if he crossed his fingers or anything else? The polygraph test records the body's responses when answering questions. I assume this of course presumes that the person subjected to the test is capable of answering questions truthfully in the first place.

Energy Crisis

I'm guessing that an elected official in Washington keeps a rather busy, grueling schedule. When does Condit have time to have not just one but allegedly multiple affairs? Where's he get the energy? What kinds of vitamins does this man take? Is he on Viagra? Maybe this reveals some insight to the controversy about Viagra's coverage by health insurance while female birth control pills aren't. This may touch on something really big. Maybe elected officials should be banned from Viagra use. I wonder what the productivity level of our representatives has been since the introduction of Viagra. What are the chances of funding that study?

Representative Representations

The matter of whether or not Condit is entitled to privacy regarding his private life became a mute point the very second an intern of his was missing and in danger. In any case, Condit's public behavior speaks volumes alone and I don't think it's saying anything nice.

What hope do Condit's constituents have of him being responsive to any myriad of issues? Can you imagine having any belief of Condit responding to a letter of concern regarding an issue of representation? Yeah right, he's going to get right to the matters of healthcare, school reform, or environmental issues, just as soon as he gets that tie off.

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