By Emily Geiger

First thing’s first... Pat Murphy... what a moron.

The second big political story of the weekend (at least for me) was the new developments in the Chandra Levy case. It seems officials are now going to arrest an illegal immigrant (who is already in prison for attacking other women in the park where Levy’s body was found) for the young intern’s murder.

Of course, this means that former Congressman Gary Condit, the married legislator who had been having an affair with Levy is now suspicion-free. In case you’d forgotten, at the time she went missing, many suspected that Condit had something to do with Levy’s disappearance.

I read that story over the weekend, and then I came across an opinion piece on the subject that really lit my fuse. It read:

 

Gary Condit Deserves an Apology

My question is, what the hell for?

This guy cheated on his wife. He was a powerful congressman who slept with a low level intern who was needed his help for career advancement. It’s kind of like a professor sleeping with a student... the power disparity makes in inherently wrong.

He was never charged with a crime and never even really classified as a suspect. So, he had to answer some questions from the police. Big freaking deal. When a woman goes missing, the first person the police look at is the “significant other.” If you are a guy and you choose to screw more than one woman, you double your chances that something might happen to one of your paramours and you will have to account for your whereabouts. That’s just how the cookie crumbles.

Further, this guy was less than honest with the police. He refused to answer when police specifically asked him if he and Levy were in a relationship. He wouldn’t admit to the affair (which made him look guilty) even after Levy’s family members came out and said that they knew all about it. Hmmm... a powerful politician who seems desperate to cover up an affair. Nah, that’s not suspicious at all.

The country would have had a lot more respect for the guy if he had just admitted to the affair and done what he could to help the police. In the post-Clinton era, that would have been slightly scandalous, but not the end of the world.

This guy brought this all on himself. If anyone owes anyone an apology, it’s Condit, who can apologize to his wife, his kids, his constituents and the rest of us for the embarrassment he caused us all.