In an effort to salvage his political career, Representative Gary Condit is breaking his silence on the disappearance of Chandra Levy with a series of interviews. The first, which aired last night on ABC with Connie Chung, gave Condit a chance to clear his name with the public by answering his critics.

Background on the disappearance of Levy
On April 30th Washington D.C. intern, Chandra Ann Levy, mysteriously disappeared, and police are no closer to solving this case than they were four months ago.

Levy, who came to Washington last fall to work with the Bureau of Prisons, was last seen at about 7 p.m. on April 30th at a health club. The last word her parents received from her came in the form of an email the morning of May 1st. Of course, police maintain, someone else could have sent that email.

In an effort to piece together the case, D.C. police questioned Rep. Gary Condit, whom Levy visited often while in Washington, on three separate occasions. It was not until Condit’s third meeting with police, eight weeks after the case began, that he admitted to having had an affair with Levy.

Condit’s Political Future
Since Condit is up for reelection in the fall, he is hoping this first phase of his public relations campaign will restore his credibility in the eyes of his constituents. In a letter sent out on Wednesday to voters in his district, Condit said, “You know me to be hard working, committed to our issues and dedicated to my community and my family. I hope you will also understand that I am not perfect and have made my share of mistakes.”

Did Connie Chung’s interview with Condit change your opinion of him? Do you think Gary Condit was involved in the disappearance of Chandra Levy? Would you reelect Gary Condit if he were running in your district?