Armey: Dems should get Condit off committee

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas said Wednesday it would be "prudent" for the House Democratic leadership to talk to Rep. Gary Condit about stepping down from the House Intelligence Committee.

"While I think the dangers of a member of the committee being blackmailed are somewhat exaggerated in political discourse, it would still be a prudent discussion for the minority leader to have with Mr. Condit," Armey said. "It can very well be that one would want to err on the side of prudence."

Condit, D-California, has been under increasing criticism from some colleagues and political pundits, even Democrats, who say his behavior had hindered the investigation into the disappearance of Chandra Levy, a 24-year-old California woman romantically linked to him.

Condit has said he had nothing to do with her disappearance. Levy was reported seen in Washington on April 30. She had recently ended an internship with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

VIDEO CNN's Kate Snow says U.S. Rep. Gary Condit, (D) California, may face political sanctions for his actions in the Chandra Levy probe (September 5) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES • No precedent for removing Condit   • Condit children quit California governor's staff   • California governor 'disheartened' over Condit's conduct   • The Condit interviews     EXTRA INFORMATION • Transcript: Gary Condit interview   • Key players   • Timeline   • Profile: Gary Condit     RESOURCES Message Board: Condit and the Levy case

Levy's family says she had an affair with the congressman. Condit, 53 and married, has refused to describe his relationship with Levy. A series of interviews by Condit last month was roundly condemned as evasive and self-serving.

As a Republican, Armey's comments are not surprising, but as a member of the House leadership his words carry weight.

Condit's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said recently Condit could not be a victim of blackmail because all of his secrets have been revealed. Armey cautioned that "only Gary knows if there's anything else out there."

Meantime, House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri said he would undertake a "process" of discussing Condit's position on the committee with Democratic members before taking any action to remove Condit.

"This is not something where I go off and make decisions. I have to talk to my colleagues, talk with the caucus. We have an ethics process in this House that has to be respected. We're going to do these things in the right way," Gephardt said.

"It will be done in a fair and respectful way," he said.

One Democratic lawmaker told CNN the pressure will build on Gephardt to remove Condit from the committee because the issue is overriding the Democrats' message and beginning to distract members from their work.

Asked if House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, should use his authority to remove Condit from the committee, Armey said protocol allows committee assignments to be made by party leaders and the speaker would be "loath" to deviate from that.

Condit's daughter defends her father

Cadee Condit talks with CNN's Larry King

In an interview Wednesday with CNN's Larry King, Condit's 25-year-old daughter Cadee said stripping her father of his committee seat would be unlikely to affect anything.

"Gary stood by his principles, and he's going to continue to stand by his principles. And if they take his committees away, they take his committees away," Ms. Condit said.

Ms. Condit further defended her father, saying he "did everything he could" to assist police and the FBI in their search for Levy.

"The reason I am here tonight is because people have made my dad out to be this demon," she said. "He is the most loving,caring compassionate man I know. Anyone calls my dad a murderer, I am going to come on your show and defend him."

She disputed the suggestion her father should have talked sooner about the matter.

"This was not a popularity contest or a mission to save Gary Condit's career," Ms. Condit said. "This was about finding Chandra Levy, and he went to the appropriate people.

"He got the law enforcement involved. He got the FBI involved," she said. "So by him holding a press conference, no, I don't think that would have changed things."

Ms. Condit and her brother Chad quit their jobs with California Gov. Gray Davis after Davis criticized their father for not speaking out "more quickly or more fully" about the Levy matter.

She said if he had, news accounts would have portrayed him as "taking the focus away from Chandra and her family."

"You know, it would have played the total opposite way," she said. "He didn't want that. He wanted people to focus on finding Chandra Levy, and he did everything he could to do that."

Like her father and brother, Ms. Condit criticized former flight attendant Anne Marie Smith, who claims she had an affair with Condit and that he asked her to lie about it

Smith and her lawyers, she said, are "in the same pathetic group -- someone who is going to take advantage of the situation for publicity."

"What does she have to do with Chandra Levy, with finding Chandra Levy?" she asked. "Nothing."

Criticism from police, colleagues

Police Chief Charles Ramsey said recently it had been "quite difficult" to get information out of Condit about Levy. Police have long said it was Levy's parents -- not Condit -- who alerted them to the young woman's disappearance, thereby starting an investigation.

Condit has seen his political support drop precipitously over the past several weeks.

"This is now probably more an issue about politics," said Leon Panetta, a former California congressman and White House chief of staff under President Clinton who appeared on CNN Wednesday night along with longtime Washington insider David Gergen.

"If the Democrats feel this issue is taking more and more away from their focus on the other issues in Washington -- the loss of the surplus, what's happening with the economy -- then there's going to be increasing pressure on him to resign or step down."

Added Gergen, "I think he's finished politically. The only question is what door he's going to exit through. Is it going to be one sooner rather than later, and is he going to put his party through a lot of turmoil as he goes out."

"At a minimum his conduct has been curious. At the worst, it's been very, very suspicious," Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tennessee, told CNN Sunday.

"As a lawyer," Ford said, "I know that could mean absolutely nothing. However, as a member of Congress and one who respects this body and institution and has affection for my friend, I'm deeply concerned."

Perhaps more politically telling is the fact the chairman of the California Democratic Party, Art Torres, has been quite cool in his comments about Condit, saying he has "great concerns" about the lawmaker.