Should Gary Condit Resign?

This partial transcript from Hannity & Colmes, July 30, 2001 was provided by the Federal Document Clearing House.

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SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Welcome to HANNITY & COLMES. We're glad you're with us. I'm Sean Hannity. Coming up tonight: Former attorney general Ed Meese weighs in on the Chandra Levy investigation. And tonight you'll meet a man who thinks that Gary Condit has been treated unfairly.Also later: Former president Bill Clinton moves to a new office in Harlem. Not everyone in town is happy about it. And then Alan tonight will go one on one with former President Bill Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")

DARRELL HAMMOND, ACTOR: I'm sorry! I forgot the new pardons. I wasn't sure about some of these, but now that John Ashcroft has been confirmed, I'd better go ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: That's "Saturday Night Live's" Darrell Hammond. He'll join us tonight.

But first, leading our debate across America on this Monday: Day 90 of the disappearance of Chandra Levy. Leads seem to be drying up in the search for the missing intern. Washington police say that there's only a 50-50 chance of finding her. And the search for Levy continued today at Roosevelt Island and White Haven park. D.C. police chief Charles Ramsey said search efforts will be scaled back by the end of the week.

And despite the fact that Congressman Gary Condit is not considered a suspect in Levy's disappearance, some of his colleagues are still calling for his resignation. And Congressman Scott McInnis has asked the Ethics Committee to bar Congressman Condit from having sexual relations with interns, as well as all other congressmen.

But what if Condit wasn't involved in Levy's disappearance? Joining us from Washington is the first congressman to call for his resignation, Representative Bob Barr.

Congressman, what -- I count six. How many do you have, that have joined you in your call for his resignation, Congressman?

REP. BOB BARR (R), GEORGIA: Well, it's probably about the number that have done so publicly, Sean. A number have come up to me privately and said they -- they agree with my call for his resignation, but for one reason or another, they don't want to say so publicly...

HANNITY: Yeah.

BARR: ... which is sort of -- sort of irritating that you have members of the House that place so little importance on the prestige and the reputation of our or that they'll say, "Well, gee, no, I agree with

you, but I'm not sure I want to say anything publicly."

HANNITY: Yeah. But what does -- what does that say about a congressman that really believes as you do -- they tell you privately they want that to happen, but they don't have the courage to come forward. What does that say about the people in Washington?

BARR: Well, it -- it pretty well sums it up, unfortunately, to a large extent up here, Sean.

HANNITY: Yeah. Do you think he's broken any laws?

BARR: I'm not sure, but I do feel very confident that he has broken the rules, the ethics rules of the House. And the fact that the Ethics Committee of the House will not even begin an inquiry to determine whether or not he has violated laws of obstruction is distressing in and of itself.

HANNITY: Well, do you think there's a good chance that Congressman Condit obstructed justice, potentially suborned perjury, so certainly you believe ethics laws were violated, and potentially he has a legal problem, as well?

BARR: I do believe that. I know that there are some technicalities...

HANNITY: Right.

BARR: ... that one certainly has to meet in order to prosecute under federal obstruction statutes or the tampering statutes.

HANNITY: Sure.

BARR: But certainly, at this point, it looks -- it looks as if...

HANNITY: All right...

BARR: ... he, if not crossing that line, came mighty close to it.

HANNITY: You...

BARR: And in any event...

HANNITY: Yeah.

BARR: ... you can't have members of Congress sworn to uphold the law evading and interfering and tampering...

HANNITY: Let me ask an important question...

BARR: ... and obstructing justice.

HANNITY: Is he -- you've called for him to be off the Intelligence Committee.

BARR: Yes.

HANNITY: You've been mad at Senator Daschle's comments. Is he a security risk?

BARR: I think that potentially, yes. Anybody who is in as compromised a position as he is and who I think clearly knows more than he is telling to the police, that means that somebody else also likely knows something about what he knows, and that does put him in a very potentially compromising and compromisable position.

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Congressman, it's Alan. Good to have you with us. By the way...

BARR: Thank you, Alan.

COLMES: ... today's the date Bill Clinton moves to Harlem. I wonder if you sent him a gift basket.

BARR: Sent -- did what?

COLMES: Did you send Bill Clinton a gift basket for his new office?

BARR: No. I'll send him an ethics manual.

COLMES: All right. Here's what -- good. Take a little shot there. OK, here's what Lanny Davis had to say about your calling for Gary Condit to resign. Let me put it up on the screen here. He said, "The best thing Gary Condit has going for him is that Bob Barr is taking the lead, who's known to be a partisan Republican, who jumps to conclusions. He uses innuendo, and it's the only way Condit, in my judgment, is going to get any sympathy, if it's politicized by people like Bob Barr."

BARR: Well...

COLMES: What's you reaction to that?

BARR: It's kind of funny because that's exactly what they said three years ago, when I was the first to call for the impeachment of President Clinton. And of course, he was impeached. That's what some people tried to say when I called, as U.S. attorney, for an indictment of a Republican member of Congress, Pat Swindle. But as a matter of fact, he was convicted and did jail time. I view these matters very seriously, that to me, Alan, they're not partisan. I don't care whether somebody's a Republican or a Democrat. If they obstruct justice...

COLMES: Have you ever called for a Democrat...

BARR: ... that is incompatible...

COLMES: ... to resign or -- rather, a Republican to resign or...

HANNITY: Absolutely.

COLMES: Have you ever called for a Republican?

BARR: Well, I've -- I'm not aware, in recent -- in recent times, that a Republican has obstructed justice. But if you can show me evidence that they have, yes, I would take the same attitude.

COLMES: All right, let me ask you about this -- this idea that -- you know, there is an Ethics Committee. Shouldn't it go to the Ethics Committee first before you start calling for people's resignations? I'm not defending Gary Condit. Who knows what he's guilty of. But shouldn't we find out before you start calling for a resignation of somebody?

BARR: Actually, Alan, great minds think alike. That's exactly what I've done. I've called for the Ethics Committee to begin an inquiry to at least determine whether or not, in fact, he has violated laws or violated the -- the ethical rules of the House. That's exactly what I've done.

HANNITY: Congressman, thanks for being with us. It's always good to see you.

BARR: Thank you.

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