FC: Politech photos: Gary Condit stakeout, party, and media blitz

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Like dozens of other reporters, I can't stay away from the Gary Condit and 
Chandra Levy story. But it wasn't by choice or assignment.

Condit's apartment is around the corner from mine -- so whenever I walk to 
the grocery store or a restaurant or the dry cleaner's, I get to stumble 
over a snarl of cables on the sidewalk while running the gauntlet of 
paparazzi who have established base camp next to his apartment building in 
Adams Morgan. Particularly impressive are the telescoping pole-mounted 
cameras, tall enough to peer down into Condit's bedroom in hopes of 
catching him fondling the next intern. He lives on the fourth floor, and is 
smart enough to have closed the blinds.

Until Monday, the media stakeout has been both pathetic and hysterical: 
Condit hasn't been spotted within miles of his apartment in the last few 
weeks but the media pack is outside anyway. I chatted with a New York Post 
photog who was philosophical when taunted by some passers-by -- he was 
getting paid by the hour, he said, and relished the wait.

Condit may not be there, but other residents of the apartment building had 
started to take offense. One irate resident came out and took photos of all 
the reporters, which seemed to offend them. Around noon on Sunday, another 
started screaming at and physically threatened some of the journalists. 
They responded by clustering in clumps for safety.

All that changed on Monday, when the DC cops said they were planning on 
searching Condit's pad. Immediately a caravan of additional camera and 
satellite trucks marched on the neighborhood like a conquering army. My 
friend who runs the cash register at the nearby family-owned convenience 
store was properly impressed by the show of cameras, though confided that 
journalists don't come in for lunch. Apparently they have it catered.

By this evening, the mood had also changed. The building residents -- many 
political hacks, as you might expect -- had gathered for an impromptu party 
complete with booze on the front steps to wait for the expected police 
raid. They invited their friends and even tolerated the media for a change.

You can see some meta-paparazzi photos here -- the first three are from 
Sunday and the last two are from Monday evening:
http://www.mccullagh.org/theme/gary-condit-stakeout-july01.html

-Declan




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