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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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