Think about it for a moment. Young women like Chandra and Monica are attracted to the world of power in Washington. Like groupies following rock stars they probably admire and talk about the stars of Washington the way young women in Hollywood talk about movie stars, directors, and producers, gaining status by becoming close to the super stars, married or not.

As such, these young women are easy prey to the lecherous and unscrupulous which may include most of the members of Congress and the Administration. Men who feel themselves above the old axiom "don't get your honey where you make your money." They're just after a little nooky on the side.

As lawmakers, these bureaucrats may feel above the law. It wouldn't be the first time we've seen this attitude. It shows up in many areas, including robbing pension or entitlement funds that, by their own rules, would put private sector people in the slammer.

But suppose the groupies are actually just as manipulative as the molesters. Suppose many of these young interns are out for what they can get. Better and permanent positions, appointments, or just to be part of the "in crowd" in Washington. Would it be unusual that they also have their own power structure.

We've already heard the standard attack against the victim as "a woman who slept around." Denied, of course, by the person in Gary Condit's camp who is attributed with leaking the idea. (Yawn) So what, she was a healthy young woman. Was she supposed to be faithful to a married man?

Just after my satirical article on Congressman Condit and the media, I received the following email from a woman who, after I asked permission to use it, told me I could use her name if I wished:

"What I find interesting about the Levy case is that so many people (especially the news gurus) concentrate on portraying Mr. Condit as some kind of lecherous old man preying on young women. I can tell you from experience that someone nowadays that is over 21 years old (and I am one) knows the ropes and knows what the hell they are after.

There are many young women out there PREYING on these 'old' and powerful men. They have high school and college behind them and I can assure you they have been 'around the block' a time or two.

The news organizations seem intent on portraying every intern as some kind of virgin in the city for the first time. Geez, they either need to stop lying or they need to get out more."

Well, there's an attitude that seems to lend credence to the idea that Gary Condit may be some sort of a victim after all. Do you really think Chandra Levy was naïve enough to believe Condit would eventually divorce his wife and they would live happily ever after. Like an old Forties movie, he would give up politics and they'd get a chicken farm somewhere?

If she had any smarts at all, she knew this congressman from her home district was just a stepping stone, one of 434 in the House of Representatives, and one that could blow up in her face if she wasn't careful. Power has its privileges, and she may even have felt her life was in danger.

Not wanting to go through what Monica experienced, she may have devised an escape plan better than tapes and stained clothing. A plan that would have taken time to develop, but a plan that would be as thorough and complete as suicide.

Once jilted, once finding that her job was gone and her stepping stone was pulling out from under, she may strike out in all directions to save what she can. Imploring Condit to find her something else, and so forth. But eventually the escape plan would kick in.

Disappearing suddenly without taking even the barest essentials, while seeming to go out for a mid-day stroll, would certainly bring the focus of attention down on her illicit lover like a sledgehammer. Particularly, at a time when the media is starving for the "big story" to cover like Florida chads.

How hard would it be to pull this off? With a friend or two in almost any of Washington's many secret services, a completely new identity could be set up. She could then be spirited away to a place where hardly anyone could find her.

I think back to the life I once led as a skipper in the Caribbean. I could have taken Chandra on as crew. With a short haircut and a few weeks in the sun, even her own mother would have difficulty recognizing her. Islanders would treat her as just another one of the nomad charter crew people bringing money to their land, another tourist.

Could she just go off without telling her parents that she was all right? Causing them all worry and grief. Ask around. Some women will tell you that they could do it easily if it meant staying alive. Saving one's life.

Unfortunately, this is what has evolved as an attitude towards getting on the wrong side of powerful politicians or the government in general. You can be easily snuffed out by someone with all that power at their command.

Since when have the public servants we send to Washington, people who are supposed to be working to promote the general good, become powerful evil-doers to be feared? Shades of Vince Foster, without the involvement of the park police. At least, not yet. Or was Chandra afraid of only one man who now seems to have come from a family of miscreants?

Caught in one lie after another, Congressman Gary Condit certainly seems involved in one way or another. At the very least, he's indisputably guilty of infidelity with Chandra and an airline hostess who claims his office asked her to sign some sort of denial. Worse of all, he seems guilty of lying to the police and impeding an investigation before we even know a crime has been committed.

Just remember, these are the people who campaign for office on a platform of "family values" and will be cramming that party line down your throat shortly.