Washington Journal

By JOHN BALZ

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 22, 2001

He stood by Condit -- three years ago

So you're watching the cable shows, talking, eating and dreaming the congressman and the intern. On CNN, there's this one endlessly replayed shot of Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif., looking serious as he speaks into the microphones. But someone else is in the picture, too, standing to Condit's left. It's Rep. Peter Deutsch, D-Fort Lauderdale, who as Fortuna would have it has become a footnote in the Condit saga.

The video was shot in 1998 at the first floor entrance of the Rayburn Office Building. Deutsch and Condit had gotten together for an impromptu press conference call for the release of Kenneth Starr's report on President Clinton's personal life.

Deutsch's office has received phone calls from constituents wondering how he could stand by the Modesto representative. Some even thought Deutsch was Condit's lawyer. His staff has explained that the shots are part of television file footage, recorded long before the mess was even on the radar.

For his part, Deutsch has been "surprised," a spokeswoman said, about just how often the clip has run. Staffers thought CNN would update its file footage, but the clip continues to play.

Putnam's new addition

Congratulations it's a . . . bill. Three weeks ago, Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, became the proud father of his first child, a baby girl. Now, almost seven months into his freshman term, he's the proud father of his first bill, "The American Farmland Stewardship Act of 2001." The bill would give financial assistance to help farmers meet the requirements of various federal environmental programs, sort of a subsidy to be green.

Because farmers would apply for the assistance through the Department of Agriculture, the proposal's final price tag remains uncertain.

"American farmers and ranchers are stewards of the land and they should be encouraged and recognized for carrying out those practices that maintain and protect our natural resources," Putnam said on a recorded message.

Putnam will try to pass his bill as a stand-alone measure or he might try to fold it into the larger reauthorization of the farm bill that could be completed by the end of the year. Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, remains the only member of the Florida delegation who has yet to submit a bill this session.

Everglades short on cash

Saving the Everglades is going to cost a cool $8-billion, maybe more if the sundry projects hit some snags. But Congress has doled out only a $1.2-billion down payment, which means someone's going to have to open his wallet again down the road.

With that in mind, a few of the folks responsible for carrying out the restoration were in Washington this week pressing Florida lawmakers to remember that the job is not finished.

"The real benefits begin when all the projects are completed," Col. Greg May, Jacksonville district commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told the Florida delegation Wednesday.

Engineers are working on 10 projects, the first of which will be finished by January 2006. Be ready for more possible funding spats.

- Staff writer John Balz contributed to this report.

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