Even the New York Post (gasp!!) is skeptical of Bernie Kerik

[VolcanoJen]

Two New York dailies now on the editorial record for being critical of Kerik. Can the MSM be far behind? Probably.

Via Josh Marshall:

http://www.nypost.com/business/35781.htm

BERNIE'S STUNNER

By CHRISTOPHER BYRON

Excerpt:

WASN'T it something how we all rushed to the edge of the boulevard last week to wave our hats and applaud at the news that former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik has been selected by President Bush to become the nation's new Homeland Security Czar?

<snip>

In prepared remarks praising the new nominee last week, President Bush ranged across the whole of Kerik's career, from his days as a beat cop in Times Square, to his hands-on work at Ground Zero on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

Yet the President was oddly — and utterly — silent on Kerik's work in Baghdad, and perhaps for good reason. Though Kerik presided over the hiring of thousands of recruits for the reconstituted Iraqi police force, most were hired without background checks, and many turned out to be hardened criminals. As a result, some 30,000 of them, or roughly 25 percent of the entire force, are now reportedly being let go, with the U.S. footing the bill for $60 million in severance payments.

<<<<<<<< snip - be sure to read the entire link for background on Bernie's connection to Taser International and the tobacco industry, if you're not already aware >>>>>>>>

But I doubt that this is the end stories about Kerik and Taser International, and for what little it may be worth, I at least will be watching to see whether, in the fullness of time, the Department of Homeland Security (or maybe even the Iraqi national police force) becomes a major new buyer of Taser's non-lethal stun guns. At which point you will hear from me again on this matter.

More...

[JI7]

1. i heard he only got the NYC comminssioner job because

Rudy was jealous of the guy who had the job and who REALLY deserved the credit for turning the crime problems around in new york. rudy didn't like him getting attention and credit.

so they got rid of him and put kerik who is too clueless to know what he is doing in charge. and of course his only job is to do whatever those controlling him want. kind of like Bush.

it makes me puke to see rudy and kerik profiting off the 9/11 attacks and in the process doing nothing to make everyone safer and in fact making things worse.

i believe Bill Bratton who is now Los Angeles Cheif of police was the guy who Rudy got rid of because of jealousy and replaced with an incompetent boob like Kerik.

[VolcanoJen]

2. All the while cheerleading for Bush during the campaign.

I'll never forget the 9/11 families, many of whom openly booed and grumbled during Guiliani's testimony.

Just goes to prove that it's all about loyalty to the Chimperor. Bernie loyally carried the W Flag during the campaign, showing up in swing states to convince voters they were doomed if Kerry was in charge of national security. To use 9/11 in such a blatant partisan and political manner was the most disgusting tone of the campaign for me.

All this from a guy who bailed Iraq after three months of a six-plus month commitment.

Real stand-up guy. I'm sure he'll be looking out for us. :eyes:

[JNelson6563]

6. Good points J17 & Jen

right on all counts I'd say. We are doomed.

Julie

[NewJeffCT]

18. but wait

Bush promised not to exploit 9/11 for political purposes? Are you saying that he & some of his surrogates did that? What a shock...

[Princess Turandot]

7. That's incorrect..

Howard Safire replaced Bratton as PC and was in the job until 2000, I think. I believe he retired over health problems but am not sure of it. Kerik replaced Safire. I think Kerik had been the Corrections Commissioner at the time.

[flordehinojos]

3. KERIK LOOKS LIKE A GOON. HE FITS IN WELL WITH BUSH'S AGENDA FOR THIS

COUNTRY.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Where's the outrage?

A fucking high school dropout who later gets a GED in the Marine Corps, fathers a child in Korea and abandons it, runs a scam with tobacco money kickback at Riker's Island while the warden there, gets a job as Ghouliani's chauffeur, and then winds up as a United States Cabinet Secretary?

Have we NO fucking standards anymore?

I'm hardly an academic elitist. But is it wrong to want to have people in charge of shit who just might be smarter than me?

Is that so wrong?

Where's the outrage (to steal a quote from that paragon of virtue, Bill Bennett (R-Addicted Gambler))?

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. You would think a job like Cabinet Sec

would have some minimum qualifications, like maybe a college degree?

[tanyev]

8. The only qualification that matters to

George Bush is absolute loyalty.

[brook]

9. Someone was...

saying the same thing yesterday - that * demands "loyalty". I really think that what he demands is "Yes,sir".

[yardwork]

10. Don't forget his stint doing "security" for the Saudis

Kerik really is a "jack-booted thug."

[VolcanoJen]

13. No, we have no standards anymore.

There is no accountability.

There is no higher purpose.

There is no calling to national service.

There is no leadership by example.

There is only cronyism, and warmaking, and denial.

[SpiralHawk]

11. Stun Gun Kerik

has tipped his hand.

We now know the deluxe Weapon of Choice for the soon-to-be smartly uniformed Homeland Henchpeople will be da dreaded Stun Gun.

How thoroughly modern. And diabolical, too, I might add.

Shields up. General Quarters. Shields up now !

[AzDar]

12. Kerik is a total buffoon...did anyone happen to catch the "town hall"...

meeting (perhaps a week before the election), with Paula Zahn?
It was from a small town in Ohio...the guests were Gen. Wesley Clark, and inexplicably, Bernie Kerik. He was completely outmatched by Clark;
sometimes stuttering, and could only seem to attempt to turn the discussion back to 9/11.I was wondering what the bloody hell he was doing there in the first place... I remember thinking.."is this the best they can do?" Apparently it is. Jesus.

[VolcanoJen]

14. He does have that little stammering problem.

Great memory, AzDar! I remember that Town Hall meeting... Wes Clark slayed ol' stammerin' Bernie.

I can just hear him now... "I'm... I'm... ummm, we're taking the... the... country to, ummm, Orange Alert. Orange. Yeh."

Check this out from Josh Marshall's site:

And that is confirmed in an appearance he did on August 11th with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo in which there was this exchange ...

BARTIROMO: I believe you said when you went to Iraq back in the middle of May that you would be there between three and six months. Still true?

Mr. KERIK: I'm--I'm here three months now. You know, hope--hopefully, within the next three or four weeks, you know, I'll be able to get back home. I came here with one job in--in mind, and that was to stand up the Minister--Ministry of Interior, to reconstitute the interior. We have identified the two primary deputies. I have the first deputy in mind at this point. We've identified the Baghdad chief, the--the chief of operations. Police chiefs all over the country have been identified. I've appointed the--the new head of border enforcement and immigrations and customs. So basically, reconstituting the ministry is--is just about finished. Now it is recruiting, training, stand up. That's going to take--take time. It'll take between another year--18 months to two years to get it all intact. But for what I came to do, I'm just about there.

[TreasonousBastard]

15. Giuilaini lobbied hard for this prick...

and I have no idea why Giuliani has such pull in the administration, although I know very well why he wants his people in there.

Kerick was a loyal King Rudy waterboy, and no doubt he'll be a loyal Shrub waterboy. He brings his own team of enforcers with him, too.

As Newsday asked, how can a guy who couldn't run the Rikers cafeteria run the biggest Federal bureaucracy?

You just can't make this shit up.

[DinahMoeHum]

21. Like I've said, Kerik can't kick a duck in the ass unless he stands

on a brick, and even then, he'll miss more than half the time!

:evilgrin:

[Hobarticus]

16. Kerik is Guiliani's payoff for his toadyism...

Typical GOP insider with filthy hands.

[VOX]

17. And this bullet-headed brownshirt is supposed to make us feel more secure?

Or will we have "security" rammed down out throats?

[lakelly]

19. Bernie Kerrick for what???

Loyalty above all else. Thats the Bush motto. And we get stuck with this baboon as the Secretary of Homeland Security. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling in side just thinking about it, NOT!! Hey Kerrick is the poster boy for evolution. Just imagine him standing right next to homo erectus. Definitely a family resemblance.

[peekaloo]

22. *giggle* "homo erectus". Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Name removed]

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