Kerik Out -- Lieberman In?
Late last week, Bernard Kerik (click for photo -- he is on the left, and is evidently taking his personal style tips from Watergate burglar/right-wing radio host G. Gordon Liddy, pictured at right) withdrew his name from consideration for the Secretary of Homeland Security. Pres. Bush nominated Kerik for the position on December 3, not long after the resignation of current DHS Sec. Tom Ridge.
The official word is that Kerik employed an illegal alien as an employee, and failed to pay the requisite taxes. (Anyone recall Zoe Baird?) However, the developing story is that Kerik's business dealings have been called into question, and there are more reports concerning accusations that he misused resources while head of the New York Police Department. Despite receiving an apology from Rudy Giuliani, who had pushed for Kerik's nomination, the White House has (you should sit down before reading the rest of the sentence) has not admitted the potential mistake. (I told you to sit down -- you're shocked, aren't you?) Instead, the White House says they knew about Kerik's "colorful past" and felt he was still a good nominee.
Now, the word is that the name of Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) has been bandied about as a potential nominee, which has reportedly drawn bipartisan support (his name has been discussed for many Cabinet positions since the November election). Many others, however, feel that Lieberman is part of the problem for Democrats, providing little active opposition to controversial Bush Administration actions (and has been called a "corporate shill").
Should it come to fruition, none of this should come as much of a surprise, considering Lieberman's hawkish leanings, not to mention his postition as Honorary Co-Chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger, whose members inclue Jack Kemp and Ed Meese (interesting note -- the managing director of the Committee stepped down after one day on the job after folks found out his lobbying firm represented the head of Austria's Freedom Party, who had made comments concerning the efficiency of Nazis) . Lieberman would get the press he rarely shuns, and (more significantly) Bush gets to save face by bragging that he has essentially converted the former Democratic VP nominee.
The official word is that Kerik employed an illegal alien as an employee, and failed to pay the requisite taxes. (Anyone recall Zoe Baird?) However, the developing story is that Kerik's business dealings have been called into question, and there are more reports concerning accusations that he misused resources while head of the New York Police Department. Despite receiving an apology from Rudy Giuliani, who had pushed for Kerik's nomination, the White House has (you should sit down before reading the rest of the sentence) has not admitted the potential mistake. (I told you to sit down -- you're shocked, aren't you?) Instead, the White House says they knew about Kerik's "colorful past" and felt he was still a good nominee.
Now, the word is that the name of Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) has been bandied about as a potential nominee, which has reportedly drawn bipartisan support (his name has been discussed for many Cabinet positions since the November election). Many others, however, feel that Lieberman is part of the problem for Democrats, providing little active opposition to controversial Bush Administration actions (and has been called a "corporate shill").
Should it come to fruition, none of this should come as much of a surprise, considering Lieberman's hawkish leanings, not to mention his postition as Honorary Co-Chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger, whose members inclue Jack Kemp and Ed Meese (interesting note -- the managing director of the Committee stepped down after one day on the job after folks found out his lobbying firm represented the head of Austria's Freedom Party, who had made comments concerning the efficiency of Nazis) . Lieberman would get the press he rarely shuns, and (more significantly) Bush gets to save face by bragging that he has essentially converted the former Democratic VP nominee.
posted by CNB at 2:55 PM
