Although I don't think this warranted CNN's breathless "Breaking News" music and flashscreen, they did interrupt their regular broadcast to announce the Bernard Kerik, Rudy Giuliani's former Police Commissioner and one-time nominee to head up the US Department of Homeland Security, has been indicted on charges of tax evasion and corruption.
Slightly more after the flip.
I find it funny in a ha-ha and an ironic sort of way that Giuliani is on record with respect to Kerik as recently as this Monday. From an AP Interview:
Giuliani, in an interview with The Associated Press, acknowledged mistakes by Bernard Kerik, who was police commissioner when Giuliani was mayor. But he said crime reduction for the city was more important.
That boggles the mind - and is totally consistent with the Machiavellian justifications issued by the current occupant of the White House. It continued:
Kerik, whom Giuliani pushed to head the federal Department of Homeland Security, is under investigation on what could be multiple felony charges. Giuliani said he hadn't spoken to his friend and one-time business partner recently and had no idea what implication a Kerik indictment or plea deal could have on his presidential campaign.
Uh... Did he not think the very subject of Kerik would come up at some point in his campaign? Is it even plausible that Giuliani and his campaign haven't evaluated the upside and downside of his relationship with Kerik and everything in between??
Here's just one more little snippet of the "I know he did bad things and I [Giuliani] made a mistake with him... BUT":
"Bernie Kerik worked for me while I was mayor of New York City. There were mistakes made with Bernie Kerik. But what's the ultimate result for the people of New York City? The ultimate result for the people of New York City was a 74 percent reduction in shootings, a 60 percent reduction in crime, a correction program that went from being one of the worst in the country to one that was on '60 Minutes' as the best in the country, 90 percent reduction of violence in the jails."
Seems to me you could almost defend any vigilante provided the vigilante was effective - not a very good argument, Rudy.
Per CNN and Kerik's indictment (transcribed):
... [indicted by] a Federal grand jury for tax evasion ... and corruption allegations. As you say, very close to Rudy Giuliani, served under him as Police Commissioner of New York City, and of course Rudy Giuliani also suggested him to hold Federal office at one point, until these allegations came to light. But he has now been indicted by a Federal grand jury and we'll keep following it from there. Back to you.
If the Bush Administration taught America one thing it is that you truly ARE the company you keep. It seems to me that the broader Democratic party needs to be absolutely hammering that point home every chance it gets.
Update [2007-11-8 18:16:48 by RenaRF]: CNN has caught up with a lengthier "package" on Kerik. As the fun begins, the caption under Giuliani's face is "...linked to disgraced cop." Heh.
According to Wolf:
...reporting a Federal grand jury "voted to indict the former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik". The charges, our affiliates are reporting, related to Kerik's "allegedly accepting free rent and apartment renovations". Kerik worked for Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani when Giuliani was Mayor of New York.
Keep drawing that connection, Wolfie. Love ya.