Stanley Kutler: Kerik Was Bush's Man--So He Was Rewarded

Stanley Kutler, in the Chicago Tribune (12-21-04):

The scandal of a public life, and not the substance of its shining moments, too often dominates public conversation about our nation's highest political figures, an inevitable byproduct of our cult of celebrity.

Now comes Bernard Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, disciple, protege and partner of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (no stranger to public discussion of scandal), and for a few days, President Bush's choice to head the Department of Homeland Security. Kerik had some heady moments in the public limelight, remembered both as New York's top cop after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and not-so-fondly by some as an eager messenger for Bush's decisive theme that America would be again attacked if the presidency went to Sen. John Kerry.

And then Kerik fell as meteorically as he had risen. First, he asked that his nomination to head the department be withdrawn by the president. Kerik revealed he had a "problem" because he had employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny and had not paid the required payroll taxes. The president's staunchest supporters readily dismissed Kerik's "oversight," a startling contrast to their born-again purity toward Clinton nominees with similar problems. That story will not die. Kerik's nanny remains unidentified. We have been told she was "olive-skinned." Middle Eastern? Are we supposed to be titillated?

The president's supporters quickly retreated when subsequent revelations came to light, including Kerik's dubious Mafia connections, his lobbying activities for a stun-gun manufacturer, a third marriage he never disclosed and maintenance of an apartment for "conferences" with the publisher of his recent memoir, among other women. Perhaps Kerik's best moment of greed and loyalty came when he shilled for American drug companies with a report arguing that cheaper drugs from Canada posed a terrorist threat.

In our present state, we seem to have concluded that a man's lack of moral propriety means nothing--provided he is our man. A reasonable assessment of one's accomplishments should transcend whatever cultural divides we experience. The lavish praise heaped on Kerik emphasized his role in establishing an Iraqi police force. Some police force. And he did this in less than two months? The daily attacks by Iraqi insurgents on their police forces underscore Kerik's failure and what is to come. Kerik accomplished very little, if anything. But his ostentatious display of loyalty to Bush certainly secured his nomination as a Cabinet officer. Don't look for Kerik to admit that Iraq is a quagmire. Kerik was a loyalist par excellence, and that seems to put one in the White House's starting lineup these days. During the recent presidential campaign, Kerik competed with Vice President Dick Cheney in issuing dire warnings about a Kerry victory. And Kerik warmly supported the president's call for further repressive measures that would expand the powers of the USA Patriot Act.

Kerik's appointment debacle matched Bush's career of arrogance. The administration bypassed the usual FBI background check. Perhaps the flaws in Kerik's career might have been uncovered. But Kerik was the administration's man, and he seemed to be just the kind of self-made man the president admires....