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Hooey-liani’s Best Bud Needs Our Help ($$$)

By SusanUnPC on November 10, 2007 at 10:28 AM in Presidential Candidates

kerik-rudy-hug.jpgGrab a hankie (sniff) before you read the wisdom — albeit factually flawed — of Rudy Giuliani pal Bernie Kerik: “And I read some of the articles about this, about Dr. Kay’s report today, in my opinion, there was one weapon of mass destruction in Iraq, and it was Saddam Hussein. … I watched a video of Saddam sitting in an office and allowing two Doberman Pinschers to eat alive a general, a military general because he did not trust his loyalty. There was one weapon of mass destruction — he’s no longer in power. And I think that’s what counts today.” … “”I understand, probably more than anyone, what a threat Iraq was and the people that threatened Iraq was. I was beneath the towers on September 11th when they fell. And I — again, I just — I want to thank the President for the honor in allowing me to go there, because I lost 23 people. I wear this — this memorial band for the 23 I lost.”
– Bernard Kerik, October 3, 2003, standing next to President Bush at the White House South Lawn.

Just like Americans did for the viciously besieged Scooter Libby, please open your hearts and your wallets for this imperiled patriot:

kerik.jpg

From ThinkProgress:

Like Scooter Libby and Tom DeLay before him, former NYC Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik is using his indictment as a tool to fundraise from the right-wing base.

A grand jury issued a 14-count indictment against Kerik yesterday. But Kerik knew it was coming. “Several weeks ago,” the Kerik Legal Defense Trust had already sprung into action and launched a website to raise funds for the embattled Kerik.

The defense trust’s website contains a page entitled “About Bernard B. Kerik” that notes he was nominated to serve as secretary of Homeland Security, “but neglects to mention he was forced to withdraw in disgrace in December 2004 over tax issues related to a nanny he employed.”

The site lauds Kerik’s “heroism” and “distinguished service” with laudatory quotes from Rudy Giuliani (”An excellent Police Commissioner and Courageous Leader on 9/11″) and Tony Blair (”You are an inspiration to all of us”).

The defense trust informs potential donors that, “Any contribution you make to the Trust will be treated as a gift to Mr. Kerik to be used at his discretion.” Potential donors should note, however, that Kerik is under indictment because he has been accused of misappropriating his finances. Ellis Henican writes in Newsday:

But I’m still a little confused about why Bernard Kerik needs money from me. The man lives in a mansion in New Jersey. He got that $4.4 million stock bonanza for sitting on the Taser board.

How’s Bernie so broke? He’s barely paid for his first cup of coffee, and since he left city government in 2003, he’s been positively raking it in.

He’s been a partner in at least two highly lucrative security firms, one with Rudy Giuliani and one that he ran. Like giant vacuum cleaners, he and Rudy have been sucking huge fees from corporations and foreign governments eager to hear tough-guy 9/11 anecdotes.

And the man needs a hundred bucks from me?

The website does not report its board members or its contributors. … READ ALL.

:::::::::::::::::

The Los Angeles Times has a detailed piece today on what the Kerik scandal could mean for Giuliani’s campaign:

Being a top aide to New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani allegedly brought a lot of perks to Bernard Kerik — a new Jacuzzi, a “marble entrance rotunda” installed in a Bronx apartment, $9,000 a month in rent payments for a flat on the Upper East Side — many of them paid for by people who had business with the city.

[AND HE NEEDS DONATIONS?]

Those and other favors were laid out Friday in a corruption indictment against Kerik, New York’s former police commissioner. The charges open a window on Republican presidential candidate Giuliani’s inner circle, detailing how Kerik lived the high life during Giuliani’s law-and-order administration.

The indictment, with details that would fit an episode of “The Sopranos,” could create problems for the GOP front-runner, who has built his candidacy on his image as an efficient manager and dogged crime fighter. …

[...]

Although Giuliani said last week that the two men had not talked recently, they were professionally and personally close. The former mayor is godfather to Kerik’s daughter, and Kerik wrote in his autobiography that Giuliani had “made” him.

Press reports have indicated that before Kerik’s appointment as police commissioner, a New York City official briefed Giuliani about Kerik’s ties to a New Jersey waste disposal company that is at the heart of the federal indictment. Giuliani has not disputed those reports, but maintains he doesn’t remember the briefings. [OH GREAT: HE HAS A MEMORY AS CONVENIENTLY BLANK AS ABU GONZALES!]

An official for the company, Interstate Industrial Corp., referred questions Friday to a lawyer, who did not return a phone call requesting comment. Kerik’s indictment had been anticipated, and Giuliani has sought to blunt its political impact by admitting that he failed to properly vet Kerik before recommending him for the Homeland Security post. …

READ ALL.

  • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

    And don’t miss “TPM’s Ultimate Kerik Scandal List!”

    It’s kind of long.

  • mudkitty

    What an obscenity.

    • taters

      Amen, mudkitty.

  • ybnormal

    Seems to me this points to a really big issue which rarely comes up in campaign debates. The president, whoever it is, does not function alone in the white house. There’s scores of cabinet advisors and others.

    A legitimate evaluation can be made about how a candidate might function in terms of their choices, by how they’ve already chosen in the past, as well as how they propose to choose if elected president.

    We know how W has done as chooser guy. Keirk looks like evidence that Rudy might not be a very good chooser guy either.

    In all fairness though, I don’t really know how much better the other candidates have done or will do. Sounds like something to look into.

  • http://www.food4humanity.org hoosierhoops

    Would a check for one cent help?

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      Ohhhhhhhh … I think you’re on to something here.

      Let us PLOT.

  • Sandy

    Nope, not even one red cent! (Though it is a good statement, HH)

    Haven’t looked at the TPM roundup yet….but thanks, Susan.

    Wonder if they remembered the Judith Regan (book publisher) affair…in which their tryst took place in an apt. overlooking Ground Zero that was meant/designated for use to relieve the workers there.

    He used it, instead, to screw his mistress. Ah, September 11. Used…in so many ways.

    (retch)

    • taters

      Sandy – weren’t both of his mistresses party to the Love Shack?(not at the same time)
      It reminds me of a song by Denise LaSalle “Your Husband Is Cheating On Us.”

  • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

    FROM GAIL COLLINS at the NYT:

    Rudy and Bernie: B.F.F.’s

    By GAIL COLLINS
    Published: November 10, 2007
    The past seven years have given us some helpful hints on what we want to avoid in the next president. I’m starting to make a list.

    Quality to avoid No. 1: Loyalty.

    Whenever you read that a candidate “values loyalty above all else” — run for the hills. Loyalty is a terribly important consideration if you’re choosing a pet, but not a cabinet member. …

    READ ALL.

  • Delia

    Hell, I want Bernie to send ME money. I need it more than that crook does.

  • Kathleen

    I am so bloody tired of the MSM tell me who has the best bet to win the election. I am listening to Chris Matthews Hardball and he keeps repeating Hillary is so far ahead. Horseshit Matthews ( and I stick up for Matthews regularly over at Firedoglake(everyone there is on the same bus on most issues and seldom question one anothers thinking). They love to pick on Matthews calling him “Tweety” and claimning that Matthews just started playing hardball. I watched Matthews hammer the “cakewalk in Iraq” zealots, Kristol, Frum, Ledeen and others (who were willing go go on his program) about their false intelligence, their cherry picking etc.

    Aside from that I keep wondering what the MSM has against John Edwards. They have been ignoring him for months (including Matthews). It makes me wonder what the MSM does not like about Edwards.

    John Edwards came out during the last debate and was willing to take on those who lied us into the illegal and immoral war in Iraq head on. He called the neo-cons out. He called Hillary out on her yes vote for the Kyl Lieberman admendment

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/29/152057/38

    Hillary will not call them out in any way shape or form.

    John Edwards was on George Stephanapolous last Sunday and said our government is “corrupt and broken”

    John Edwards on “This Week”
    http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=133369

    • tomas9701

      If you wish a DLC driven politician to be president please vote HRC. If you wish for a non-dynastic person to lead the US, pick someone else.
      HRC in 2008 & 2012, the the seemingly intelligent Bush brother in 2016 & 2020, then Chelsea after that.
      I’ll be dead by then (but my grand-children won’t, I hope).
      Is there no one else, in a country of close to 300 million, who has the skills to lead?

  • Kathleen

    John Edwards ripped it up last Sunday on George Stephanpolous.

    I keep wondering what many in the MSM have against Edwards. They have been ignoring him the last six months.

    John Edwards came out and called our government “broken and corrupt”

    If you did not see this interview with him it is worth the listen

    http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3818010

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      You may hate me now: I loathe John Edwards and his attacks on Hillary Clinton, which solely help the Republicans (damn Edwards for that!) and, well, Barack Obama, who is not quite yet ready to be president. And I am solidly behind Hillary Clinton. I can tell you all the reasons.

      The DailyKos camp is ga-ga for Edwards but he is sinking in the polls, and his catastrophic mistake in pledging to use only public finds DOOMS him should he get the nomination … the Republicans would so outspend him, it’d be ridiculous and they’d win easily. Whoever in Edwards’ camp talked him into that outta be drummed out of his campaign. And Edwards was an IDIOT to go for it, and that gives me one more reason to be disgusted with him. I am also sick of his wife’s attacks on HRC, which she gets away with more because of her tragic illness, but which is incredibly unhelpful to the eventual Democratic candidate’s general election campaign.

      I have many reasons for being for HIllary Clinton. Among them:

      1) she has pledged, the day after she is elected, to send emissaries throughout the world, to every country, to begin to rebuild our international relations — she will NOT wait until her inauguration because she realizes it is so vital we begin immediately, and

      2) she has pledged to rescind the unitary powers that the Bush presidency has assumed. This is of the UTMOST importance. It was in the Boston Globe a few weeks ago, and Leslie featured it here — you should be able to search for it and find it using our search engine. I’m sure that the leftie blogs like FireDogLake — snort — managed to overlook that vitally important, historic statement and article, but she said it. I have not heard other candidates say the same; perhaps they have, and more power to them.

      Furthermore, she has the political experience to handle all that the GOP will throw at ANY of the Democratic candidates. She is tough enough to take it.

      She is brilliant and she is a student of public policy and international affairs, and has been for a very long time.

      She also has a superb team with her who will guide her, wisely, in matters of state, and she’ll be READY TO GO when she assumes office. She will need far less of a learning curve than Obama or Edwards, neither of whom have the direct White House experience she has.

      ALL OF THAT said — and there is much more I could say — I will support the Democratic nominee, whoever that is (well, there is the goofball Mike Gravel, but thank god he’s not a realistic possibility).

      WARNING: DO NOT BELIEVE what candidates promise in campaign speeches as the gospel truth. Edwards’ braggadacio that he’ll defeat the insurance/pharmaceutical companies is among his more absurd claims … they’ll bury him long before he affects them … he’s not being realistic and he’d have to play ball with them because they’re so powerful and, uh, furthermore, they do employee a hell of a lot of Americans.

      JUST BECAUSE people like Ron Paul or Bill Richardson brag they’d end the war in Iraq immediately does NOT mean they will be able to do so. They will NOT. And any of their supporters who believe them are DELUSIONAL.

      Even Edwards, Obama, and Clinton know that and refuse to make that ridiculous claim. There are hugely complex logistical and safety considerations for the withdrawal of our troops and equipment — Pat Lang, and Larry, have written brilliant pieces about the complexities. Then there are huge geopolitical considerations … this must be done very carefully, and in full concert with regional, and worldwide, intensive diplomatic efforts. That means it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

      P.S. There is one more thing, and this is a hard thing for people to recognize in themselves, let alone admit. But if I can admit it, so can others. I used to say, “I hate Hillary” all the time. I supported Richardson’s campaign. Then, one day, for some reason, I asked myself why I said “I hate Hillary.” I didn’t have any specific, factual reasons…. then it really hit me. The rightwing attack machine has been labeling her for over 16 years, and has been teaching people to say “I hate Hillary.” I had unwittingly, unconsciously BOUGHT INTO the Bill O’Reilly/Sean Hannity/Faux News/Rush Limbaugh campaigns against her. I was stunned that, yes, I too could be unconsciously used as a TOOL by them.

      it was very hard for me to admit that to myself, and then to admit it to others. I “came out” here a few weeks ago in comments here at No Quarter. It was not easy. I cannot believe I’d been unconsciously “bought” by the rightwingers.

      The shock of that realization caused me to re-examine her candidacy, and my memories of her — times when I’ve seen her on Charlie Rose’s show, and she was absolutely brilliant on every question Rose gave her. And much more.

      If I can admit how I was used by the rightwing, I hope others can too. Their pervasive messages are so insidious that we often don’t know how we have absorbed what they say. We THINK we are superior to them, and that they can’t use us. WRONG. They succeed far more often than we realize because they get to us in our subconscious.

  • Linda

    I think these defense funds for right wing scoundrels are a great idea. Let them raise and spend millions for Delay, Scooter, and the thousands of others. This will cut into the money they have on hand to attack the rights of women, gays, minorities and the freedoms of all of us.

    The Vatican has had a similar thing happen to it though it has gone largely unreported. All of the money spent in litigation over the sex offenders in the Church has taken away money used for anti choice activities such as buying hospitals so that they can be stripped of reproductive health services.

  • Montag

    So Giuliani “made” Bernie Kerik? Doesn’t that make Kerik a “made man?”–as in Mafia, I mean.

  • taters

    Ah, Mr.9/11′s paland crony – the Ground Zero Hero and partaker of the Love Shack.
    Can anyone imagine the outrage if what Pooty Drooliani did in his lobbying for Kerik was done by any of the Dems?
    And now end timer Robertson endorses him. This should be plenty of fodder but I won’t count on it.

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