Giuliani and Kerik

The Los Angeles Times

"Officials from a national firefighters union, along with some relatives of Sept. 11 victims, say they will publicly attack decisions Giuliani made as New York mayor before and after the terrorist strikes.

"Among other complaints, they say that Giuliani failed to support modernized radios that might have spared the lives of more firefighters at the World Trade Center, and that he located the city's main emergency command center in the complex, even though it had been targeted by terrorists eight years earlier. ...

"So far, the International Assn. of Fire Fighters, the country's biggest firefighter union, says it will aim its anti-Giuliani effort at its own 280,000 members. But union President Harold A. Schaitberger said the group will also "stand ready" to support a much more public campaign by families of firefighters and workers who died in the World Trade Center. ...

"It might have the same effect [as the Swift Boat campaign], but our effort will be 100% accurate and truthful," Schaitberger said.

The Washington Post ran this absolutely schizo article, stating that Alberto Gonzales definitely knew about every one of Kerik's bad acts before the nomination of Kerik for Homeland Security was made, but that the President went ahead with the nomination anyway.

It is hard to say what WaPo's agenda was with this article, but it remains the case --

The vetting process for the Director of Homeland Security was rushed and flawed. What does that say about the vetting process for everyone else?

Bernard Kerik was Giuliani's guy, and still is.

Bernard Kerik, on surface appearances, seems to treat Homeland Security primarily as an excuse to make money.

Bernard Kerik was Giuliani's guy, and still is.

The Bush Administration trusted Giuliani and Kerik, and that trust appears to have been misplaced.

According to the Washington Post article, Rudy is not to blame.

Kerik may have lied, but even Alberto Gonzales saw through that. They knew Kerik was lying.

Nevertheless, Bush nominated Kerik for whatever reason. Maybe Bush looks at Kerik and sees a person who values Homeland Security for the same reason Bush does.

Did Alberto tell the President what he knew about Kerik? Did the POTUS even care?

Something about the WaPo article does not add up.