Who will take the fall for Kerik?

Atrios mentioned that the rapid fall from grace of Berni Kerik could present some real problems for Rudy Guiliani.

I doubt Kerik withdrew because of his minor nanny problem, although I suppose it's possible. But the real question is whether this event knocks Saint Rudy off his perch a bit. Kerik was Rudy's choice, and this is the kind of bad advice which pisses Bush off I imagine. Perhaps we won't see the mayor hanging out with the prez so much in the coming days.

Mary at The Left Coaster posted on that this morning.It seems it didn't take Saint Rudy too long to start groveling at the feet of the White House.

Oh gee, it looks like Bush's lastest appointee for Director for Homeland Security might have been a real bozo selection. So who might be responsible for this snafu? It looks like American's Mayor for Life, Rudolf Guiliano was the fellow that convinced Bush to nominate Bernard Kerik. So what is a potential power player (and future candidate for President?) to do after the ignominious flameout of his protege? Why, of course, apologize for the embarrassment to the President, right?

But Josh Marshall reports that Kerik was dubya's kind of guy, he liked his style and his tough guy swagger.

"[S]ome administration officials acknowledge that the president's predilections work against a careful review. Bush hates leaks and enjoys popping surprise announcements on the press. He liked the idea of Kerik—the self-made tough guy—and he dismissed as gossip or press carping newspaper stories about Kerik's bending the rules."

So let's see. The president liked the image of Kerik. And once he got fixed on the idea that it was a crackerjack idea to put him at DHS, he dismissed all the stories about Kerik's recklessness and scofflawry as just so much whinning from the nattering nabobs of negativism.

(Remind you of anything?)

The emphasis on secrecy also seemed to help keep the prez from getting any disquieting information. And Al Gonzales, who ran the vetting process on Kerik, was either too sloppy or too much of a yes-man to bring any of this stuff to the president's attention.

But this White House never takes responsibilty for any of it's fuck ups so somebody will have to take the fall. My guess is that Rudy's gravy train has come to the end of the line.

If anyone benifited from 911 more than George Bush it was Rudy Guiliani. He was going to leave office disliked and was probably going to be remembered for the fact that his personal life resembled a really bad soap opera. The events of 911 gave him one final chance to shine and shine he did but as Mary over at the Left Coaster says he didn't know when to quit.

Giulani had a God-given chance to leave a legacy of someone who showed how during times of crisis what a real leader would do. When 9/11 happened, Giuliani forgot his own personal ambitions and really led the citizens of NY during the crisis. But then Giuliani decided to cash in on his fame and he used his slimy protege, Berni Kerik, to help. Berni has made millions from his association with Giuliani. How much do you think Rudy has gotten for his sponsorship?

Too bad Rudy. The slimy administration you have been shilling for the last few months is going to turn on you so fast your head will spin.