New: Bernie and Judy story here.
It had all the makings of a gritty tv movie, the life of Bernie Kerik. There is no question that he had a bit of a shady past -- we should also keep in mind, frankly, that like Bill Clinton, Kerick came from modest beginnings, faced many challenges that would have been insurmountable to most, but put that behind him, and would have made a fine public servant, one that even his political opponent, Senator Chuck Schumer, thought was important to New York.
It was not to be.
Unfortunately, the sins of Bernard Kerik's past began to gather steam. The Corsair knew that things could only get worse after TheSmokingGun this week posted some highly embarrassing legal documents about his recent past, saying essentially:
"Kerik was once a deadbeat who declared bankruptcy when he couldn't handle his credit card bills, loan repayments, or Sears and J.C. Penney tabs. Kerik filed for Chapter 7 protection in October 1987, when he was a 32-year-old New York Police Department officer living in Greenwich Village, according to federal court records. As detailed in Kerik's bankruptcy petition, a copy of which you'll find below, he listed debts totaling about $12,000, the largest of which was a $2089.52 Visa bill."
But the sudden withdrawal was mindblowing, to me at least, suggesting that if TheSmokingGun could get this info, there might be more troubling backstory laying in the tall grass. NannyGate issues soon surfaced (how many public servants were prevented their position by a Nanny? Let me count the ways ...), as they so often do during the cabinet level appointments vetting process.
On a Friday, no doubt, was all this revealed, which is usually a space -- Friday -- reserved for sensitive and embarrassing political news to be buried in A8 and forgotten. This NannyGate bombshell will, no doubt, be well covered terrain on all the Sunday Talking Head Shows Why the fuck didn't the White House properly vet this man? Or, if they did, what made them think that he could withstand the public scrutiny?
Giuliani looks somewhat good in this, as he was loyal to Kerick, counselling him, sticking by his side, but it also exposes him. Was this man qualified to be head of the NYC police? Was this just a "NannyGate"? Or, is there something more lurking beneath?
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