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Home Front: WoT
Kerik to head Homeland Security Dept
2004-12-03
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH has chosen Bernard Kerik, the former New York police commissioner who helped to oversee the response to the September 11 attacks, to run the Department of Homeland Security. Mr Kerik, 49, will take over from Tom Ridge, who resigned this week. Mr Kerik's path to the top anti-terrorism position, replacing Tom Ridge, has been anything but conventional. A moustachioed, upright character who began his anti-terrorism career as a private security officer in Saudi Arabia, Mr Kerik won national fame in the ashes of the World Trade Center, and often appeared at the side of the former Mayor, Rudolph Guiliani, to discuss the bloodshed.

A military policeman in South Korea in the 1970s, his first anti-terrorism work was as a paid private security worker in Saudi Arabia. He joined the New York Police Department in 1986, first walking a beat in Times Square when it was still a haven for small-time hustlers. He rose to lead the city's corrections department, and was appointed commissioner in 2000. It was in that position that he became known to the rest of the country, supervising the New York Police Department's response to the terror attacks in 2001.
Posted by:Steve White

#13  I'd feel alot better if I heard him say he is against gun control. Ex NYPD. NYPD = ban all private gun ownership.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-12-03 11:21:56 PM  

#12  Spitzer for Prosecutor of Kofi.
Posted by: lex   2004-12-03 11:10:55 PM  

#11  Next:

Rudy for UN Ambassador.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2004-12-03 6:46:27 PM  

#10  Dang, that glare of his could freeze water.

I bet his New York Police Commissioner demeanor will be a big hit with all the bureaucratic ninnies in Washtown. BUT I bet they will only screw with him once. My take is that he is a dynamic charasmatic leader of the old school who will kick butts take names and give clear directions.

This will be fun to watch. I wonder if Goss would like to borrow him for about a week or two and sic him on the antibushies in the C(no evil except W)IA
Posted by: SOG475   2004-12-03 5:59:21 PM  

#9  Color coded warnings are just so much crap without some specific plans and means of action down to John Q citizen's level

Yikes I can't find Frank J specific advice. Anyone got a link?
Posted by: Shipman   2004-12-03 3:54:11 PM  

#8  Agreed, 2b. But, Ridge didn't do the political things needed to help people understand what he'd accomplished. Bits and pieces were reported here and there -- f'r instance, I read a long article about new technologies used to examine shipping containers in Wired Magazine -- but no summaries with numbers of bad things prevented, nor advice along the lines of AP's post. I realize that Ridge was under a great deal of pressure to make things happen quickly, as we all expected another 9/11 size attempt to follow on immediately (I still have a roll of duct tape and a pack of playing cards in my closet in case of a chem/bio attack) and, given the needs of the time, telegraphing his moves would have helped the terrorists. But Ridge did nothing to manage the mockery on the opinion-forming late night comedy shows (Tonight Show, etc), which only emboldened the mockers.

Anyway, I do think Ridge will be vindicated by history, but Mr. Kerik still has a lot of ground to make up in the charisma area.
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-12-03 3:00:26 PM  

#7  Say what you want, but there were no terrorist attacks on Ridge's watch. He had a tough job and he came away with just the always present criticism that he "could have done better". He was riding a bull, but he managed to stay on without getting bucked off. No small accomplishment in my book.
Posted by: 2b   2004-12-03 1:28:17 PM  

#6  He should make all us US citizens aware of what to look for in the line of threats. He should be setting up websites for making lists of things that citizens should have in emergency kits at home and in their cars. Make people feel and be empowered by being part of the solution to homeland security. Get neighborhoods organized in emergency plans.

Color coded warnings are just so much crap without some specific plans and means of action down to John Q citizen's level. I think that we have a lot to learn from the Israelis on this. This type of action will also create more unity in the country by unity of purpose. Ridge failed miserably in this area.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-12-03 1:11:01 PM  

#5  Moustachio - check!
NYPD issue truncheon - check!

Sounds like a winner to me.
Posted by: Steve   2004-12-03 11:20:07 AM  

#4  Yes it is. I'd go you one better and say that our whole federal government is sorely in need of a Jacksonian style revolution.
Posted by: AzCat   2004-12-03 2:51:19 AM  

#3  Anyone referred to as "Baghdad Terminator" has gotta be a good selection. Besides, he knows the local cops, knowledge that is woefully needed in the DHS job.
Posted by: Capt America   2004-12-03 1:57:02 AM  

#2  He spoke briefly at the RNC. If I were to judge by that performance, I'd say that he's far more dynamic than was Ridge. A good choice on that front.
Posted by: AzCat   2004-12-03 1:29:29 AM  

#1  Sounds like a good choice for the job. I do hope he's up to making Homeland Security more effective...and seen to be so.
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-12-03 1:19:08 AM  

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