You don't seem to read or comprehend very well. Please study what I wrote in #11. I applaud the man and take his detractors to the woodshed.
Posted on 12/05/2004 10:02:42 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Bernard Kerik is the only cabinet secretary-designate whose life story has already been optioned by a major movie studio.
The son of a New Jersey prostitute who was murdered when he was a boy, Kerik is a high school dropout, a karate black belt, and a former security guard for the Saudi Royal family. His rise from ghetto streets to become a trusted presidential adviser is marked by discipline, determination, and a fierce loyalty to the men who put their trust in him, from former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to President Bush. He'll need all of those resources when, pending Senate confirmation, the former New York City police commissioner takes the helm of the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.
Cobbled together from 22 different agencies in the wake of 9/11, Homeland Security has more than 180,000 employees responsible for protecting everything from the Hoover Dam to a small chemical plant in New Jersey to the nation's coasts. Kerik's background will help, though it can hardly ensure success in a job that blends the challenges of Washington turf wars with street-level operations.
While outgoing Secretary Tom Ridge had the challenge of flying "the airplane at the same time he was building it," in the words of one expert, he was criticized as an ineffective champion for the new agency in Washington's gladiator-like bureaucratic battles. Some Homeland Security experts contend that Kerik, as a street-wise, no-nonsense leader, may be exactly what the agency needs as it matures from a still-confusing start-up into an effective catalyst for the nation's civil defense.
"Between Ridge and Kerik, you've gone from the charming, good-looking big man on campus to Rambo," says Juliette Kayyem, executive director of the National Security Program at the Kennedy School of Government. "Kerik's also a first responder, which is good because it means he'll be much more sympathetic to their needs. But there's a big question about whether he has the management skills that are needed to run such a huge department."
You can take the man out of the ghetto but can you take the ghetto out of the man
I like a street fighter for this role. I don't think we need another Suit.
I like the idea of a real street fighter for this also. But I hope he knows how to manage and delegate, so he can actually get something useful done!
Is he a gun grabber?
He's a cop that believes that only cops have the right to carry guns. He doe's not believe in the Constitution. He is a Rudy man.
No dead white men on that list I guess
That makes him someone I don't want in any federal office, let alone on top of a big one.
Thats a big condemnation!. What public facts are available on which you base your accusation? I think zero.
Your criticisms about him are unfounded. I have never read anything about him preaching for gun control.
Lets look at one of his major accomplishments. He has no colllege, yet he took on management the NYC Corrections Department. This meant running the City's vast empire of jails. The main jail is Rikers Island, a literal city within a city. Every piece of dirt awaiting trial who is not bailable is stuck there, with several exceptions. Inmates serving time for 1 year or less go there. There's a state prison there as well. And they have a bakery that makes some of the best bread in the Northeast.
Prior to Bernie's arrival, the place was out of control. The inmates were running the asylum. Stabbings and beatings were commonplace. Within a very short time Bernie changed all this. Whenever an inmate would act up, he would send an overwhelming force into to subdue the inmate. They were complete with electrified shields and they wouldn't hestitate to zap the guy. Any crimes committed within the jail were prosecuted so that there was a real downside to bad behavior.
Results, within six months violence in Rikers was down over 80 percent. Within a year it was over 90 percent. This guy is a doer. He would routinely stop by the jails to do inspections, something that had never been done before.
He achieved similar results in the NYPD. He was at the scene of the WTC and was nearly killed.
Find out the facts before you condemn.
I could see his improving the management of a single prison, but the jury is obviously still out as to how well a one man show like this can run a federal agency. Will he be a "don't embarrass the Bureau" kind of leader or a "bring out the jack boots" kind? I bet more towards the boots.
One thing most federal agencies can use is a no-nonsense administrator who can clean out the garbage and get the work done. So he's not a suit. Give him a chance. Trust Bush's judgement. Bush has done a pretty good job so far.
Kind of painting Ridge as some sort of YUPPI, which is far from accurate. Ridge grew up in public housing, joined the Army and served in Vietnam as an enlisted man. He went to college on the GI bill after his discharge.
You don't seem to read or comprehend very well. Please study what I wrote in #11. I applaud the man and take his detractors to the woodshed.
Sorry, that wasn't directed at you. We agree.
-I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something about Kerik that I don't like. -
I personally don't like his Saudi connections. Bad news there.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.