The Company Pols Keep
By Jeffrey Page
No one except political candidates takes endorsements seriously anymore. Are you going to be swayed because Bill Clinton flies into town to say nice things about some Democrat or because George W. Bush arrives on behalf of the Republican? Maybe years ago, but nowadays? I don’t think so.
Still, politicians seek out celebrities to bolster their campaigns, but sometimes fail to understand that certain endorsements are liabilities. The perfect example of this occurred last year when Barack Obama won the ringing endorsement of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Why anyone in his right mind would voluntarily acknowledge the backing of a minister whose most notable quote was “God damn America” is beyond comprehension.
Various Obama detractors – and supporters – raised a huge stink. It took Obama a little time but he finally broke with Wright and found a new church.
And so, we come to a little item in last week’s edition of The Warwick Advertiser about a campaign appearance in Warwick by Assemblyman Greg Ball. Ball is seeking the Republican nomination to oppose Rep. John Hall, D-19 in 2010.
And in the audience to lend support were none other than Rep. Peter King, the Long Island Republican who is the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Bernard Kerik.
That Bernard Kerik?
The same. Kerik is the former New York City police commissioner who President Bush nominated in 2004 to be his Secretary of Homeland Security. One week later Kerik, citing a potential problem regarding the immigration status of a woman who had worked in his home, withdrew himself from consideration. Later he would be indicted for failing to mention the nanny matter to White House officials conducting the vetting process on his nomination.
And, oh yeah, there was an allegation about a little matter of Kerik’s receiving $255,000 worth of renovations to his apartment from a contractor wishing to do business with the city. Apparently he forgot to mention that, too.
Kerik would have more substantial problems. Later, he was charged with conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, and for lying to the Internal Revenue Service by forgetting to report the $255,000 as income.
In 2006, he pleaded guilty to illegally accepting that remodeling of his apartment from a contractor which, the city believed, had links with organized crime.
His withdrawal from consideration as Homeland Security Secretary was a great embarrassment to the Bush Administration, courtesy of Kerik himself, who was subsequently indicted for lying to White House investigators, and courtesy also of Rudolph Giuliani, who had pressed Bush to appoint Kerik to Homeland Security, and was Kerik’s biggest cheerleader.
There have been other bumps in Kerik’s road. Last winter, for example, The New York Times reported he had been indicted for allegedly failing to report $500,000 in income in 1999.
Something to bear in mind: As obnoxious as Wright’s comments were, he wasn’t indicted for anything and hasn’t pleaded guilty to anything.
What was Ball thinking when he accepted Kerik’s support? That the voters won’t notice the company he keeps?
Message to Greg Ball: They’re smarter than you think.
Jeffrey can be reached at jeffrey@zestoforange.com.
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