President Bush will have to continue his search for a head of the Department of Homeland Security. In a surprise move former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik withdrew himself from the nomination process.
Kerik informed Bush of his decision to withdraw in a telephone call at 8:30 p.m. EST. “I am convinced that, for personal reasons, moving forward would not be in the best interests of your administration, the Department of Homeland Security or the American people,” Kerik said in a letter to the president.
There were few who doubted that Bernard Kerik would be a great director for the DHS, however there were some forces at work against him. In recent days he had come under attack for his business dealings as a member of the board of Taser International. His resignation however seems to stem from the questionable immigration status of his personal housekeeper.
There are a few possible scenarios. It could be an underhanded attempt to torpedo a qualified nominee for a highly important cabinet position. However an immigration violation on the part of the DHS would be quite hypocritical, especially since the DHS includes the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Border and Transportation Security departments. My guess is that the dirt about the housekeeper surfaced and the administration felt it was better to jump ship than to deal with the scrutiny. In either case it is a loss for the country as Kerik seemed to be a viable candidate for the role. But as with all of his selections thus far, President Bush has chosen capable and competent citizens; I have no doubt that Bush will select another such candidate for this position.
More:
Wizbang - Kerik Withdraws From Top DHS Job
Dem ShillsTM
Gabe Hughes at 12:42 am
