The saga of the fast rise and even faster fall of Homeland Security nominee Bernard Kerik -- or as Josh Marshall calls it, the Cash-n-Kerik-Catch-Up -- is dominating the 'sphere today.
Noting the White House's insistence that the Kerik deal-breaker was nanny problems, not the mounting litany of the former cop's other foibles, Marshall provides links to a variety of weekend stories detailing problems with Kerik's qualifications, including allegations of mob ties and extra-marital affairs. "None of this stuff gave the White House or Al Gonzales second thoughts?" he asks.
Now, clearly the White House is trying to walk back the quickly congealing sense that they were sloppy and impulsive in selecting someone to run the department that covers the issue that President Bush has made the defining issue of his presidency.
Tim Graham at The Corner accuses ABC and NBC of double standards in their reporting about Kerik's rumored affairs:
Why, back in the Clinton years, you could not only have an affair, but lie about it to the FBI, have an independent counsel attached to you to cost the taxpayers millions, and still serve in the cabinet as HUD Secretary. I don't remember ABC having any reservations or criticism about that ... not to mention what they had to say about Clinton's affairs pre-Lewinsky.
Jeff Jarvis at Buzz Machine offers The Human Defense on behalf of Kerik. "If we expect nothing but purity of thought and deed in appointed office, we're going to end up with the dullest people on earth serving us," writes Jarvis. "We're going to end up with Tom Ridge."
Forget the tawdry. Kevin Drum and Bob Somerby are bird-dogging Social Security. Somerby, at the Daily Howler, continues his critique of CBS's coverage of the issue last week. "Has there ever been a policy issue driven by so much disinformation?" Somerby asks. Drum takes on the "Social Security is bankrupt" school of thought, complete with nifty chart:
In other words, Social Security doom-mongering has a pretty checkered past -- which means that perhaps the current doom-mongering isn't quote on target either. In fact, maybe Social Security is in perfectly good shape and doesn't need "rescuing." The most prudent course might be to wait a few years and find out.
