The Devil You Know

I find rightie reactions to Bernie Kerik’s indictment wondrously entertaining. Shorter versions:

Everybody knows politics in the New York and New Jersey are corrupt. Unlike, of course, politics everywhere else.

Whatever Giuliani did wrong, Democrats did it first.

Nobody’s perfect.

Damn liberal media. “[T]he only reason that Bernie Kerik’s being pilloried (Hillary’ed?) now is because he is associated with the Republican frontrunner.” Yeah, the fact that someone with known ties to the mob nearly became head of the Department of Homeland Security shouldn’t bother anyone.

And, above all — Hillary Clinton is the spawn of the devil. Their hysterical obsession with Senator Clinton deserves its own entry in the DSM.

This blogger writes,

And you know, between the timing , and the force with which the news media seems to be applying in covering this little affair, something does seem rather obvious — the only reason that Bernie Kerik’s being pilloried (Hillary’ed?) now is because he is associated with the Republican frontrunner — and the Democrat front runner is Hillary Clinton — someone who decidedly needs her own scandalous past to be mitigated by scandals amongst her opponents.

Given the scandals and Hillary Clinton’s past, even her recent past, doesn’t it stretch credibility beyond the breaking point that this indictment against Kerik comes down just now, while Hillary Clinton’s scandal filled past gets ignored? the timing, in particular, would seem questionable.

The long arm of the Clintons.

I would like to explain how “news” works. The reason the Kerik indictment is in the news is that it happened yesterday. Scandals associated with the Clintons are not on the front pages at the moment because there are no new developments. See, that’s why they call it “news.”

Jammie Wearing Fool even brings up Jim McDougal, who’s been dead for nearly a decade. JWF also mentions indicted fundraiser Norman Hsu, who has “recently been in the news.” Yes, dude, he was recently in the news. A lot. This rather refutes claims of media bias, I would think. But if righties had their way, the nation’s newspapers would still be running photos of Monica Lewinsky on the front page of every edition.

Knee slapper of the week: “[Rudy] wants to win without seeming to be an unprincipled opportunist who changes his positions wherever convenient.” Yeah, he’s doing a heck of a job with that.

Now Giuliani says he “erred” in appointing Kerik police commissioner. Should’ve checked him out better, Giuliani says. But Giuliani was briefed on at least some of those ties before the appointment.

Down With Tyranny writes,

Driving home last night I heard Giuliani claiming it didn’t matter if Kerik bent a few rules because crime was down 60% in NY while he was police commissioner. That’s as big a lie as all the other lies that comes pouring out of Giuliani’s face. Crime in NY was down 8%, not bad– but not close to 60%. And as far as a few rules being broken… Giuliani’s administration was riddled with Mafia connections and Kerik was the go-between.

This is the sort of thing that people actually need to know about a guy running for president.

As far as Senator Clinton is concerned, if there are any bombshells that haven’t already been exploded I sincerely hope they are discovered and detonated before the nomination is settled. I don’t expect absolute purity in any candidate. But I feel media and Dem party insiders are hustling to give away the nomination to Senator Clinton before actual voters have focused on the presidential race and noticed there are other candidates. So, righties and media, if she can be brought down, please bring her down now. You’d be doing us all a favor. And if new information about unsavory associates and Senator Clinton comes to light, by all means put it in the news.

But regarding the stuff Ken Starr couldn’t get an indictment on — my dears, it’s over. That horse is so dead there’s not enough of a carcass left to beat.

Update: See Steve Benen

Giuliani has a pattern of cozying up to suspected criminals, and giving them jobs. Accidentally promoting one felon is one thing, repeatedly associating with unsavory characters, including a suspected child molester, starts to reflect poorly on one’s judgment.

I’m sure righties will counter with, yeah, the Clintons have a pattern, too. But righties have long undercut their own cause by ceaselessly promoting every absurd rumor they could find into a national scandal. After a while, to the general public it’s all just white noise. If those with Clinton Derangement Syndrome could learn to discriminate between the credible and the incredible their accusations might have more of an impact. But I’m not holding my breath.

11 thoughts on “The Devil You Know

  1. I can’t believe JammieWearingFool is going to win best new blog in the Wizbang Awards. It’s 100% wingnut cookie-cutter speak wrapped in a blogspot template and nothing more.

  2. Wow, that ‘long arm of the Clintons’ line is truly outstanding.

    Despite six years of Bush administration, and having had his own personal lawyer running the DOJ, somehow the Clintons were able to get a federal prosecutor and a grand jury to not only investigate Kerik, but specially time their 18 months of investigation into Kerik so that the indictments would come out now. That’s impressive. The Clintons truly are demonic.

    The timing, indeed, seems questionable. One might wonder why, if the Clintons have so much influence over the Bush Justice Department, why they didn’t wait until after Rudy was the actual nominee of the party. No doubt it is part of some evil liberal plot yet to be uncovered.

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  6. Sure, it happened yesterday, and sure it’s reasonable for this sake of discussion, that the charges are likely legit.

    But ask yourself; Why yesterday? The timing on these things is the key.

    Also, Assuming the charges are legit, (and for the moment I’m not arguing that point) we’re talking NY/NJ. Corruption, of course very seldom happens there, right? I mean, this guy is alone. Hmmmm? The nonsense about Rudy’s record of of a peice with this. Of COURSE rudy’s appointed soem “interesting” people… your chances of running into someone down there, of eitehr party with a totally spotless record are somewhere between ‘none” and “You’re drunk again, right?”

    So, we’re suppsoed to think this one guy is under the sites of the democrat procecutors… as a matter of chance…. and that they chose just now to act, also as a matter of chance?

    When one considers the numbers of people and days involved here, it stretches beyond all credulity taht both these situations would occur just when Hillary needs a diversion.

  7. But ask yourself; Why yesterday? The timing on these things is the key.

    Why would yesterday be any worse than any other day this year or next year? Why does Hillary need a diversion now, any more than a month ago? I realize you wingnuts are still salivating over the Spitzer driver license flap, but for normal people that’s a non-issue.

    In fact, if Rudy is the nominee, it would have been to the Dems’ advantage to sit on this until next year.

    It’s federal prosecutors going after Bernie. These guys work for the Bush Justice Department, not the Democratic Party. Do try to get a grip.

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  9. In fact, if Rudy is the nominee, it would have been to the Dems’ advantage to sit on this until next year.

    Not really.
    Assuming all this goes to trial, it’ll be at trial about the middle of next summer. Ideal timing, wouldn’t you say?

    And as for the supposed “Bush Justice Dept”, you seem to be making some assumptions, here… that such people are working at the direction of the WH, and/or that they support the President. I seem to recall a number of them getting canned because they overtly did NOT support him You really think he was able to get rid of all the troublemakers, hmmm?

    Why does Hillary need a diversion now, any more than a month ago?

    Had you noticed her numbers were dropping rapidly?

  10. Assuming all this goes to trial, it’ll be at trial about the middle of next summer. Ideal timing, wouldn’t you say?

    Only if Giuliani is the nominee, which is not set in stone.

    that such people are working at the direction of the WH, and/or that they support the President.

    It’s been discovered that some of them do. Try to keep up. But all current federal prosecutors, including the honest ones, are Republican appointees. The chances that a nest of Hillary operatives have been appointed federal prosecutors are about the same as the chances George Bush planned the 9/11 attacks. Note that I am no Truther.

    Had you noticed her numbers were dropping rapidly?

    According to the polling numbers posted at pollingreport.com as of 11/9, they have not dropped. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll has her up little bit. I read this morning that a poll is about to be released that will show she is dropping, but I haven’t seen it, and anyway this is after the Kerik indictment.

    Note that I don’t want Clinton to be the nominee, so I’d be thrilled if her campaign were in real trouble. Alas, it doesn’t appear to be.

    Now, Bithead, do try to live in the real world for a little while. It would do you good.

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