Rudy Hearts Bernie

They say you can tell a lot about a man by the company he keeps. If that’s true, Rudy Giuliani’s in big trouble.

After months of rumors, the feds finally dropped the other shoe, charging Rudy’s former business partner, Bernard Kerik, with 16 counts of conspiracy, tax fraud and making false statements under oath. If Kerik’s found guilty, Giuliani will also be found guilty — of being Kerik’s enabler.

If it weren’t for Rudy, Kerik would probably be tending bar in Brooklyn. But he somehow landed a job as Rudy’s driver and bodyguard. And then, once Rudy became mayor, Kerik’s career took off like a rocket. Rudy named him deputy commissioner, then commissioner of Corrections. Next he made him police commissioner. From there he persuaded President Bush to send Kerik to Baghdad, in charge of training Iraqi police. And then he talked Bush into nominating Kerik as the new secretary of Homeland Security.

Not bad for a guy who was known all over New York for suspected ties to the Mafia. At first, Rudy denied knowing about the Mafia connections. Later, under oath, he admitted he’d been warned, but simply forgot.

Well, here’s something the American people won’t forget: If Rudy exercised such bad judgment as mayor, imagine how much damage he could do as president.

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