How Did That Work Out for You?

Although I obviously don’t have the polling data to support this, I think it’s safe to say that Bernard Kerik’s Place in History was pretty solid before he accepted the nomination for Department of Homeland Security Secretary. Now that he has withdrawn his name from consideration however, things don’t look so good. A Lesson in Hubris:

The city Department of Investigation has launched a probe into ethical breaches committed by Bernard Kerik, the city’s former top cop.

The inquiry – one of two confronting Kerik – will explore numerous ethical lapses revealed in the Daily News this week after Kerik’s nomination to become the nation’s homeland security czar collapsed.

In a series of investigative stories, The News disclosed that Kerik broke rules on accepting gifts, developed close ties with an allegedly mob-linked city contractor and maintained a secret downtown apartment for simultaneous extramarital liaisons with two women.

By “simultaneous extramarital liaisons with two women,” I think they mean to say that he had concurrent affairs with two women, rather than the other kind of “simultaneous affair” (go Bernie!).

Mickey Kaus wrote about the Nanny Excuse on Saturday (“Every public figure should keep at least one illegal housekeeper around, just in case!”), and the Daily News piles on regarding this mysterious portion of the story:

Meanwhile, Kerik’s attorney released a few new details about the nanny Kerik has insisted was at the center of his withdrawn nomination.

The lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, said the nanny worked for Kerik for about 18 months before leaving in early November.

Kerik only obtained the required New Jersey forms to register as the nanny’s employer on Nov. 17, Tacopina said.

But Tacopina refused to disclose the nanny’s name or nationality. He dismissed suggestions that the nanny was just a cover for more embarrassing problems that Kerik feared would come up during the confirmation process.

“There’s a nanny,” said Tacopina. “I swear there’s a nanny.”

I swear there’s a nanny! All of which is to say: How did that work out for you?