Excuse Me? The New Homeland Czar never Finished High School?

[leftchick]

Underachievers fare very well in bushworld*....

<A former Giuliani bodyguard, Kerik never finished high school, joining the Army where he received a general equivalency diploma. He worked as a jail warden in Passaic County, N.J., before crossing the Hudson River to join the New York police department, where he rose through the ranks.>



http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=BUSH-KERIK-12-03-04&cat=AN

[ohioliberal]

1. Like I've always said

It's not what you know, it's who you know.

[dogman]

2. In his case it's what he knows.

The answer to every question is 9/11.

[madrchsod]

10. did you mean"blow"?

[Fla Dem]

27. Was personal body guard for Saudi Royal family before joing NYPD. n/t

[datasuspect]

60. am i missing something

don't get me wrong, i think having a former c.o. overseeing a shadow department of the government is sickening, but a G.E.D. is the same thing as finishing high school.

general EQUIVALENCY diploma?

[ReadTomPaine]

3. He's the very definition of the term "thug". n/t

[Sequoia]

13. I tried to read his auto-bio a couple years ago and

couldn't finish, he's a strange one and kinda scary.

[Retired AF Dem]

4. Some of the worst cops I have met

have college degrees. Police work is all common sense, without it no amount of education can makeup for it.

[leftchick]

9. I won't argue that, but he isn't a cop....

He is now our new "Homeland Czar"! :eyes:

[JHB]

12. Granted, but the only "common sense" Kerik has is who to suck up to

See this earlier thread:

New Homeland Chief "couldn't run a commissary without getting greedy"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2782009&mesg_id=2782009

[brook]

39. In my NJ town...

Many who joined the police force were drop-outs or former delinquents.( I want to say also that many others were really good people who were honorable and for whom this was a way to a decent life) -
One of my graduating class, who screwed himself out of his college scholarship , came back, joined the force and was soon found to be running the largest burgarly ring in the history of the state. They cut him loose, apparently without any charges - and he went on to a high security job in NYC.

This is just another example of how it works. Connected? Fine. Un connected? Forget it. Someday, the people who care about this country are going to have to define their comfort zone - and decide what it's worth to them.

[girl gone mad]

47. He doesn't have common sense.

I caught his debate with Wes Clark on CNN, and it was clear that he is nothing more than a yes man, completely incapable of independent political thought. He's the kind of guy that will serve his master well, whoever that master happens to be.

In all fairness, though, he could surprise us.

[H2O Man]

5. But he did

stay at a Holiday Inn.

[ReadTomPaine]

6. LOL!

[shraby]

7. Good one Waterman.

[leftchick]

8. LOL....

you are the man Mr. Waterman! :)

[Bullshot]

36. Bush won't feel intellectually inferior to his Homeland czar.

[dr.strangelove]

11. Make fun of him all you want for being a conservative puke

but plenty of very intelligent people never finished high school.

He grew up in a hell hole. I'd rather try to change the system to make sure kids in NYC have the chance to graduate than make fun of this asshole just b/c he did not graduate from high school.

There are plenty of things to attack him for. He is against the legalization of pot, he believes the policy force should be entitled to protection from civil suit if they are operating within their jurisdiction, even if they use excessive force, he believes that cops should be able to wire tap without a warrant and generally is not a big fan of civil rights.

There are lots of reasons to hate this asshole, but I don't think earning an equivalency diploma is one of them.

[ShaneGR]

14. I tend to agree

And I'm also not sure being a NYC Police Commisioner makes you qualified for the responsibility of the safety of the nation.

But the high-school diploma thing really means very little.

[dr.strangelove]

15. There is no way Bernie Kerik is qualified for that post

He was a very good cop. He helped bring down a large part of the Cali Cartel, so I can;t be to mean toward him, plus he is a NYC Medal of Valor winner, he pulled another cop out of active gunfire at risk to himself, so I give him credit for being a good cop. However, he has no experience at the international level other than trainign other cops. I know he is a good cop, what else has he got. Nothing. He has no intelligence background. I am surprised * had to dip this low to fill the post.

[ReadTomPaine]

18. I esp agree with your last comment.

Perhaps a certain coarseness of character and blunt thinking are what Bush is looking for regarding his upcoming plans for DHS. Also - Kerik will be esp loyal as he knows he owes his position 100% to Bush and isn't qualified to be there otherwise.

RTP

[dr.strangelove]

23. You may have something there

* puts him in the post b/c he has to be loyal or else he can never get another job at this level.

Sounds like the Doonesbery ads running this week.

[babylonsister]

31. Your statement about loyalty applies to everyone Shrubbie

has selected so far; he doesn't have the balls to hire anyone that might not agree with him. What a coincidence!

[ReadTomPaine]

40. Just read this week's Doonesburys - you're right they are on the mark! n/t

[alfredo]

34. Bingo. It is loyalty. That is what matters.

Blind loyalty above all else.

[leftchick]

21. he is a boot licker...

that is a very high qualification for this misadministration and the point of my post.

[IStriker]

38. Whatever he is or is not...

he beats the shit out of Ridge the former Repuke governor of PA. I cannot think of one thing he did while he was governor and I was happy when he left and went to D.C. to be inflicted on everybody, not just poor Pennsylvanians. This guy cannot be any worse if he never got out of 2nd grade! What the hell did Ridge ever do besides invent that color chart that a 1st grader could have done while napping.

[hollowdweller]

41. He is following Frank Luntz's talking points already. I heard him

on tv just a few hours ago and he was sure to mention 9-11tm and then Iraq and kind of loosley link them. He also said Iraq was a threat to our country. Shit Bush is one third of the way to killing as many americans as Osama, and that doesn't even count the ones dying from increased pollution and lack of health care.

[noiretextatique]

16. i too question his experience, but not his GED

this appointment reeks of cronyism.

[DrWeird]

29. There's these things called standards.

Hey, I haven't a problem with a person who never finished high school. My grandpa never finished high school, he became a butcher and was a completely different human being. But then again, he did pass the training necessary to be a butcher. I wouldn't want to by meat from a butcher who didn't pass his food licensing exam. And I sure as hell don't want the Czar of Homeland Security who couldn't even make it through four years of college. Regardless of how meaningless the office is.

[babylonsister]

37. I agree, Dr.

My husband works in the airline industry. He can go no further because he doesn't have a degree, but in this industry experience (30+ years) isn't enough. To be honest though, right now no one is going anywhere in this industry.

[ReadTomPaine]

17. Another thread about Kerik...

Just FYI

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2779762

RTP

[superconnected]

19. I've met people

who became millionaires with an 8th grade education, on their own and without corruption.

Let's not forget that Earl Blackwell (designer and provider of the top 10 worst dressed lists) has a 2nd grade education. (very abused childhood)

I know something is wrong with this guy because Bush choose him. I wouldn't however go about attacking someone for their education. I know some brilliant people that are self educated. I doubt Kerric is brilliant, so don't go there..

[ReadTomPaine]

20. Don't think you meant to respond to me..

All I said was that he was a thug. I have not responded his educational issues. :)

RTP

[superconnected]

22. sorry

I keep hitting reply and I think that's why people keep taking what I say personally.

I'm still getting used to this forum. apparently, I need to reply to the TOP post.

[gorrister]

24. I agree

I have a high-school education, yet seem to know more than my college-educated friends.

Still, I'm not a Kerik fan.

[readmoreoften]

25. SORRY!

If you are a cop and you don't have a high school education, that's fine.
If you are a business person, you may become successful without a high school education. Good for you.
If you don't have a high school education, you may be a fine individual with many noteworthy qualities and lots of common sense.

But you don't get a fucking cabinet post in the US government to protect the ENTIRE NATION from terrorist attacks without A WHOLE LOT MORE than a high school education.

You just don't. We have an folks in this country with double Ph.D.s now, with Ph.D.s in Law on top of JDs and MBAs and we can't find a HIGH SCHOOL GRAD to fill this position?

[NashVegas]

28. Degrees Don't Mean JACK SHIT in the Modern Collegiate System

The only thing a degree means today is that you (probably) completed more assignments and tests than those who don't have a degree, and that you wrote a few more papers that may or may not have been based on your own research and language & logic skills.

George W. Bush has an MBA and he STILL can't fucking speak English.

[readmoreoften]

30. SORRY AGAIN!

A degree MAY not mean shit.

However, if you have a Ph.D. in a topic it DOES MEAN SHIT. You don't get an advanced degree without working your ass off. MBAs when you're a rich boy are another story.

And you cannot have the expertise needed to oversee folks working on translations and foreign intelligence with a GED. It's ridiculous.

[Sparkly]

48. I agree

It's possible a degree doesn't mean shit, but NOT having the highest level of education possible in a position like this means a pile of shit. This job should be filled by the absolute most experienced, most educated person for a highly complicated, specialized and critical job. The people he's supposedly supervising, coordinating and managing will have more experience and education than him! And sorry to say, he came off as smart as a box of rocks in that debate with General Clark hosted by Paula Zahn.

A high level of education AND experience AND intelligence is a minimal requirement for a position this important, imho.

(That is not to generalize in a way that inflates the importance of degrees or diminishes those who don't have them.)

[Occulus]

55. Isn't Condi referred to as "Dr. Rice"?

:)

[AliciaKeyedUp]

68. Degrees mean knowledge, not experience

Nor do they mean that you can manage people or have the common sense to come in out of the rain. This guy probably sucks, but not because of his lack of degree. People who think a degree is a be all and end all need to climb out of the ivory tower.

[Stinky The Clown]

26. THE WORST CABINET MEMBER IN US HISTORY

This man is a common thug and opportunist, overwhelmingly under qualified to even have been NYC police commissioner. And now he's a cabinet secretary? What the FUCK?

He is what he appears to be .... a common street thug who somehow got into the safe side of crime .... a place where you can bust asses and run a few "innocent" scams and get away with it.

Were Saddam still in power, this is exactly the kind of person he'd have made a security czar over there.

Were Hitler still in power, this man would be the prototype of a city's SS chief.

Jack booted thug. Common tuff. Brainless pissant with power.

We are mightily fucked.

[mike_c]

32. in all fairness, I'm a high school dropout...

...who went on the earn a PhD and become an academic scientist. Some of us just "had better things to do" than go to high school! :smoke:

[leftchick]

33. you all are missing my point...

This person has been appointed the New USA Homeland Security
( aka: Propaganda Minister)Chief. Someone appointed to this level of office in the executive branch in the US Government should have some serious background and education. He has no credentials save the fact that he is a loyal bushista.

[GodHelpUsAll2]

35. I think we are getting the point

However, when you look at what occupies the white house, the educational background of of the DHS head kind of pales in comparison don't you think?

[Kitka]

52. With all due respect,

your point was precisely that he was an 'underachiever' since he didn't finish high school. Your OP title was incredulous that he didn't finish high school. I understand your focus may have changed throughout the thread, but you should know that your original post very obviously was expressing the sole concern that this man only had a GED.

[mike_c]

57. you're right of course-- he's NOT qualified for a cabinet appt....

It's just that his lack of a high school diploma isn't really WHY he isn't qualified, IMO.

[readmoreoften]

42. My point isn't that a HS diploma is more important than a GED,

it's that this guy is not qualified to hold a cabinet post. Should our head of Health and Human Services have no education in how those subjects effect our nation?

Kudos for the Ph.D., by the way. (And, yes, of course high school is bullshit.)

[KoKo]

46. Yeah...but you "moved on." You didn't turn yourself into "Rambo" did

you?

[Starlight]

43. He seems perfectly suited for Bush's cabinet.

Don't give them so much credit. They're nothing but a well connected organized crime family. This uneducated thug fits in very well.

[Buns_of_Fire]

63. boosh's Luca Brazi

(Old Godfather reference. :-) )

[Pepperbelly]

65. You just said the second most important point of the entire thread!

Bush's enforcer. I am just grateful that Allbaugh didn't get it. That guy is even scarier.

The most important popint? That he stayed in a Holdiay Inn.

:D

[Steven_S]

44. Education is irrelevant......

Loyalty trumps everything.

Meine heuer ist treue.

Think like Bush for a second.......down a tumbler of Scotch on the rocks and think.....

If I want a Fatherland Security Czar for my Police State, who do I pick?

BERNIE!!! who else?

[moondust]

58. Same with Attorney General.

The guy is a nobody who has done nothing beyond the thick walls of the BFEE. Every day it looks more and more like the Mafia.

[Pepperbelly]

66. Bush's consigilare... nt

[KoKo]

45. Chimpy loves the guy...when he came back from Iraq Chimp was kissy

kissy all over him. He looked like the kind of "Rambo Type" the Chimp get's the hots for. No challenge there...He will look up to Bush and be a loyal servant. The only reason Bush finished College was because Yale knew he was a "Legacy" student. Gack....what a terrible choice. Amazing how "loyalty" is all he has left.

[Bleacher Creature]

49. He certainly sucks at math

From today's Slate piece on him:

"Members of Iraq's interim governing council expressed loud dismay that Kerik spent $1.2 billion to train 35,000 Iraqi police in Jordan."

That's $343,000 to train a single Iraqi police officer!!!

[girl gone mad]

51. 34,300. n/t

[Bleacher Creature]

53. OK -- I also suck at math.

Nevertheless:

1) It's still a hell of a lot of money -- especially in a nation where cost of living isn't necessarily high.

2) I'm not in charge of one of the largest organizations in the country.

[girl gone mad]

54. I agree..

it's still an exhorbitant amount.

[elf]

50. Kerik's mother was a prostitute and murdered, when he was a child

I read in a German Magazine, that he wrote a book: "Lost Son"
It's about his bad childhood.

Does anybody know more?

[Swamp Rat]

56. A government of unelected officials... "Homeland Czar"

CZAR!

Welcome to USSA

[Hotler]

59. You don't have to finish school to

back stab and brown nose your way to the top.

[KlatooBNikto]

61. He reminds me of Julius Streicher, the Nazi pervert from Nuremberg.

That thug used to strut on the streets of Nuremberg with a whip in his hands.I guess history repeats itself, first time as drama and the second time as farce.

[slor]

67. LOL...damn you hit it...

he really does look like him.

[ChicanoPwr]

62. Remember he can not be smarter

than the two Co-Presidents, it will look bad for this country. Especially BuShit since he has that self-esteem issue.

[LakeCohoon]

64. and Bill Gates never finished college... n/t