NM-01: Repub Darren White Believes in America and New Mexico

The first things you see when visiting Repub Darren White's spartan new campaign website for his Congressional candidacy in New Mexico's first district are his assertions that:

I'm an optimistic person.
I believe in America and I believe in New Mexico.

THESE are what pass for reasons to vote for a Republican candidate at a time when the nation and many parts of the world are reelilng from the horrors of Bush and the neocons? Oh wait, there's more:

I will fight to bring real change to Washington,
and you will always be able to count on my
integrity and independence along the way.

I wonder what kinds of changes Darren will fight for given that he headed up the Bush-Cheney campaign in Bernalillo County in 2004 and has toed the Bushie line ever since? Independent? From whom? Everyone knows that's not allowed on the right side of the aisle, especially among those on the Bush Team. Integrity? How does that work when you back one of the most corrupt and dishonest administrations in history? Well, as Darren said, he's "optimistic."

Kerik's mug shot, 2006 arrest

I guess White, who serves as Bernalillo County Sheriff, sees himself as full of "integrity" despite the fact that he was also running Rudy Giuliani's campaign in New Mexico until he declared his Congressional candidacy. When you think of Rudy, you have to think of Bernard Kerik, the former Rudy-appointed New York City top cop, who was indicted the other day by a federal grand jury for 16 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and lying to the IRS.

Funny that a law enforcement guy like Sheriff White would be running the NM presidential campaign of a politician mixed up so intimately with the likes of Kerik -- who Giuliani pushed for Secretary of Homeland Security back in December of 2004. That fell through after numerous allegations surfaced about Kerik's mob ties, among other things. In 2006, Kerik pled guilty to two unrelated ethics violations after an investigation by the Bronx District Attorney's Office, and was ordered to pay $221,000.

Kerik declared bankruptcy in October 1987 but today he is a multimillionaire, the result of a lucrative partnership with Giuliani and a profitable relationship with a stun-gun manufacturer. You really must read this description of Giuliani's management and security consulting business, including a subsidiary that was called Giuliani-Kerik Security and Safety before 2005.

Kerik's career and personal life are full of controversies and sleaze. You can read about it here. Critics believe his chief qualification for New York Police Commissioner was that he had served as Giuliani’s driver and bodyguard and had been a very close associate of Rudy's for many years. Giuliani personally promoted the career of Kerik on several occasions, despite advice to the contrary.

I wonder why Sheriff White would be so enamored of Rudy Giuliani -- obviously a politician without any qualms about making money and political hay out of 9-11 and partnering with the ethically challenged -- to say the least -- Kerik. Or why White found it in his "independent" heart to want run the county's Bush-Cheney campaign in 04. Must be all that integrity, independence and belief in America that White mentions on his campaign website ....

For our previous coverage of the 2008 Congressional race in NM-01, see our archive.