The Washington Post has an extensive story about the White Hose vetting of Bernard Kerik, who President Bush nominated to be Secretary of of Homeland Security. Although the background investigation turned up many potential problems, Bush went ahead with the nomination, only to have Kerik withdraw under a cloud.
According to the Post account, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales played a key role in vetting Kerik and, it seems, short-circuiting the process. If this account is correct, this is another example of the AG’s poor performance.
On a related note, this morning on Fox News Sunday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich joined the ranks of those calling for Gonzales to resign for his clear “performance failure” in his handling of the U.S. attorney controversy.