Replies to post #24964 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

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Rudy tells W he's sorry for brouhaha

BY JAMES GORDON MEEK and KENNETH R. BAZINET
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

Originally published on December 13, 2004

WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani went to the White House last night and ate crow for dinner.

The former mayor, invited to a Christmas-season celebration, apologized again to President Bush for the messy fallout from Bernard Kerik's nomination for homeland security secretary.

"Rudy went there for dinner. He was invited weeks ago. While he was there, he apologized and the President was very gracious," Giuliani's spokeswoman, Sunny Mindel, told the Daily News.

Lawmakers urged Bush yesterday to make his next Homeland Security pick someone who passes the smell test that Kerik failed miserably.

White House chief counsel Alberto Gonzalez, the man tapped by President Bush to be the next Justice Department boss, headed the vetting process but never interviewed Kerik's book publisher-turned-gal pal Judith Regan, she told Newsweek.

Regan's friends told the mag that after the relationship soured, she was hounded by Kerik, the city's former top cop, who is married with children. His lawyer denies those allegations.

As the skeletons in Kerik's closet came rattling out, lawmakers urged the President to be more prudent this time around.

"I think [Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security] Asa Hutchinson, who's done a terrific job, would be able to hit the ground running," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). "The other candidate that I have is Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.)."

It's unusual for lawmakers like Collins, who heads the panel that will approve the homeland security pick, to publicly advise a President on the choice. Sens. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) backed her picks yesterday.

© 2004 Daily News, L.P. (emphasis added)

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/261647p-224006c.html

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(COMTEX) B: Home Depot names Ridge to board of directors ( AP WorldStream )

ATLANTA, Feb 24, 2005 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Tom Ridge, the former
secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and former governor of
Pennsylvania, was named to Home Depot Inc.'s board of directors, the home
improvement retailer announced on Thursday.

"Tom Ridge served his country with great distinction, and we are honored to have
him join our board, where we expect that his unique global experience and
perspective will make a profound contribution to our company and our
shareholders," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president and CEO.

The appointment of Ridge brings the number of directors on Home Depot's board to
13. This includes 12 outside directors, 11 of whom are considered independent.

Last month, the company reported that Roger Penske would not stand for
re-election to the board after his term expires at the company's next
shareholders meeting.

In trading Thursday, Home Depot shares fell 9 cents to $39.66 on the New York
Stock Exchange. The company's stock has traded in a 52-week range of $32.34 to
$44.30.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press, All rights reserved

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