He recalls Kerik's service as a security officer working for the Saudis, reports that he allegedly abused his authority to delve into the private lives of women with whom his boss was romantically involved.

He writes: "This saga, reported in The Washington Post, is once again only an allegation, but another has surfaced - this one in Newsday. It says that Kerik 'blocked the promotion of a qualified jail supervisor' because the man had reprimanded a female correction officer Kerik had dated."

Is all this true? Cohen can't say, admitting: "Is there anything here? I don't know." Even Jayson Blair covered his tracks better.

He brings up the Saudi experience, targets Kerik for his work with former N.Y.C. mayor Rudy Giuliani, his business partner, and raises questions about the stock profits Kerik made out of his work for Taser International, sole manufacturer of the Taser weapons bought by over 6,000 police departments worldwide and by the Homeland Security Department, which bought a mere 300 to 500 of the non-lethal weapons.

He, by innuendo, suggests that Kerik mishandled "a million dollars in taxpayers' money used to buy tobacco for inmates," which Blumenthal charges "disappeared into a private foundation run by Kerik without any accounting" - or without Blumenthal providing any evidence of wrongdoing on Kerik's part.

It goes downhill from there, zeroing in on the same allegations which now appear to be the left's line of attack, and adding the paper's frustration over Kerik's highly visible role in backing President Bush's re-election over its candidate, John Kerry.

Kerik, the Times whined, "engaged in fearmongering. He told The New York Daily News that he was worried about another terrorist attack and that 'if you put Senator Kerry in the White House, I think you are going to see that happen.'

And he was quoted in Newsday as saying this about opponents of the Iraq war: 'Political criticism is our enemies' best friend.'"

The paper also questions Kerik's work for Taser International, his business ties to Rudy Giuliani, his work training police in Iraq and worries that he lacks experience working with Congress.

The story also details Kerik's work for a number of companies and fails to uncover anything illegal or unethical in his conduct.

This is just the beginning.

The coordinated media assault has one very obvious aim: to provide ammunition to the Democratic senators who will be questioning Kerik during his conformation hearing.

It also aims to whip up liberal groups to oppose his nomination, as was done during John Ashcroft's and Robert Bork's confirmation hearings.

The attacks hope to derail the nomination of a heroic cop the left fears will do an outstanding job of protecting the homeland and thus reflect credit on the man who picked him, President Bush.

Editor's note: