McCain offers Ridge in contrast to Kerik

(Sasha Issenberg/Globe Staff)

Tom Ridge (right), the first homeland security director, campaigns for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

By Sasha Issenberg, Globe Staff

CONCORD, N.H. -- John McCain's campaign retooled its New Hampshire schedule to -- on the day failed Department of Homeland Security nominee Bernard Kerik was indicted -- put forward its own, unindicted homeland-security face: Tom Ridge, the department's first secretary, a former Pennsylvania governor, and newly announced chairman of McCain's "national first responders coalition."

The contrast between Kerik's surrender to authorities and not guilty plea on federal fraud and corruption charges and a McCain press conference this morning featuring Ridge, who both entered Congress in 1982 as decorated Vietnam veterans, served to tweak rival Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani was Kerik's mentor who named his protege to be New York City police commissioner and pushed him to succeed Ridge at Homeland Security before Kerik withdrew amid scandal.

Ridge, however, did not seem particularly eager to use the opportunity to take a shot at Giuliani's homeland-security leadership. "It was clear that the mayor and I had a different view as to what the department does and the kind of leadership it needed." Ridge told reporters on McCain's "Straight Talk Express" bus.

"He obviously had a relationship with Bernie that suggested to him that Bernie was the man for the job," he continued. "I just questioned the call because I thought his sense of the judgment required and the profile of the individual he thought would fill the need was different from mine. I guess his judgment differed from mine."

McCain was more willing to talk about the Kerik news, although he too stayed away from the substance of the indictment. "I don't know Mr. Kerik. I do know I went to Baghdad shortly after the initial victory and met in Baghdad with [civilian administrator Paul] Bremer, [General Ricardo] Sanchez -- and Kerik was there. Kerik was supposed to be there to help train the police force. He stayed two months and one day just up and left," McCain said.

"That's why I never would have supported him to be the head of national security, because of his irresponsible act when he was over there," McCain continued. "He came, didn't do anything, and one day went out to the airport and left. That's not what I think are the qualifications of the head of homeland security."

Ridge similarly held back from launching a full critique of Giuliani's leadership on first-responder issues when asked to address allegations made by firefighters' groups that Giuliani let them down both before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and in their aftermath.

"I think the observation of people who had a day-to-day working relationship with the mayor have more credibility than any secondary observation I can possibly make, so I'll let their words speak for themselves," he said.

Nonetheless, McCain appeared pleased to have Ridge at his side in a happier portrait than Kerik and Giuliani could offer at the moment.

"That was great," McCain said quietly to Ridge as they disembarked the bus. "It couldn't have come on a better day."