Giuliani stumps in Henderson

Campaigning in Henderson on Friday, Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani called the charges against his former police commissioner "very sad" and "very serious" on the day the man he recommended to lead the Department of Homeland Security was indicted on corruption charges.

Giuliani, the former New York mayor, said he regretted putting Bernard Kerik forward as a nominee and had taken responsibility for the mistake.

He said, however, that his association with Kerik, who is accused of tax fraud, obstruction of justice and other crimes, shouldn't be seen as an indication his judgment is fundamentally flawed because nominating Kerik was only one decision among many. "I've made thousands, and I think people are going to look at my record," he said.

Giuliani on Friday was making a brief visit to a Middle Eastern eatery in The District at Green Valley Ranch, the prefab mixed-use development that mimics a town square with luxury apartments atop stores and restaurants.

It wasn't clear why Crazy Pita was chosen as the site of Giuliani's stop. His campaign didn't know. The restaurant's owner, Moroccan native Mehdi Zarhloul, was extremely flattered by the visit but is not a Giuliani booster.

"We support everybody," Zarhloul said, grinning, when asked if he supported Giuliani. "Everybody's welcome."

For some reason, Giuliani, when he comes to Nevada for something other than picking up checks, likes to conduct mock-spontaneous visits to local businesses. Last time, it was a Target in Summerlin, where he studied the aisles and bought a few sundries.

In this case, he proceeded slowly through the thicket of fans who wanted their Yankees shirts signed or their pictures taken with him, a scrum of cameras moving with him as he went. When he reached the back of the tiny restaurant, Giuliani sat down at a table and was served a chicken pita. He chatted with Zarhloul and his family and took one bite of the sandwich, which he pronounced delicious.

Speaking briefly to reporters before he got back into his limo to leave, the topic was the Kerik indictment. Giuliani refused to believe rival John McCain had questioned his judgment.

"I'd be very surprised if John did that," he said of the Arizona senator. "John is a good friend." Even after the dirt on Kerik first came out three years ago, he said, "John has described me as a hero. ... So I suspect that that's John's real judgment. I'd be surprised if he said anything contrary to that. John prides himself on being a straight shooter, and nothing has changed."

McCain on Friday had told reporters in New Hampshire that he would not have recommended Kerik because he believed Kerik's work in Iraq, where he worked with the military after leaving the police post, was "irresponsible."

Giuliani noted that the essential allegations about Kerik have been known for three years, when his nomination went down in flames amid revelations that he had ties to organized crime, employed an illegal nanny and had used an apartment designated for Ground Zero workers as a love nest.

Friday was when the federal grand jury handed down the indictment of Kerik. New evidence has surfaced that Giuliani knew about some of Kerik's questionable activities before he recommended him for the Cabinet job.

Giuliani on Friday defended Kerik's performance for the city, saying he "was decorated for his heroism as a New York City police officer" and "was heroic during September 11."

The candidate also said he'd put his resume up against anyone's. "I really doubt there's anybody running for president that's had the concrete results that I've had," he said. "Nobody else running for president turned a city around. ... I have a lot of things on the plus side of the ledger, and I'd just ask people to look at that."

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2919.