WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush picked former police commissioner Bernard Kerik, the steady former military man who helped New York get back on its feet after the Sept. 11 terror attack, to head the federal agency charged with making sure it never happens again.
"Bernie Kerik is one of the most accomplished and effective leaders of law enforcement in America," Bush said in nominating Kerik to be the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. "In every position he has demonstrated a deep commitment to justice, a heart for the innocent and a record of great success."
Kerik said what he witnessed in the days after the attacks would be etched in his mind if he were confirmed to lead the department. "I know what is at stake," Kerik said.
"On Sept. 11, 2001, I witnessed the very worst of humanity, and its very best," said Kerik, who faces confirmation by the Senate. "I saw hatred claim the lives of 2,400 innocent people, and I saw the bravest men and women I will ever know rescue more than 20,000 others."
"Both the memory of those courageous souls and the horrors I saw inflicted upon our proud nation will serve as permanent reminders of the awesome responsibility you place in my charge," Kerik said.
Kerik would replace the man who helped establish the department, Tom Ridge, who resigned.
But even as he filled one vacancy, Bush lost his ambassador to the United Nations, John Danforth, who is retiring. And there were new indications that Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson would be the next to go.
Friday's ceremony has become a ritual as Bush rounds out his Cabinet for his second term. He stood in the Roosevelt Room with Kerik, as the nominee's wife and some of their children looked on.
Also on hand were Condoleezza Rice, Bush's pick to be the next secretary of state; Fran Townsend, Bush's homeland security adviser, whose name had been mentioned for the job; and Karl Rove, Bush's political adviser. Kerik was a staunch backer of Bush and campaigned for the president during his re-election campaign.
In keeping with custom, Bush paid tribute to the outgoing secretary -- in this case, Ridge.
"As the department's first leader, Tom oversaw the largest reorganization of the government in nearly a half century; He met urgent challenges with patience and purpose, and because of this service our country is safer,' Bush said. "He is one of the great public servants of our generation."
Joe Allbaugh, the former FEMA director who was mentioned as a candidate for the job, said Kerik "will be able to knock a few heads and move the country in the right direction as far preparedness."
"He'll be drinking water from a fire hose for quite a while, but I know he's up to the challenge," Allbaugh said.
Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said "there is no doubt that Bernie is a strong, no-nonsense manager who is intimately familiar with the homeland security mission."
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said her panel would conduct confirmation hearings as swiftly as possible, calling Kerik "a strong candidate."
Samuel J. Plumieri, superindent of the Port Authority police, which lost 37 of its own on Sept. 11, said his department had worked closely with Kerik.
"We are confident that he will be able to aggressively deal with the nation's security interests," Plumieri said.
A military policeman in South Korea in the 1970s, Kerik's first anti-terrorism work was as a paid private security worker in Saudi Arabia. He joined the New York Police Department in 1986, first walking a beat in Times Square when it was still a haven for small-time hustlers.
He eventually was tapped to lead the city's corrections department, and was appointed police commissioner in 2000.
It was in that position that he became known to the rest of the country, supervising the NYPD's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, often at the side of then-mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Kerik helped rally a department that lost 23 members and became a steady presence for a population deeply shaken by the attacks.
Kerik inherits a new and sprawling bureaucracy. The creation of the department in 2003 combined 22 disparate federal agencies with more than 180,000 employees and a combined budget of $36 billion. The organization is still learning to work together and faces criticism over aspects from the coordination of finances to computer systems.
Danforth had been mentioned as a possible successor to Secretary of State Colin Powell, but Bush picked Condoleezza Rice.
Danforth sent the president a letter Nov. 22 saying that on Jan. 20 it was his intention to retire to his home in St. Louis. He also said he would continue to be available for short-term projects, but that he wanted to spend time with his wife, Sally, who suffered a major fall about 18 months ago.
The administration kept the resignation secret until Thursday.
Danforth received a reply from Bush on Nov. 27, though Danforth's spokesman, Richard Grenell, would not disclose its contents.
