Giuliani forecast for S. Carolina: heavy snow

This story is yet another little dent in the armor of America's Mayor. It's an embarrassment to Giuliani and his campaign, but here's a fearless prediction: Thomas Ravenel, chair of Rudy's 2008 South Carolina presidential campaign effort, was indicted on drug charges the other day, and it will have zero effect on Giuliani's popularity in the polls in the near- or long-term.

Ravenel, the South Carolina state treasurer, has been suspended from his duties and he has resigned from the Giuliani campaign. I'm the first one to say "innocent until proven guilty," but nevertheless, this is still got to have Rudy fuming. But again, not really, because the lightweight media treatment he receives won't cause him to suffer much. This phenomenon will be identical to Bernie Kerik's effect on Rudy. Kerik, the former NYPD Police Commish and former nominee to be Director of the DHS, has more ethical lapses than Heidi Fleiss, and Giuliani has a close and personal history with him. After Kerik's doomed nomination to be the DHS chief (Rudy very publicly pimped Kerik for the job), a whole litany of uncouth revelations came to light about him: alleged mob ties, a private apartment near Ground Zero in Battery Park, NYC, where Kerik was shtooping his mistress, and alleged kickbacks. Oh, and that little Battery Park love nest? It was at taxpayer expense. Another great case of our tax dollars at, ahem, work.

Rudy is godfather to two of Kerik's children.

Anyway, we'll see how this plays out, but here's saying this will be a blip on the radar screen in a few weeks.