Bush will veto any bill to stop port deal

AP ALERT

[Brian Mosely]

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Bush says the deal allowing an Arab company to take over six major U.S. seaports should go forward and he will veto any bill that would stop it.

[snowsislander]

His very first veto...

[Lazamataz]

The Republican Party learned a long time ago to stop asking me for money.

Nor do I work for their candidates, or support them in any way.

My decision, some time ago, has been vindicated over and over again.

[libstripper]

Astoundingly, it will.

[indcons]

Story breaking on Drudge too....not much news at present. Apparently, Pres. Bush issued his statement from Air Force One.

[kittymyrib]

He signed the odious campaign finance reform bill and every lousy spending bill that has been passed in his five years on the job. But he's going to veto this one? Maybe he really is as stupid as his detractors have been saying all these years. Oh well...at least it gives the Republicans a chance to distance themselves from an unpopular president before the fall elections.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Then our Congress and Senate had better over ride it.

[Itzlzha]

"Why can't I QUIT you?!"

"Brokeback Compassionate Conservatism"!

[Clemenza]

Dubai allows for women to dress as they wish and allows for Christians to worship as they please. They have BARS and NIGHTCLUBS that serve alcohol! You can buy the finest wine and food there. Great golfing too.

They also allow for open investment for any American company. Its only fair that we do the same.

I should also mention that is is home to the GREATEST airline in the world:

[West Coast Conservative]

Bush called the pool back at about 2.30 to issue a very strong defense of port deal... MORE... On port deal he said he would veto any legislation to hold up deal and warned the united states was sending "mixed signals" by going after a company from the middle east when nothing was said when a british company was in charge. Lawmakers, he said, must "step up and explain why a middle eastern company is held to a different standard." Bush, sporting the air force one fight jacket and a tie, was very forceful when he delivered the statement... MORE...

[sasafras]

Where are all the bushbots? Everything Bush does is great right bushbots? Ol Rush and Hannity can try to help him on this one but Bush is showing his true colors - he is against America defending itself from foreign invaders. I cant believe Im saying this but one has to wonder why are we fighting this war when we are allowing terrorists to walk across our border and control our ports? Bush has proved himself to be a liar when it comes to protecting the homeland.

[silverleaf]

I agree. Foolish statement by the President about a "veto", if true. Was Jimmy Carter standing beside him as he spoke?

This issue looks like election year gift from the President to the democrat party.

[new yorker 77]

It appears "The I'm voting for Perot, who's this Justice Ginsburg and Justice Breyer Camp" has already been set up.

[Mo1]

I don't like this ports sale ... it sucks!

[Huck]

Isn't it ironic that the socalled imperial president has never vetoed a single bill? Impish, more like.

[MineralMan]

"Makes one wonder what the hell is going on here."

It do, don't it. Something's mighty fishy here, if Bush is threatening to make the only veto in his Presidency over this issue.

Somehow, we're not seeing something in this somewhere. It will emerge, though. It always emerges. Let the leaking begin.

[ruschpa]

If I was a Democrat, I'd challenge the veto threat. Bush hasn't vetoed one yet.

[blaquebyrd]

"Even if he ultimately wins, which I doubt, he will lose significant political face over this."

Really, remember CFR? He said he'd sign it if it hit his desk. It did, he signed it and got reelected. Now he's drawn a line in the sand on this issue. After this threat and the Harriet Miers flip-flop he can't back down now.

[Shermy]

This will be good for House Republicans. They already plan to run against Bush this year on illegal immigration, this will add bonus points.

[Cyclopean Squid]

True, this could be part of a major quid pro quo that we cannot back out of. If so, then, as usual the White House PR is lousy (unless it's so sensitive that they'd rather take the credibility hit than spill their guts on the goings-on).

[rollo tomasi]

Pres. Bush is certainly no Reagan. Of course Reagan had to deal with a Dem. HOR.

[Itzlzha]

POST OF THE DAY!!!!

from Laz...

"The Bush Administration is simply the Clinton Administration with slightly cleaner rugs."

[RexBeach]

No good will come of this. This whole issue will blow up right in the White House's kisser...unless it slowly backs away from it as they did with the Meirs nomination.

Thoughts?

[houeto]

Bush Clinton Bush Clinton

Shouldn't that have been in quotation marks?

[jdm]

"Absolutely stupid decision by Bush. Bad for US security, bad for the Republicans, bad for Bush."

It's especially troubling because now 'rats like Chuck Schumer and John Kerry who, all along, believed the WOT to be a nuisance, can scream "The President isn't protecting us. How can we trust him now?" Not that the American people, by and large, will buy into 'rat rhetoric, but surely 30 to 40% will.

[oyez]

Is there anything they will not do for a buck?

I do believe Hillery Clinton will be our next president. Its a done deal.

[DC Ripper]

So everyone is concerned is a "bedwetter?"

Get lost.

[cripplecreek]

Did you ever get the impression that the republicans and democrats are just handing control back and forth in a game of keep away. (meaning keep the power away from the people)

[DeaconRed]

"Apparently, there is more to this than meets the eye."

I have felt this way since I first heard it.
Something is going on here.

[michigander]

Bush presses deal allowing Arab co. to take over six major U.S. seaports

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

February 21, 2006, 3:38 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Tuesday that the deal allowing an Arab company to take over six major U.S. seaports should go forward and that he would veto any congressional effort to stop it.

[meandog]

BUSH IS AN IDIOT!

[chris1]

GWB is officially Damien Thorn!

[dfwgator]

The thing is, even if Bush vetoed it, the veto probably would end up being overturned in the courts.

[demlosers]

UAE could be a staging area for airstrikes and special forces operations against Iran.

Yes, we do have an operational Air Base in Bahrain, which is part of the Persian Gulf States that has close ties to UAE.

[jimbo123]

Time to call your congressman/woman and tell them to override any veto. If Bush doesn't care about the long-term implications of this decision, we'll have to take care of business ourselves. You lost me, Mr. President.

Write Your Representatives and Senators...

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[Zuben Elgenubi]

James Zogby is complaining that it's racist NOT to sell the ports to Arabs. I say, let's get a poll as to whether the American people want Arabs controlling American ports. I had no problem with the Brits because they've been our allys for such a long time and we have a shared, Western value system. What do we do next, outsource NORAD to the Chinese?

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Keep your Freinds close and your enemys closer !

[hipaatwo]

Whoever I talked to around here isn't happy, be it dem or pubbie. I'm so close to the river, not downtown but not very far either.

[OXENinFLA]

Welcome to BIZZARO WORLD.............

[Esther Ruth]

Well, and W had Rush blathering on for 3 hours, spinning it this way and that, all praise to the UAE, why Rush loved the UAE more than the DNC and thought they'd do a great job w the ports. Then he spins it another way saying it is GOP strategy to force the dems to name the UAE as terrorists, yea right. Then to try and shut up all the decent he ends his third hour w an assurance not to worry, the UAE when all said and done would not handle the ports anyway. And the Rush thread of the day last time I looked was reminding all who disagreed w this decision that W did NOT have to answer to any one and that NO, the US is not a democracy.

[steve86]

Dubai allows for women to dress as they wish and allows for Christians to worship as they please.

How does Oman (right in the same neighborhood) compare? My wife just corresponded with a long-lost friend there and ran into one restriction right away.

[Hildy]

Oy oy oy...he owes someone big time...I don't care if it's squeaky clean RIGHT NOW...this opens up a whole can a worms that is just not necessary. And it's not what our side needs right now going into mid-term elections. This might be the thing that brings him down...and I'll be right there fighting him...

[Lazamataz]

Dubai allows for women to dress as they wish and allows for Christians to worship as they please. They have BARS and NIGHTCLUBS that serve alcohol! You can buy the finest wine and food there. Great golfing too.

O, thank G-d! I thought for a second that a deeply-Islamic country running American ports might pose a threat to National Security, but was MY mind eased when I heard they have a Hard Rock Cafe chain!!!!

[processing please hold]

No he won't. Bush won't veto anything.

Does he even know how?

[chris1]

Clinton without the Cigar.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Dubai allows for women to dress as they wish and allows for Christians to worship as they please. They have BARS and NIGHTCLUBS that serve alcohol! You can buy the finest wine and food there. Great golfing too.

Tiger Woods beat Ernie Els there a couple of weeks ago.

[Mr. Brightside]

Geez, why does he have such a woody about this?

No kidding!

[Dog]

Bush is showing his true colors - he is against America defending itself from foreign invaders.

I don't like this deal as much as anyone....but this comment can't go unanswered.

Say what you want about Bush but to say he doesn't care about defending this country is an OUTRAGEOUS charge.

[Clemenza]

Oman is nearly as bad as Saudi Arabia.

Dubai is the most liberal, both socially and economically, followed by Qatar and Bahrain. Its a pretty cool place to visit.

[chris1]

Strategery???????????

[Zuben Elgenubi]

The Dubai company has a huge economic stake in keeping things kosher ie 6.2 billion dollar investment.

Some may think it offensive to include "Dubai" and "kosher" in the same sentence.