Posted on 02/22/2006 4:06:57 AM PST by jimbo123
President Bush is having another Harriet Miers moment.
You may remember Miers, the Bush loyalist whose Supreme Court nomination infuriated many conservatives and fractured Bush's political base. Now the same pattern is happening again, thanks to a Bush administration decision that will soon put six ports (including Philadelphia's) under the management of a company owned by an Arab nation that has terrorism issues.
This decision, which the President said yesterday he had no intention of reversing, could have political repercussions for Bush - and for the nervous congressional Republicans who have to run for reelection in November. It also provides a potential opening for Democrats who would relish the chance to paint the Bush administration as weak on national security, with the help of an actual example.
And that is just what conservatives are saying.
-snip-
Meanwhile, the Republicans want to conduct hearings, and they want Bush to share his information. They want to know why the deal was speedily OK'd, despite a federal law that requires a 45-day investigation where a foreign acquisition "could affect the national security of the United States."
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
Because the review started in November ... ;^)
Wrong. There are two reviews. A 30 day review and a 45 day review. The 45 day review didn't happen and the President won't explain why.
I seriously smell a rat on this one.
link please ...
Congress sure does like to conduct hearings. I'd rather have the UAE running port operations (Coast Guard handles security still) then planning port attacks. If the UAE government wants to attack the ports, I would think bidding on running the operations is not the most clandestine approach.
Google News Search on 45-day mandatory review period
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d&q=45+port+dubai&btnG=Search+News
The legislation that is pending will delay the deal to allow the mandated 45 day review to be conducted and security implications presented to Congress and the President.
All the President needs to do is comply with the 45-day review law, rather than trying to sneak this through without doing the due diligence required by law.
Sorry about your luck.
BTW ... you realize you are free (at the moment) to vote for whom ever you choose to.
In fact you can write your own name in, should you wish.
Why the next step is to hire Mexicans to guard the north side of the border.
There is something very, very wrong here. Think of the power Dubai will soon have.
1) DWP is in negotiations with or has already bought P&O, *THE* centuries old British company that has contracts to operate ports in Europe, Germany, eastern bloc countries, Australia, Argentina (now we know why Hugo has been grabbing headlines) and Texas and California.
2) In addition to the 6 US ports, there's also two ports in Texas (Galveston and Beaumont) which the Army uses to ship 40% of their supplies to Iraq.
3) Two weeks ago, Bush's nominee to the Maritime Adm, head honcho of DWP David Sanborn, was confirmed. His duties will be to oversee the Maritime Security Program, Ready Reserve Force, and Title XI which is the shipbuilding loan and mortgage program.
(P)
ping
This is all very strange. Are We trying to buy influence in the Arab world or is this part of a master plan for a one-world economy? Very confused here!
"Congress sure does like to conduct hearings. ..."
Oh I think this one will need at least a commission.
I don't get this, but it may be another example of a gentleman President "reaching out". Remember his first move re education -- Letting Teddy Kennedy write the bill, and then getting subsequently stabbed in the back by Kennedy a dozen times.
Or inviting the clinton's to the White House for portrait hangings, or putting the former President together with "dad" in charge of various fund-raising -- and getting stabbed in the back numerous times.
Or reaching out across the congressional aisles -- and getting stabbed in the back.
Is he reaching out to Arabs to show he's not against them? To show cooperation?
He must be a lot better man than I am.
Or one not so good.
Bush is making a terrible mistake on this and the war on terror will suffer as a result (as Dems take Congress in November) as a result of this debacle.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.