[Cicero]

Like I said, this whole thing is stupid, stupid, stupid. Worse for Bush than the Miers fiasco.

I opposed Miers a) because she was unqualified; b) because she was pro-abortion and pro-affirmative action; and c) because the appointment was seriously damaging Bush politically. For Bush's own good, she had to go.

The same is true here. This is stupid from a security point of view, stupid from a political point of view, and stupid from Bush's own point of view. If he pushes much longer, it will kill him politically.

Or, as I said on an earlier thread: stupid, stupid, stupid.

There's no way to back out of it gracefully now. But the least of evils is to limit the damage, admit that a mistake was made, send a sincere letter of apology to the Sheik of UAE, and kill it.

[Soul Seeker]

Actually, quite the reverse.

Reads the blogs, listen to commentators today, and watch the hearings.

The "controversy" over the deal is subsiding and many folks are changing their minds about it.

I opposed Miers as well, but I'm not jumping onboard with your analysis on this.

[WOSG]

I opposed Miers but I find this whole story a charade of misinterpretation.

*ALL* that was involved here was an okay of one foreign firm to take over another foriegn firm that had some port contracts. That okay was made by folks in US Govt who looked at security angle and found there nothing warranting stopping the deal.

In *NONE* of the complaints about it have we heard a substantive issue, instead its just fear based on fact that UAE is middle-eastern.
The claims that this puts our security at risk is bloviating hyperbole. Claims that UAE is a base for 9/11 attack, um, no, that was Hamburg Germany. Do we stop dealing with Germany? The claims that this is selling out America also seems to be a nonstarter as the contract was *already* given to a foreign firm.

Quit hyperventilating and calm down everyone, and actually *listen* to Bush's points. There is nothing wrong with this deal at all.

[Cobra64]

If he pushes much longer, it will kill him politically.

Huh? He will ride into the sunset at the end of his term. He cannot be elected for another term.

[isrul]

Very bad situation. If the deal is scrapped, Moslem's will be upset. When Moslems are upset, people die. If he prevails, the article is correct. It will make Bush an irrelevant lame duck and hurt the Republicans in 2006 and 2008. There will be a lot of Moslem violence between now and then. Some of it possibly on American soil. The rat ads will be vicious, brutal, and they will work. It's easy to convince people when you have lots of dead bodies and carnage for props.

[glorgau]

Or, as I said on an earlier thread: stupid, stupid, stupid.

If Bush uses his one and only (it seems) veto card on this issue, he and the Republican party are toast in the next election. Even if the veto is overridden, the party is toast.

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

>>>"Like I said, this whole thing is stupid, stupid, stupid. Worse for Bush than the Miers fiasco."

I agree. It's Harriet Miers SQUARED.

Bush needs to cut back on his exercising and pick his issues better. He's going to sink all Republicans and conservatives on election day if he he keeps this up.

I'm glad to see all the Harriet Miers supporters actively posting again.

[Frank T]

"Like I said, this whole thing is stupid, stupid, stupid. Worse for Bush than the Miers fiasco."

And both blunders have gone against the small-c conservative base. If he possessed such instincts in the first place, perhaps these errors wouldn't have been made?