[conservativecorner]

Rasmussen had a 19% national approval rating on this deal. When you have these kind of numbers, it's a stupid idea. It means that Republicans, Democrats, Conservatives and Liberals didn't like the idea, and the President made a political mistake just like the goofy Meirs nomination.

[Alberta's Child]

The problem is that you're looking at this as if it were a political issue from the start, which it wasn't. There was no "political mistake" to be made here because it was much more of a legal/financial issue than anything else. This is why nobody gave a damn about it for more than two months after it was formally announced in late November of last year. This is also why it is absolutely ridiculous for the Bush administration to face this kind of criticism (especially from Republicans) for doing exactly what the law says it is supposed to do when the proposed acquisition of P&O Ports was announced.

Citing a 19% "approval rating" for this deal is like telling me that 19% of the people in the U.S. approve of paying taxes, or approve of how much they pay for gasoline.

[Dominic Harr]

So:

1. Mainstream media broadcasts lies to public: "Bush Selling US Ports to Arabs" (heck, I'd be opposed to that!).

2. The majority of folks who never read past a headline get all up in arms.

3. Congressmen up for re-election see a chance to gain favor with the public: "They want something done, this is something, therefore I will do this and be their champion!"

There was a cost ya'll haven't considered yet.

The main selling point the R party had with many of us was the idea that when the Ds and the MSM perpetrated a lie on the American public, the Rs would stand up to them.

That is clearly no longer the case. If the MSM can create a public frenzy, the Rs will march to the tune of Schumer and Hilly.

I believe there will be quite a few of the 'rational' conservatives who will *not* vote R this fall. A vote for an R *is* a vote for supporting D tactics.

Bush won. The R Congress may have just committed suicide.

[jess35]

When you have these kind of numbers, it's a stupid idea

Or the result of an uninformed public.

You're obviously against the deal so tell me, should the US Navy cancel it's contracts with a Dubai owned company to service our ships? Should we shut down the UAE owned passenger and cargo terminals at JFK?