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.

[tcrlaf]

<<< If Bush had suggested Haliburton the papers would have run a SPECIAL EDITION>>>

ROTFLMAO!!
I was thinking that earlier!
It's all just a Rovian/Cheney plot to get Haliburton into the subsidized Port Services business!!/sarc....

[FourtySeven]

Some people own a company, and want to sell the company. The buyer is another company, which is owned by the UAE government. The ports will not be run by the UAE, or even by DP World, or even by O&P, but by the same american subsidiaries that run the ports now, with american workers, trained in running our ports and in our security measures.

The buyer is a company owned and controlled by the UAE. I don't necessarily find this objectionable, if we can be assured of everything else you claim. Thus, my request.

Do we have a source (and if so what is the URL?) that tells us that security measures will not be handled by anyone in DP World, or O&P, or any other UAE controlled company? To put it another way, I find the notion that a company controlled (owned, in controlling interest at the very least) by a government that presides over a country where many 9/11 hijackers originated, to be disturbing at the very least. Thus, I ask again, to you or anyone, will any UAE company have control over security measures at the ports in question? Do you know?

Does anyone?

[jdm]

"Hows about Iran running the IRS...."

No, that's for North Korea, silly. :)

[Alberta's Child]

Good information there, TomGuy. I'd be curious to see some additional information on those lists, though. Out of all the people on both lists, how many of them even have a freakin' clue how U.S. ports work?

[clawrence3]

Rush is not even coming out in support of this ports deal - he simply stated in light of the huge tsunami against it, let's make sure all the CORRECT facts come out - from what I've seen so far, it doesn't seem like a problem to me. Perhaps you know something the 12-agency CFIUS process missed?

[Purrcival]

Not saying that I support it, because I'm not sure I do, and the concern you raise is one of the reasons why.

[SUSSA]

In the 90’s when I was traveling there 6 to 9 times a year. There were private clubs that allowed drinking and allowed women to dress in western clothes even bathing suits, sometimes they even let the clubs import ham, but that was sporadic. No Muslim was allowed in them. In fact, nobody from a Muslim country was allowed in. Even the taxi driver had to drop you off at the gate.

No mention of Israel was allowed in magazines or newspapers. You couldn’t get into the country with an Israeli stamp on your passport. You couldn’t bring a Bible into the country.

It wasn’t Qatar or Saudi Arabia or Yemen but it was far from a free society. Although it was very modern looking and if you had money everyone was nice.

Glad it changed that much.

[World'sGoneInsane]

Don't you mean A British company RUNS our ports, but we OWN them? (I hope).

See post 1440. You will have to ask Carolina's Mom what she meant, I only was replying. Either way, I think American ports should be owned and run by America. No prejudice here--it's a matter of protecting our own ports. We need to keep our eye on the ball.

[AmericanDave]

But If we got Iran running the IRS, get ALL our records over there... and then NUKE THEM! Get it? (nudge,nudge,wink,wink)

[Snoopers-868th]

Your are quite right... rouge = rogue

[Swordfished]

____Simple, the UAE is not our enemy. We are not at war with all Arabs or all Islam, and Bush is always careful to make that case.

exactly.

i sense a little xenophobic hysteria.

[MNJohnnie]

A threat of a veto is not a veto. I doubt he will veto this either. Wish he had actually vetoed the Highway bill like he threatened to LAST year. Just more of the war of words. This whole Port things is full of sound and fury signifying NOTHING. Funny how the foes of the Port Deal STILL cannot explain why it is FINE for this company to run operations and ship TO dozens of US ports millions of containers over the years. A Port Operations Company has ZERO security functions. There are NO American Companies who do this function so the "Buy American" propaganda by Chucky and the Insane Democrat Senate Posse is just nonsensical noise. The Port Shippers are the people the Coast Guard, the Border Patrol and the Customs Service are WATCHING. Much to do about a complete NOTHING

[DoNotDivide]

Between border and port security issues, I have to give the Administration a resounding War Time Grade of "F".

Off the charts.

[Junior_G]

Rush is not even coming out in support of this ports deal - he simply stated in light of the huge tsunami against it, let's make sure all the CORRECT facts come out

Come on though. How often do radio talk show hosts decide to not have an opinion "untill all the correct facts come out". Telling everybody to simply not think about it until some unspecified point in the future is spin and damage control, and it is exactly the same tactic used by the Bush apologists when the horrendous Harriet Miers nomination was foisted on us. Back then, they said they wanted to wait to see what she said during the confirmation hearings, as if that would have given any indication of anything. We are supposed to shut up and watch----it's as simple as that.

[Paul Ross]

Laura Ingraham also came out against it solidly yesterday, as did Bill Bennett today, I believe.

And don't forget Congressman Mark Foley (R) from Florida.

[tcrlaf]

***Either way, I think American ports should be owned and run by America.***

As should ALL American Strategic Industries. Until the BILL COMES DUE...
Then we're whining about how much the Gov Spends...

Imagine the Nightmare of a Longshoreman's strike in the West idf they were GOVERNMENT-RUN?? 140K a year for 34 Avg work hours would seem like a pittance compared to what they would demand as Government employees!!!

[sarasota]

Dubai is very heavy on promotion in this country right now for the past months, especially on the travel/entertainment channels.

[SwordofTruth]

I think American ports should be owned and run by America. No prejudice here--it's a matter of protecting our own ports. We need to keep our eye on the ball.

Yes they should be run and owned by Americans. Also any company that get's American government contracts should be owned and run by Americans as well. This isn't the only crazy thing Bush has said recently, he also said he wants to increase H1-B visas so we can let more "bright" people into the USA! Like we don't have enough bright people right here in the USA to do the work, when everyone that knows anything about it knows that is not the case at all.

[clawrence3]

Perhaps - or maybe Rush is turning over a new leaf.