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.

[DCPatriot]

BUSH IS AN IDIOT!

Yeah, sure.

He getting the democrats to admit that they are racist and islamaphobic.

[OXENinFLA]

[NeoCaveman]

At least it will get the Cheney bashing off the front pages.

Perhaps that was Karl Rove's plan after all....

(joking but half wishing I was series)

[Terpfen]

I thought for a second that a deeply-Islamic country running American ports...

They aren't running the ports.

[Clemenza]

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!!!!

Sheik Makhtoum isn't exactly Al Zarkawi. What he wants is Switzerland mixed with Vegas mixed with Scottsdale, AZ, with Atlanta's airport.

[Hildy]

Excuse me, but maybe it's because the English and the French are our ALLIES.

[dfwgator]

I don't agree with the allowing the sale, but I do understand what the President's strategy is. Make the most of the few allies you have in the region. PR-wise, this stinks, and my opposition is based on that the company is owned and controlled by the Dubai government.

But I am willing to concede that there is a chance that the perhaps it could be a good move, given the complicated environment that is politics in that region.

[silverleaf]

The big base in the Gulf now is not in Bahrain. It is in the UAE.

Please do not tell me this port deal is a quid pro quo for an overseas airbase/joint command post (the one that replaced the one we pulled out of in Saudia Arabia!)???!!!

Time to level with us, Mr President.

[July 4th]

I agree. Two points.

1) It's not as if the Dubai-based company is going to come in and replace all of the workers with Arabs. First off, they can't, for various immigration reasons. Plus, it's not like the employees who are there now are going to be replaced. About all that changes in a transaction like this is the name on the door.

2) As an economic policy, it doesn't bode well when the government starts sticking its nose into places where it shouldn't be stuck. For each government intervention in our free market economy, it makes it just a tad harder to attract foreign investment. Foreign investors do their research and say "why bother?" These are the same kinds of foreign investors who provide millions of Americans with jobs.

The fact is, these ports were already foreign-run, and regardless of how DPW spends their money, they must still run the ports under the American laws governing port operations. Frankly, I'd trust DPW more than P&O, only because DPW has the money to comply with the stringent DHS guidelines on security. Furthermore:

DP World, owned by the Dubai government, said it planned to keep P&O's headquarters in London and chief executive Robert Woods would continue to head the business. There are unlikely to be any job cuts as P&O will be run as a separate business, DP World says, as there is very little overlap between the operations of the two companies. Link

...Which only further demonstrates the "non-issue" that this port sale truly is.

[Mo1]

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

I just can't do this .. I can't get behind this stupid idea .. it sucks!

[NRA2BFree]

You mean he*s actually got a pen to veto things with? Who knew? < / sarcasm >

How can we afford to keep a man who swore an oath to protect Americans and yet leaves our borders open, and now wants to turn our ports over to our KNOWN enemy?

[Shermy]

"Strategery???????????"

Don't know. Maybe this is one of those issues ROve tells Bush should appear "strong" on, so Rove can get his later back end consultation deal with the Dubai people. He olst out with the brokers on the failed Social Security plan.

[Stentor]

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

No rationality allowed on this thread.

[Lazamataz]

Sometimes just the look of impropriety is enough. This is a President who does NOTHING about illegal immigration, now sells our PORTS to out enemies...I'm sorry, this is the perverbial straw...I've had it with this guy.

Welcome to the 4PM Meeting of Bushbots Anonymous. Are there any first-time visitors who would like to be recognized?

Keep coming back. ;^)

[Sybeck1]

They could let that big American company that does port management do it. You know the one..hmm?? Its name kinda slipped my mind.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"The more I know about this the more comfortable I feel that there is nothing to be concerned about."

THE SAME FAMOUS LAST WORDS FROM A FEW OTHER PEOPLE:
*Neville Chamberlain
*O-Ring tester for Challenger Space Shuttle
*Eddie Van Halen on Sammy Hagar
*The mother of the kids with Michael Jackson
*Adolph Hitler's mother

[chris1]

If that is the case, they should be clear about it.

[kcvl]

Per Drudge...


Bush called reports at about 2.30 aboard Air Force One to issue a very strong defense of port deal... MORE... 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 was very forceful when he delivered the statement... 'I don't view it as a political fight,' Bush said.... MORE... MORE...

[new yorker 77]

Dog, These are the responses you get from a:

Conservative

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

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

Not quite....

If Clinton was in charge, there would be no need for rugs.....

because the White House would be destroyed.