One more thing:
I doubt very much if these US ports were the cherry that Dubai was after when they bought P&O anyway.
If I were Dubai, I'd tell P&O they ought to sell of these operations elsewhere. Port operations in the US are probably not that profitable in the first place. If they were, we'd see at least an atoms worth of interest in bidding on the operations from one or more US companies. As it is the American interest expressed in operating these facilities is: Yes! you guessed it ZERO.
If we don't want foreigners operating ports, and we make it illegal for them to do so, we'd better find some American willing to take on the job.
Anybody got some cash to invest? We ought either put up or shut up if we're serious, and not just running our mouths, Democrat style.
If the argument is that it will be bad for us economically to stop this deal, that we'll have to pay more to the WTO or for an American company to handle this, well, shucks. We're spending how much on national security in Iraq? I think the American people are plenty willing to spend a few extra bucks on this. Just ask them. And if the WTO wants us gone as a result, I bet the American people are willing to suck that up, too.
It's gonna be a very hard sell to after saying that we invaded Iraq for purposes of national security on the basis of a reasonable suspicion, then saying 'but we can't send the wrong signal with a reasonable suspicion here.' Give the Rats credit--they caught Bush with his pants down. And he has to fight on the side the American people loathe, the side of business that isn't America first.