Posted on 02/22/2006 9:00:17 PM PST by Kaslin
Politicians across the political spectrum are raising their voices against the arrangement which would allow a United Arab Emirates company to manage six U.S. seaports, and on Tuesday's Situation Room, CNN's Jack Cafferty acted as a rabble-rousing activist as he encouraged his viewers to rise up against any politician who doesn't act to block the deal and he highlighted two viewer e-mails which advocated the impeachment of President Bush over the matter. Cafferty excoriated: "If our elected representatives don't do everything in their power to stop this thing, each of us should vow to work tirelessly to see that they are removed from public office....Here's the question. What should be done to stop a deal that would allow an Arab company with ties to terrorism to run U.S. ports?" Cafferty soon read from one e-mailer who argued that "this deal is nothing short of collusion with a foreign power of unknown intent during wartime. The President should be impeached." And another: "Putting George Bush in charge of our country was a huge mistake, and my fellow citizens finally realize that it was a disaster. Time to impeach this President."
The MRC's Megan McCormack caught the "Cafferty File" about 16 minutes into the 4pm EST hour of the February 21 Situation Room: "Wolf, this may be the straw that finally breaks the camel's back, this deal to sell control of six U.S. ports to a company controlled by the United Arab Emirates. There are now actually Senators and Congressmen and Governors and Mayors telling the White House you're not going to do this, and it's about time. No one has said no to this administration on anything that matters in a very long time. Well, this matters, matters a lot. If this deal is allowed to go through, we deserve whatever we get. A country with ties to terrorists will have a presence at six critical doorways to our country. And if anyone thinks the terrorists in time won't figure out how to exploit that, than we're all done. Nothing's happened yet, mind you, but if our elected representatives don't do everything in their power to stop this thing, each of us should vow to work tirelessly to see that they are removed from public office. We're at a crossroads. Which way will we choose? Here's the question. What should be done to stop a deal that would allow an Arab company with ties to terrorism to run U.S. ports? E-mail us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile."
At 4:58pm EST Cafferty returned with the feedback he got as he read some selected viewer e-mails with the text displayed on screen: "The question, Wolf, is what should be done to stop a deal that would allow an Arab company to operate six U.S. ports. We are getting tons of e-mail. Alan in Silver Springs, Maryland, 'The U.S. Congress must stand tall and united against the administration's plan. They must force the President to withdraw the government's approval.' Em in Barrington, Illinois, 'This deal is nothing short of collusion with a foreign power of unknown intent during wartime. The President should be impeached.' Mike writes, 'This administration has been going in the wrong direction. They've now turned a trot into a mad dash toward oblivion. This C grade President and his cronies are threatening our existence. This port deal must be stopped.' J.R., or excuse me, J.B., Raleigh, North Carolina, 'Jack, give someone enough rope, he'll hang himself. The arrogance of the Bush administration has finally caught up with it, and we're united at last. Putting George Bush in charge of our country was a huge mistake, and my fellow citizens finally realize that it was a disaster. Time to impeach this President.' Eric in Medina, Ohio, 'Congress must act to bar turning port security and operations over to foreign governments or foreign companies. Not merely Arab governments and companies, any foreign authority. American ports must be under the control of our citizens.' And David writes from Hawaii, 'The last time we had a government that was non-responsive to the wishes of the people they governed, we had a revolution.' Wolf?"
This was a boneheaded move by the Administration, but I'm willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt IF he turns this around and stops this transaction from taking place.
The entire thing stinks to high heaven and is in my opinion, an unnecessary risk.
Do you have a reference for that? I'd trust it more if it were not just from memory. No offense, but if I could see the evidence in print we could all learn and discuss it. Thanks.
Have you listened to anything factual about the British sale to the UAE company?
Do you know anything about the role the British company has, which is the same role the UAE company will have?
They're NOT IN CHARGE of our port security.
Here's one link.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1583834/posts
We get Arab support in the WOT not because they like or love us but because they fear us.
When the public is stampeded by xenophobes and political opportunists, they're showing laziness and ignorance.
They recognized the Taliban and met personally with Bin Laden. It's the same people that run the show now.
And please tell me how much better it is that they will be simply "managing terminals" as you put it.
Ask anyone in the United States Navy what there favorite Port is and 8 of 10 will tell you Dubai.
I didn't know that. Thanks.
I refuse to be on the side of this moron, Hillary, Schumer, NY Times, AP, Washington Post, etc. and I don't care what the subject.
From what I am hearing, egg will be all over some faces when all the facts come out. Too many folks jumped on the bandwagon without waiting for facts it looks like.
Hysteria seems to be the word of the day almost every day around here and is being fed by some others. Makes me wonder.
LOL
That was Clinton. Clinton passed on killing bin Laden three times.
Bush has shown no hesitancy in inflicting collateral damage to take out a prime target.
lol!
At least some people here looked at as many facts as possible and FWIW, were way out front of Rush, on not being hysterics, like you.
You've only been on FR since last OCTOBER; this doesn't give you the right, nor the perspective, to ask "WHAT'S HAPPENED TO FR?" !
It's more complex than that.
LOL!
I saw a report on DU that it was Bush, after 9/11 (2004 IIRC).
Box of salt and all that.
Get glasses! ;^)
Actually people in in the UAE have ties to Bin Laden--not the UAE government. Conversly, the intel that UAE provides on terrorists is significant. Look on a map and see where they are. Without going into detail UAE has been pivotal in the Iraq war--especially during the early mobilization. Bush knows this and knows their reliability. This port thing isn't even a close call when you know the facts.
You got that right.
This is getting out of hand now.
There are other foreign companies in control of U.S ports. In fact, Great Britian (one U.S port company)was also the home of shoe bomber, Richard Reid, and the subway suicide bombers. None of those people committed acts of terrorism against us.
The UAE also owns an airline with flights coming into the U.S. Nothing has happened with their planes so why would anything happen with their port?
This is much ado about nothing and is being driven by the slimy dems and their media.
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