I voiced my disagreement with his assessment and offered to him the proposition that all deals don't originate in the mind of George Bush and that when he learns of things will depend on specific circumstances.
Incidentally, he was not opposed to the port deal per se but the fact that president seemed uninformed of something so vitally important.
What's your take??
I think the problem is the premise that this is something so vitally important. Maybe this analogy will help. Imagine that the contract for running airport operations at three major airports is up for bid. All that means is the administrative requirements for running will change hands. But the FAA will still run the control towers and set (and enforce) all the rules and regulations for all flying operations there. The TSA will still be responsible for passenger security operations and screening baggage. And the aircraft flying into the airport will still have to comply with FAA/ICAO regulations. In other words, the security and regulations involved in airport operations haven't changed a bit, regardless of who is responsible for running the airport. What has changed? The folks responsible for the very big job of maintaining the infrastructure and running support operations of a very large airport. Everything from selecting which restaurants will be able to operate within the terminals to keeping the runways clear of snow.
Now why should the President of the United States have an immediate requirement to know whose job that is? He is responsible for security operations. But those aren't changing. What is changing are the shoe clerks who keep the place operating.