House Appropiations Committe voted to block Dubai deal

Fox News Alert | March 8, 2006

[Ooh-Ah]

House Appropiations Committe voted to block Dubai deal

[pleikumud]

To be consistent with the appropriations committee's absurd sense of "reality", Americans should stop using oil from wells in Arab or Islamic countries. Then stop driving cars and flying in airplanes. Turn off the electricity in schools and hospitals. "We'll show those Arabs!" Duh....

Looks like a majority of the public has no idea that it's a global economy. They would probably be surprised to learn that many of the biggest American companies generate 50-60% or more of their sales in foreign countries. GE, IBM, Intel, Boeing, Microsoft, pharma, etc. They probably also have never looked on a map, to see the geographic importance of having the UAE as an ally. Instead, they have decided that Islam is BAD. Dumb, dumb and dumber.

[AmeriBrit]

"Too bad the RINO's won't allow the "white flag" ad to be run again."

---

That would be great alternated with this one. 24/7 until thickheads realize what they're doing to destroy this country.

http://media1.streamtoyou.com/rnc/0519RNCNo-1.wmv

[Peach]

Mr. Peach and I were just talking about this. He thinks this is exactly what the Democrats want. Have Dubai stop sharing intel, badly damage the WOT effort, and if/when they regain control of the House, start pushing for the troops to return home.

And our clueless Republicans, instead of doing an ounce of homework and working with and educating their constituents, just went along with the flow like lemmings. I'm disgusted with the lot of them.

However, having said that, it was incumbent on the president to appoint a person within his administration to be the point person and help educate Congress, and best as I can tell, he didn't do that. Which was a humungous mistake.

[Wasanother]

"The best folks we've got are the conservatives in the House....the exact group of people who are now blocking this deal."

If this is the best we have then we're in more trouble than I thought. Conservatives don't mess with defense bills. If they had the votes to kill the deal then do it on it's own sheet of paper.

[STARWISE]

P&O execs: 'Gross media distortions' cloud Dubai deal

Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation, the stevedore at the center of a controversy over port security, launched an offensive Wednesday to extinguish concerns about its sale to Dubai Ports World.

Several P&O executives met outside the Seagirt Marine Terminal with members of the local media to address weeks of what they characterized as political and media allegations implying that DP World, a government-owned company based in the United Arab Emirates, has terrorist ties.

"Gross media distortions took place," P&O Executive Vice President Robert Scavone said. "People were saying the ports are being sold to terrorists -- silly comments like that, that we were not ready to combat."

After explaining the role P&O plays contracting longshoremen to load and unload ships, P&O officials reaffirmed the company's separation from Dubai Ports World.

"We do not view ourselves as DP World employees. We are P&O employees," Frank Fogarty, senior vice president, said. One group of foreign shareholders will sell shares to another group of foreign shareholders, officials said.

If the sale of U.S. P&O operations at six East Coast ports goes through, Fogarty said U.S. operations, which are based in Delaware, will continue to operate under the P&O name.

But two Maryland congressmen voiced lingering concerns Wednesday over the sale. U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin and U.S. Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, both Democrats, jointly issued a statement calling the deal an "unacceptable risk" to national safety.

"This is not a matter of public relations; it is a matter of national security," Cardin said.

Cardin and U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, a Republican from Florida, introduced the Secure America's Port Operations Act last week. The legislation, to prohibit foreign government-owned companies from operating at U.S. ports, is similar to a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate.

P&O's role in security is to make sure longshoreman locate the containers U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials request, executives said. Then they deliver the containers -- a shipping unit roughly one-half the size of a tractor trailer boxcar -- and return the cargo to the docks after inspection. Company officials compared the process to the way FedEx delivers packages without being aware of their contents.

P&O employs 65 workers at the Port of Baltimore; four of those workers are not U.S. citizens, executives said.

The company contracts with the International Longshoreman's Association to hire 900 longshoreman daily at the Seagirt and Dundalk Marine terminals. The company's annual cargo volumes at the port totaled 450,000 containers, 350,000 vehicles and 575,000 tons of roll on/roll off cargo last year, company officials said.

Fogarty said he has been in contact with Maryland Port Administration Executive Director F. Brooks Royster III, and the two are bewildered by the questions surrounding the deal, Fogarty added.

Fogarty and Scavone said they do not foresee P&O losing their contract with the MPA when it expires in 2007.

[Peach]

The Dubai Port deal is just so typical these days... the media misrepresents and exagerates it, the democrats take politcal advantage of it, the republicans run like wussies from it, and Bush is the only 'idiot' who actually GETS IT.

You said it better than anyone.

And although at first upset the president would veto this bill (as opposed to others I'd have liked him to veto), I'm far less upset now. What are the chances this passes in the Senate?

[Stellar Dendrite]

if you havent seen it, evidence that challenges the notion regarding UAE being an "ally":
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1592676/posts?page=14#14

[veronica]

I am truly sorry for GWB on this, but it's time to stop kissing Arab arse. Certainly the other way has not worked.

[Howlin]

Exactly.

[MarcusTulliusCicero]

Thank you for conceding the argument!

[STARWISE]

"allow a company owned by a government that actively supports terrorists"

Source?

[Wasanother]

I never did make up my mind whether I liked the deal or not but the way these "Conservatives" addressed the issue in order to "kill" it is repugnant.

[rodguy911]

It's either Arab prejudice or stupidity or a combination of both. I guess our worst nightmare is Joe 6-Pack sitting at home watching Brian Brian on nbc selling out the country night after night. When the pollster calls Joe 6-Pak dutifully falls in line and the next thing you know our congresscritters are responding to 70% against the UAE port leases. Why, that question was never asked and will never be answered.Because it can't be.

[EternalVigilance]

If this is the best we have then we're in more trouble than I thought.

Without 'em, conservatives have nada. Live with it.

Conservatives don't mess with defense bills.

Sure they do. All the time.

If they had the votes to kill the deal then do it on it's own sheet of paper.

That'd be fine with me. But on the other hand, it ain't hard to make the case that this is a defense issue that belongs in a defense bill.

[EternalVigilance]

I never did make up my mind whether I liked the deal or not but the way these "Conservatives" addressed the issue in order to "kill" it is repugnant.

Why exactly is attaching an amendment to a defense bill 'repugnant'?

[rodguy911]

Scary scenario there Peach.
Now that you mention it, I did contact my critter several hours ago.
Don't know if it will help but at least I tried.

[al_again]

I never did make up my mind whether I liked the deal or not but the way these "Conservatives" addressed the issue in order to "kill" it is repugnant.

And so was Bush's threat to veto any bill that would overturn the deal! Give me a frigging break, for all the BS bills that he didn't veto he brings out the threat of a veto over this??? What the hell sense does that make? Bush has next to no support on this and he is dragging down the Republican party with him. His strongest issue was national security and he has completely given it away, what buffoonery.

[Wasanother]

The Defense Bill was for our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan not for political grandstanding. Yes, they do mess with defense bills in terms of input but this is holding it hostage.

[Peach]

I've called mine too but it's Lindsey Graham. Ugh. Useless.

[EternalVigilance]

The Defense Bill was for our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan not for political grandstanding. Yes, they do mess with defense bills in terms of input but this is holding it hostage.

I can see why hardcore supporters of the President would be quite angry at the very effective way House conservatives are killing this deal dead.