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Arab ally senses Bush no longer has control in Washington
Financial Times ^ | March 9, 2006 | Edward Alden and Holly Yeager

Posted on 03/09/2006 2:48:04 PM PST by West Coast Conservative

The decision by the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to order state-controlled Dubai Ports World to end its control over US port facilities marks the lowest point yet in the relationship between President George W. Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress.

Mr Bush had warned repeatedly that blocking the deal would send a dangerously discriminatory message to the world. He threatened repeatedly to veto any congressional legislation.

But with his public approval ratings at record lows and his Republican party abandoning him, one of the US’s closest allies in the Arab world concluded that he was no longer in control in Washington.

The decision by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al- Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, is likely to avert the political backlash that hit Washington last month and may prevent any further damage to diplomatic and security relations between the countries. But it underscored that Mr Bush, who still has nearly three years to go in his second term, has become perilously weak.

Dennis Hastert, the Republican speaker of the House and one of Mr Bush’s most loyal backers in Congress, emerged from a White House meeting on Thursday morning and signalled that he could not hold back the opposition to the deal. “We want to protect the American people and we will continue to do that,” he said.

“There’s a Republican initiative right now that says, ‘Get us the hell out of here’,” said Frank Lautenberg, a Republican senator from the port state of New Jersey.

The acquisition of five US port terminals by an Arab company became an unlikely target for an outpouring of American anger and fear. While administration officials and port security experts insisted there were no security concerns raised by the transfer of port facilities from a British company to a Dubai company, members of Congress said they were flooded with calls and letters from ordinary Americans angered by the deal.

The White House promise to reopen a national security investigation into the deal, together with a concerted public relations effort by DP World, seemed only to deepen the anger.

More than four years after the September 11 attacks, it brought together a toxic combination of anxieties over America’s place in the world. Traditional protectionists, worried by foreign acquisitions of US assets and the outsourcing of jobs to distant and little-understood countries, lined up alongside security hawks who warned that even a close Arab ally such as the UAE was vulnerable to terrorist infiltration.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2006election; ally; almaktoum; bush; bush43; bushnotdictator; congress; dpworld; dubai; gop; house; ports; readconstitution; republican; senate; term2; terrorism; tyrantsrants; uae; uaeranting; whatpoliticalcapital
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1 posted on 03/09/2006 2:48:09 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
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To: West Coast Conservative

This whole mess could be Huge


2 posted on 03/09/2006 2:50:02 PM PST by al baby (Father of the Beeber)
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To: West Coast Conservative
‘Get us the hell out of here’,” said Frank Lautenberg, a Republican senator from the port state of New Jersey.
3 posted on 03/09/2006 2:50:03 PM PST by digger48
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To: West Coast Conservative
"said Frank Lautenberg, a Republican senator from the port state of New Jersey."
>>>>>>>>>>>>......................
did he change parties?? Bush is weak because he is pushing Open borders and more illegal rights- can't seem to keep from spending every dime the congress sends his way, Just a Big Gov RINO who for a time I really liked.
4 posted on 03/09/2006 2:51:24 PM PST by ConsentofGoverned (if a sucker is born every minute, what are the voters?)
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To: West Coast Conservative

Next in our quest for a massive global trade (if not actual "hot") war:

China and the PLA own COSCO shipping. The Venezuelan government owns CITGO.


5 posted on 03/09/2006 2:51:27 PM PST by clawrence3
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To: West Coast Conservative

This could be the wedge to divide the American's against themselves! /S


6 posted on 03/09/2006 2:51:36 PM PST by rocksblues (John McCain says adopt a terrorist today!)
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To: West Coast Conservative

No president has control in Washington. We have a tri-partite government,and thank God for that.


7 posted on 03/09/2006 2:52:27 PM PST by Bubbatuck
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To: West Coast Conservative

Arab ally is correct. GWB is a lame duck.


8 posted on 03/09/2006 2:53:03 PM PST by Huck (space for rent)
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To: West Coast Conservative
>>>>said Frank Lautenberg, a Republican senator from the port state of New Jersey.


Check YOUR FACTS!!!!
9 posted on 03/09/2006 2:54:01 PM PST by .cnI redruM (We need to banish euphemisms. Period. In fact, we need to employ hyperbole when possible.)
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To: West Coast Conservative

"Representative Government" -- Ignorant people elect people they trust who have the time and resources to learn about issues and react appropriately.

Apparently the republicans in congress think they are just there to push the voting button based on how many phone calls they get.

You know, if that's the case we could save a lot of money if we just got rid of congress and rigged up a machine to simply count phone calls.

But this actually shows the strength of Bush. He saw a losing issue, but pulled out a victory. He didn't have to give in, the congress looks like idiots, UAE PROVES how much of a friend it is, showing that the democrats were being racist in their criticism and didn't REALLY CARE about security.

And in fact the democrats are going to keep pushing this issue, because they never know when to stop.

And if the republicans lose congress now, Bush can reasonably say it's because they acted contrary to their principles to try to react to polls rather than leading. And he will probably be STRONGER since the remaining republicans will need him to overcome the democrat majority.


10 posted on 03/09/2006 2:55:46 PM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: West Coast Conservative

Republicans in Congress are no longer acting like Republicans.

They're acting like mature politicians. No principles except those that they think will get them reelected.

Perhaps it is our fault for allowing them to think that pork barrel projects with their name on it actually earns them points with the voters.

What can we do? We can't turn Congress over to the Democrats. Is an undisciplined Republican Congress the lesser of two evils?

Some Bush critics blame Bush for this. It isn't his fault. These are the same Congressmen and Senators who would've stabbed us in the back irregardless of which Republican was in the White House. They'd have stabbed Reagan in the back if they thought it would buy them more time in their seat.

In politics there are no friends, only interests.


11 posted on 03/09/2006 2:55:46 PM PST by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: West Coast Conservative
...the Arab world concluded that [Bush] was no longer in control in Washington.

Note to the Arab world...here in America, the PEOPLE are in control of Washington, not the other way around. If you want Americans to embrace you, you must reject terrorism, and we have to believe you are sincere. Public perception in America counts, right or wrong.

12 posted on 03/09/2006 2:55:50 PM PST by Lekker 1 ("Computers in the future may have only 1000 vacuum tubes..." - Popular Mechanics, March 1949)
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To: West Coast Conservative
I just checked in to FR and might have missed the post, but Bill Bennett was talking today about a poll that said more Americans are significantly less tolerant of Islam now than we were shortly after 9/11.

I guess daily doses of truth have been registering with us in a very big way.

Too bad the President learned the hard way that we won't buy the "Islam is a 'religion' of 'peace'" BS.

It's time Islam cleaned up their own back yard.

And the President must get this through his stubborn head and lead from this perspective instead of sucking up to Muslims while milking the WOT for all he can get.

13 posted on 03/09/2006 2:56:35 PM PST by manwiththehands
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To: al baby

This Hugh!! And quite series!


14 posted on 03/09/2006 2:57:08 PM PST by Tatze (I voted for John Kerry before I voted against him!)
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To: Bubbatuck

"No president has control in Washington. We have a tri-partite government,and thank God for that."


Was thinking the same thing!


15 posted on 03/09/2006 2:57:12 PM PST by Blzbba (Sub sole nihil novi est)
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To: ConsentofGoverned

The president has almost no power.

Congress would have overiden his vetoes for the highway bill.

President has no line item veto power.

The dems all voted against bush's 39 billion cuts in entitlements. If the gop had more members chris shays wouldn't hold the balance of power in the house and bush could get 390 billion in cuts.

Bush has to get harry reid's approval for social security because it needs 60 votes to pass and dems can filibuster it.


The President in the U.S is the most powerless position of any leader in any country concerning their own country.

The president has no power on the gulf coast. Federalism gives it to the governors and mayors.


Bush should resign because he gets abuse while having no power to affect the situation.


Bush should give a national address resigning and educate the american people on the myth of the power of the presidency. This isn't Russia. The governors in this country all have a millions times the power in their states that bush has.


16 posted on 03/09/2006 2:57:14 PM PST by santorumlite
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To: Huck
Arab ally is correct. GWB is a lame duck. We also have a republican congress lacking cojones that's thinking more about keeping their seats this coming November and are following the minority democrats' lead.
17 posted on 03/09/2006 2:57:46 PM PST by adorno
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To: West Coast Conservative

Frank Lautenburg a Republican? Who knew?


18 posted on 03/09/2006 2:58:18 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: Blzbba

Well you get a gold star for being among the few who not only realize this, but appreciate it. Too many people want a King.


19 posted on 03/09/2006 2:58:49 PM PST by Bubbatuck
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To: ConsentofGoverned

Bush has been weakened because people like you have been stabbing him in the back for so long he's about to bleed to death. But you'll be getting a thank you note from your buddy Bin Laden any day now.


20 posted on 03/09/2006 2:58:53 PM PST by McGavin999 (I suggest the UAE form a Joint Venture Partnership with Halliburton & Wal-Mart)
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