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.
Do NOT include me in your blatently RACIST comments about what "all Americans" want, thank you very much.
THANK YOU. That needs to be said over and over.
Bump
No president has control in Washington. We have a tri-partite government,and thank God for that.
Congress might get a surprise. I would not vote for any Representative that are ignorant of how US ports work nor would I vote for one that told the lie the UAE is buying our ports and also I would not vote for one that said security was the issue but would not permit another security check. All of my Representatives committed the acts above. I will just vote for the President and the primary to unseat my republican representatives. I will not vote democrat.
So you don't believe the "people" have any say in this. Maybe you are living in the wrong country.
Lousenerg (a DEMOCRAP) has been asleep (put a mirror under his nose to check if he is still breathing) has done ZERO to pressure the Port of New York Authority to provide maritime security, as have Los Angeles, Boston, and Tampa Bay, to name a few.
I mean, I was happy they got Saddam only because it was believed back then that once we got Saddam, Iraqis wouldn't be scared and peace would reign. Turns out that didn't happen.
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.
The president has almost no power.
Yes, I understand... but what about the strategic positioning of THEIR terrorists? That was the question. Of course it's a balancing act, some things are lost, some are gained.
Anyway... it's already history. I just read that they pulled out. And my admiration for the "horse sense" of the American people is redoubled.
I agree, Americans are utterly disgusted with GWB on anythng related to borders. He is a disgraceful mess on this issue and hs only himself to blame right now. This is a natural outgrowth of his negligence, ineptness, and tone deaf attitude about what over 80% of the American people see asa major problem.
Only the most sycophantic and brain-dead bots argue that his immigration plan is not a scamnesty and will make the entire WOT a joke.
Who needs a WOT if we are being invaded at home?
It wasn't and that is not what I said ... where Bush was at fault with Katrina was his inept handling of his PR. Let's see ... you have a catastrophic category 5 hurricane churning in the southern Gulf of Mexico headed for a landfall, likely LA, a blue state with a female 'Rat governor and a coffee 'Rat mayor of NO. Instead of getting your butt on AF1 on the eve of the storm and flying back to Washington, or at least flying up to NORAD in Colo. Springs to at least create the appearance of concern ... you stay at the ranch in Crawford, TX. Immediately after the storm hit you fly out to San Diego to attend a previously scheduled political fund raiser event. You can defend Bush (I voted for him twice) but the guy has zilch when it comes to sensing public perception and reacting in such a way that would negate these firestorms of controversy he gets embroiled in far to frequently.
"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."
Thanks. This country was founded by people who REVOLTED against a King!!
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