I think 45 days of honest evaluation would have helped turn it around
but it was clear that the white house was going to use that 45 days to simply twist arms of the leadership, and try to run out the clock, and use procedural issues to stop it.
I said from almost the beggining here - if the white house wanted to save this deal, the thing to do was NOT to come out of the gate threatening a veto. the thing to do was for Bush himself to call for a delay, and use that time to get behind a comprehensive new ports security plan (which will likely come now anyway). DPW could have then stood up and said they would be the first to comply with it as a consequence of their deal. that was the way to save this deal, by engaging in a positive agenda on a security issue.
instead, the counter attack consisted of veto threats, xenophone and racism allegations. there was no way they were going to win with that.