Republicans join Dems against port sale
Bill Frist, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki-- those are a few prominent Republicans who are speaking out against the 'outsourcing' of security to a state-owned company in the United Arab Emirates.
Who's for it? Michael Chertoff and Alberto Gonzales are talking it up, which means that the White House engineered the deal.
It clearly isn't going to happen, for several reasons. The most obvious is outsourcing security of US ports to the terrorist-supporting UAE. But supporting the venture would be political suicide for anyone seeking re-election this year. And it would demolish the GOP's favorite 21st century applause line: Democrats are weak on national defense.
In fact, it is so clearly, obviously, inevitably doomed to failure that you've got to wonder why the White House continues to push for it. Clearly someone stands to profit in a big way. But who is it, and what do they hope to gain?
UPDATE: Ed Schultz has a theory-- Secretary of the Treasury John Snowe, formerly in the shipping business and with a history of deals with the UAE. And we all know of the Bush family's dealing in the Middle East, from Iraq to Saudi Arabia to Bahrain.
UPDATE: Bush is actually threatening to exercise veto power-- for the first time during his term in office-- to make sure this business deal goes through. There isn't even a remote chance that it would survive an override vote. But the White House is likely to drop even further in the polls if this story dominates the news this week.
Who's for it? Michael Chertoff and Alberto Gonzales are talking it up, which means that the White House engineered the deal.
It clearly isn't going to happen, for several reasons. The most obvious is outsourcing security of US ports to the terrorist-supporting UAE. But supporting the venture would be political suicide for anyone seeking re-election this year. And it would demolish the GOP's favorite 21st century applause line: Democrats are weak on national defense.
In fact, it is so clearly, obviously, inevitably doomed to failure that you've got to wonder why the White House continues to push for it. Clearly someone stands to profit in a big way. But who is it, and what do they hope to gain?
UPDATE: Ed Schultz has a theory-- Secretary of the Treasury John Snowe, formerly in the shipping business and with a history of deals with the UAE. And we all know of the Bush family's dealing in the Middle East, from Iraq to Saudi Arabia to Bahrain.
UPDATE: Bush is actually threatening to exercise veto power-- for the first time during his term in office-- to make sure this business deal goes through. There isn't even a remote chance that it would survive an override vote. But the White House is likely to drop even further in the polls if this story dominates the news this week.
posted by Matt Sandwich | 2:44 PM
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