Bush to Lose Support of Republican Congress and Governors Over Port Issue

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 8:30am

Can one of the board Republicans explain to me why Bush would do something so stupid?

Who supports this deal? Only oil people, right?

=======

GOP Governors Threaten to Block Port Deal

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 36 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Two Republican governors are threatening legal action to block an Arab company from taking over operations in major U.S. ports and some GOP lawmakers say the deal should be closely examined.

In the uneasy climate after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration decision to allow the transaction is threatening to develop a major political headache for the White House.

New York Gov. George Pataki and Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich on Monday voiced doubts about the acquisition of a British company that has been running six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World, a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates.

The British company, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., runs major commercial operations at ports in Baltimore, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia.

Both governors indicated they may try to cancel lease arrangements at ports in their states because of the DP World takeover.

"Ensuring the security of New York's port operations is paramount and I am very concerned with the purchase of Peninsular & Oriental Steam by Dubai Ports World," Pataki said in a news release. "I have directed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to explore all legal options that may be available to them."

Ehrlich, concerned about security at the Port of Baltimore, said Monday he was "very troubled" that Maryland officials got no advance notice before the Bush administration approved the Arab company's takeover of the operations at the six ports.

"We needed to know before this was a done deal, given the state of where we are concerning security," Ehrlich told reporters in the State House rotunda in Annapolis.

The arrangement brought protests from both political parties in Congress and a lawsuit in Florida from a company affected by the takeover.

Public fears that the nation's ports are not properly protected, combined with the news of an Arab country's takeover of six major ports, proved a combustible mix.

Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina said on Fox News Sunday that the administration approval was "unbelievably tone deaf politically." GOP Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia said on ABC's "This Week," "It's a tough one to explain, but we're in a global economy. ... I think we need to take a very close look at it."
GOP Governors Threaten to Block Port Deal

[wexy]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:22am

Even the right wing people I know are bitterly opposed to this latest move by the administration. One of my gym buddies works in Newark for Homeland Security and is really pissed off.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 2:12pm

Some facts about the UAE:

– The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

– The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.

– According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system.

– After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden’s bank accounts.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 2:16pm

Just when you think Bush couldn't do anything more outrageous. What the ****is he doing? I seriously think the man has a mental illness.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 2:18pm

I posted this elsewhere, but I'm startlingly reminded of the corporate bigwigs in Urinetown, how they ride a disaster to the complete destruction of their city while they hoard their money and flee to Rio. I swear, sometimes the Bush mentality seems to be lining his pockets and goin' while the gettin's good.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 2:20pm

And you wonder why the conspiracy theorists believe the Bush family and the Bin Ladin family are in this together.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 2:34pm

which i'll put on now.

the uae is a supposed ally in the war on terror. if the administration comes out publicly opposing the deal, we potentially lose them as an "ally." for whatever that's worth.

so ya support the deal and let the congressional republicans show their independence of the administration (in an election year) by raising holy hell and blocking the deal. then you go back to the uae and say, "hey guys, we tried, it's just not gonna work out right now." the entire world has been seeing headlines everyday talking about how the president is at low ebb (to be generous) in approval ratings. so the uae doesn't get the deal, but their feelings aren't hurt and they keep cooperating.

as far as bush is concerned, why not? there's no way that the congress is gonna let it go through and this way, you look like you were trying to reward an ally.

any question of whether it's a good idea though was put to rest when jimmy carter endorsed it.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 2:41pm

Looks like it's just more Bush cronyism at work.

snippet:

====

The Dubai firm that won Bush administration backing to run six U.S. ports has at least two ties to the White House.

One is Treasury Secretary John Snow, whose agency heads the federal panel that signed off on the $6.8 billion sale of an English company to government-owned Dubai Ports World - giving it control of Manhattan's cruise ship terminal and Newark's container port.

Snow was chairman of the CSX rail firm that sold its own international port operations to DP World for $1.15 billion in 2004, the year after Snow left for President Bush's cabinet.

The other connection is David Sanborn, who runs DP World's European and Latin American operations and was tapped by Bush last month to head the U.S. Maritime Administration.

W aides' biz ties to Arab firm

Updated On: 2/21/06 at 02:41 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 4:20pm

Now he says he'll veto any congressional attempt to block the sale.

He REALLY is in bed with those Arabs, ain't he!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 4:48pm

Curiouser and curiouser...turns out Rumsfeld wasn't consulted. From apress briefing today:

QUESTION: Are you confident that any problems with security — from what you know, are you confident that any problems with security would not be greater with a UAE company running this than an American company?

RUMSFELD: I am reluctant to make judgments based on the minimal amount of information I have because I just heard about this over the weekend.

[DG]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 5:05pm

papa - Bush is apparently being vocal about a veto threat, and his general support of this idea. Is this a part of the strategy? And how do YOU feel about the proposal?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 5:18pm

judging by his use off the veto in the past, i don't see it happening. he's got to put up a fight.

i dunno, it sounds on the face of it like a startlingly bad idea. i'd reflexively say i'm against it just because carter said that it posed no threat to america. unless someone could show me how the conditions built into the deal would not surrender any port security to them pesky adherents of allah, i'm against the idea.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 8:36pm

Imagine if he did veto a bill introduced to prevent this. It would be the first time he used his veto power. Ever. I say, push him to veto it!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 9:17pm

I'm just loving this drama!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 10:10pm

The president speaks:

"I want those who are questioning it to step up and explain why all of a sudden a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great British (sic) company."

"Great British"?!?!?!?!

PapaLovesMambo, repeat after us: "The president is a dope." "The president is a dope." "The president is a dope."

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:09pm

i agree with him. peninsular and oriental steam navigation co. is a great british company.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:10pm

And for once, capitalization makes all the difference. *snicker*

[DG]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:11pm

Honestly, if he really is truly wondering why a Middle Eastern company would be questioned at this point in time, then I feel like I am missing something completely.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:12pm

The President is a dope,
A man who's doomed to fail.
A clumsy Joe who wouldn't know a hunter from a quail.
The gentleman is a dope
And not my cup of tea
Why do I get in a dither?
His votes didn't come from me

(This is all your fault, PJ.) Updated On: 2/21/06 at 11:12 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:15pm

The ugliness gets deeper and deeper.

Last month, it turns out, Bush nominated one of the company's senior executives, Dave Sanborn, to be Maritime Administrator, a post reporting directly to Norman Mineta, the Secretary of Transportation.

Daily Kos: Bush Nominated UAE Port Executive To Key Post in January!

Updated On: 2/21/06 at 11:15 PM

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:33pm

i don't get how this is ugly? he's more than qualified to serve in a position as maritime administrator.

mr sanborn, a graduate of the united states merchant maritime academy, joined dp world in 2005. He previously held senior roles with shipping lines cma-cgm (americas), apl ltd and sea-land and has been based, besides the us, in brazil, europe, hong kong and dubai during his career. he has also served in the us naval reserve.

sounds like a prety solid resume.

on the off chance that the deal goes through...which i doubt, who better to offer insight into the company than the former director or operations. although he was only there less than a year.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:42pm

So you're saying he's light on the horse show experience?

[Plum]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:45pm

SNAP.

I love the smell of lame ducks in the evening. *sniff*

[DG]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:48pm

Plum - have you been drinking?

[Plum]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 11:49pm

Noo, that was on my birthday. 21st and all that. Today I've limited myself to water and apple juice.

...wait, what was in that juice?