Well, it seems like Bush is making himself more obvious everyday. He wants to be a dictator and a king. If you haven't heard about his proposed plan to allow ARAB companies to run major US ports, then read the article below. Even worse, Bush is ready to fight Congress over this issue. When will Bush realize that he is not a king and is a president and his powers are limited? GOP Governors Threaten to Block Port Deal WILL LESTER, Associated Press | February 21 2006 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." Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey said Monday that he and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., will introduce legislation prohibiting the sale of port operations to foreign governments. At least one Senate oversight hearing was planned for later this month. Critics have noted that some of the 9/11 hijackers used the UAE as an operational and financial base. In addition, they contend the UAE was an important transfer point for shipments of smuggled nuclear components sent to Iran, North Korea and Libya by a Pakistani scientist. The Bush administration got support Monday from former President Carter, a Democrat and frequent critic of the administration. "My presumption is, and my belief is, that the president and his secretary of state and the Defense Department and others have adequately cleared the Dubai government organization to manage these ports," Carter told CNN. "I don't think there's any particular threat to our security." Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made the rounds on the talk shows Sunday, asserting that the administration made certain the company agreed to certain conditions to ensure national security. H said details of those agreements were secret. During a stop Monday in Birmingham, Ala., Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the administration had a "very extensive process" for reviewing such transactions that "takes into account matters of national security, takes into account concerns about port security."
Same here. I was watching the news tonight and apparently both Democrats and Republicans are against this mess, yet Bush still wants to push forward. Could both Dems and Reps finally be getting out of their false left/right corners and joining together in the center to fight the Bush administration? If they are, its about time. Maybe our country has hope after all.
Jimmy Carter's support of the port deal alone makes me question the wisdom of this deal I haven't followed this too much, but I'm not so sure having a ME country in charge of one our major ports is an intelligent thing to do. Bush said that if Congress moves to disallow it, he will veto it. Which is within his power. If congress over-rides the veto, its over-ridden. You really need to learn how government works.
I've said all along that the issue isn't dem vs rep... it's much bigger. I hope you all can imagine Bush's motivation for allowing this.. I'll give you a hint... what might a huge ship from the Middle East that doesn't get inspected upon entering our country be carrying (it's not oil )?
I don't understand why we have a foreign company handling transactions at our ports to begin with. The action here should be to fire the British company and let Americans watch our own ports. Switching to an UAE linked company is going in the wrong direction. Bush can threaten all he wants. In our government, if the congress is mostly united, his veto is pointless. That's the great thing about our system. Public opinion has a way of pressuring politicians on domestic policy issues. The congress will most likely end up with the 2/3rd vote needed to override a veto.
Whether or not Bush will veto it wasn't my point. I know Bush can veto it, and they said it on the news. But they are making it sound as if Bush is going to do it, and there is nothing we can do about it. That is the part that pisses me off. Besides, they said on the news that Bush "wants to fight congress." Those words didn't come from me. I'm just a messenger. Bush and his administration want to see how far they can push the American people before they finally stand up. They wanted to see if Americans are dumbed down enough to allow them to do it. Apparently Americans are standing up against tyranny better than I expected. I'm just glad to hear both Republicans and Democrats are against it. We are fighting a war against terrorism supposedly, yet Bush wants to allow a middle eastern company to control our ports. I started laughing when I heard it on the news. That has to be the funniest thing I've heard all week. This is coming from a president who also says he doesn't care about capturing Bin Laden. OMG, how obvious does it have to be people?
No, I'm more concerned about Bush's motivation for this. What might a huge ship from the Middle East that doesn't get inspected upon entering our country be carrying? Think about it for a while before you answer
Wait. Is yo-yo trying to insinuate that bush WANTS some middle east country to smuggle in a WMD and blow it up on US soil? Wait, yo-yo never makes stupid, baseless points like that
The reason I "eat it up" is because the mass media is trying to set a precedent where the people have no say in what the government does. But I know better. I didn't think about this, but you've got an excellent point. That sets up the potential for weapons, drugs, and all kinds of other goodies to be shipped in the US. Perhaps a bioweapon to be used in our next "staged" terror attack.
Do you understand what a "problem reaction solution" is? The government creates the problem by allowing ships which are not inspected from the middle east to enter our ports. Then suddenly, a "terror" attack happens. The government links it to the ships in our ports, which brought in weapons. Bush as usual won't get in trouble. It will be an "accident", like 911. The government's solution? More police state powers and the destruction of our civil liberties. Yoyo knows what he is talking about. He picked up on that faster than me. I didn't know they wouldn't even be inspecting the ships, but I'm not a bit surprised.
Well, a possibly rational discussion of a questionable port deal has alread devolved into the tinfoil twins posting inane theories.
Coming from bush's own mouth: "If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier - just so long I'm the dictator." - video Coming from General Tommy Franks: “the worst thing that could happen†is if terrorists acquire and then use a biological, chemical or nuclear weapon that inflicts heavy casualties. “... the Western world, the free world, loses what it cherishes most, and that is freedom and liberty we’ve seen for a couple of hundred years in this grand experiment that we call democracy.†------------ Just baseless insuatation right ...
Have you ever performed scholarly research on the masses instead of simply pointing to "the media"? I participate in politics and the media. Can you tell me, specifically, how the media is trying to set a precedent where I will have no say at any levels of our federal republic?
They try to condition us. Studies have proven that television can brainwash people. I don't spend much time watching it, but I couldn't help but hear the way the reporter was explaining the situation. marketjunction, you and I seem to be on the same track politically and care about the same issues. I just don't trust our government. I may be over the top, but I care about my freedom.
Simple. There is nothing to defend. A British company ran the ports before. Nothing new here, ie., having foreign interests run the ports. I think it is extremely bigoted and racist for people to assert that an Arab company running the ports is wrong. I've heard nothing but racist comments and accusations of bigotry from every leftist whacko here directed at anyone who makes a comment with regard to Islam. But when the President, (you know that Nazi) tries to send a message to the rest of the world that we are all equal, and that not all Muslims are bad, you cry foul. What gives? I see now where the left is coming from. You all believe that Arabs are terrorists, and see them running our ports as a threat. Imagine if Bush nominated a Muslim (US Citizen) to Secretary of State. I don't even want to imagine the outcry from the left. I am trying real hard to understand where the left is coming from. On the one hand if you equate Islam with terrorism, you are a racist, but if you let Arabs run a US port, you are now supporting terrorism. You guys confuse the hell out of me. What makes you guys so hateful?