Good idea? Bad idea?

“MSNBC News Services
Updated: 12:00 p.m. ET Feb. 19, 2006

"WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff on Sunday defended the government’s security review of an Arab company given permission to take over operations at six major U.S. ports".

Turn over operations of 6 US ports to the UAE?
I dont think so.
last edited: 2/19/06 12:02:14 PM”

““We have to balance the paramount urgency of security against the fact that we still want to have a robust global trading system,” he added.


It's always about the $$$...”

“I hope that this is absurd enough that enough people will put a stop to it.”

“Doesn't surprise me. It's a silly idea, but it still doesn't surprise me.

“It’s unbelievably tone deaf politically at this point in our history,” Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C. said, adding “Most Americans are scratching their heads, wondering why this company from this region now.”

I doubt the administration will back down on this cause they never admit any mistakes. The only way they will change it is if they are able to do it without admitting it was wrong-headed in the first place.

Kilgore
last edited: 2/20/06 12:13:11 PM”

“Gee, this was talked about on the 24/7 news channels constantly today yet little discussion elsewhere. Maybe the question should be whether it is important or non-issue. *smile*

Kilgore”

“There are those that will not question the King.


Especially those that say he does no wrong.

If this was sugested by Hillary, they would have called it treason :-)
last edited: 2/20/06 10:26:56 PM”

“You can Fly from Dubai, UAE, to JFK non-stop aboard UAE Emirates Airlines.

Should we be concerned?”

“We spent 6 billion dollars on airline security since 911, 600 million on port security. What do you think?

Our biggest securty issue is our ports. Think about it.
last edited: 2/20/06 10:37:30 PM”

“Naaaaaaaaa, it's great idea.”

“"If this was sugested by Hillary, they would have called it treason" I think you are correct on that. Hell, if it had been suggested by any Democrat the Republicans and their sycophants would be crying bloody murder. *grins*

We can only hope that the NSA is secretly monitoring all the communications between Dubai Ports World, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., and the UAE.
Kilgore”

“This deal was made without even contacting the mayors (or governors?) in their respective states.”

“http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185479,00.html

Stupid Idea.
It will not happen.”

“But it doesn't mean they didn't try...and they are still arguing in favor of it it.”

“U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States

Who the heck are these guys? They are the ones that are pushing the deal. Looks like damn near everyone else is against it.”

“Bush administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, have defended the decision.

Kinda makes ya feel all warm and fuzzy....”

“The Right Wing blogs have been in a tizzy about this for a week or so.
The liberal press was too busy covering that oh so important quail hunt. LOL”

“Fent, duck,, blame the Liberial press”

“Why did you keep it quite SS? Afraid to question the King ;-

Funny, Faux news didnt have anything on it till the last couple days.
last edited: 2/20/06 11:07:19 PM”

“I think the increase in airline security spending might have nothing to do with a plane from UAE.”

“I kind of wonder about mtnsteve's "Afraid to question the King" bit, I assume he's talking about the President, who has yet to weigh in either way on this.

He does have the power to stop it and I would assume that he will.”

“Why did you keep it quite SS? - ms

What a Dork you are! LOL
Like it's my personal mission to keep you informed.
I've been backpacking, dude! What's your excuse? *grin*”

“And a country that laundered money for 911 and supplied two of the 911 terrorists, should be in charge of 6 of our ports?

I'm glad you in a very tiny minority.”

“So they's in charge of security?”

“He called me a dork!

I hadn't realized you've been BP the last week or so...where did ya go?

Bison...you really think he didn't know about it?”

“"So they's in charge of security?"

They would be responsible for the loading and unloading of ALL the containers. We currently inspect about 6% of the containers.”

“LOL, dude, lighten up! ;-)
I agree with you on this one.
Didn't you read my first post?
I said it's a stupid idea.”

“I know...gotta keep ya on your toes ;-)




You didn't have to resort to "dork".. did ya? That was low.
last edited: 2/20/06 11:21:31 PM”

“We currently inspect about 6% of the containers.”
mtnsteve
12:17:29 AM
2/21/06

So you're worried about another 6%?????

;)”

“Na, just the one container :>)”

“http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/13921401.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_nation

Just once, I would like to see Jimmy Carter come down on the correct side.”

“That's PROOF POSITIVE it's a bad idea, ... he supports it.”

“Jeez...JIMUH has been wrong since what....1977. He is still batting .1000.”

“There I go again, jumping to conclusions. I had decided that Bush must be the biggest bumbling idiot that had ever held office. The media, the majority of congress, governors and according to polls 93% of the American people think this transaction is crazy. Yes, the title of "Biggest Bumbling Idiot" was in his hands! Then at the buzzer Carter stole it away from him.
last edited: 2/21/06 8:59:40 AM”

“..and I voted for Jimmy Carter....DOH!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhh...to be young again....LOL


Only President I've ever met and shook hands with.
last edited: 2/21/06 9:03:12 AM”

“Hey Bateaux, you hear what Slick Willie said over the weekend? He advised the European Union that they should "ARREST" the people who drew the insulting cartoons.

Yeah Mr. Free Life seems to forget that Freedom of Expression is a freedom too.”

“I've come to believe that if it's a Bush Idea it's a bad idea.”

“Personally, I'm more concerned about the bumbling fool we have in office now, than the bumbling fools we have had in the past ;>)”

“And yet, what of the bumbling fools of our future?



”

“Condi- "Yes Senator Kennedy, I was somewhat concerned that you have been telling the women on my staff that "this" is 8 inches."”

“"To be perfectly honest there is about this much difference between democrats and republicans sir."”

“Nigal, there is less....”

“My voting record:

Actual Vote-----I should have

1988 Bush Sr.---Gotten Drunk
1992 Perot------Clinton
1996 Perot------Clinton
2000 Nadar------Gore
2004 Kerry------Kerry
2008 McCain-----McCain

Three times I voted third party because, I was unpleased with the other offerings.
last edited: 2/21/06 9:23:53 AM”

“LOL@ all of ya






Perot?”

“PEROT???? My father had the best answer to the Perot idea..." Ross, hell I know Ross personally and consider him a close personal friend. #&%!$ I wouldn't want to have to buy a used car from him."

The Handgrenade with the bad haircut ran for two reasons.
1. He had a grave dislike of Bush 41 because while they were both "navy officers" Perot quit because he couldn't take the pressure.
2. Perot was worried about the NAFTA stuff...see he already had a free trade agreement through a previous agreement. NAFTA screwed that idea up.”

“by BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer
33 minutes ago http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060221/ap_on_go_pr_wh/ports_security



WASHINGTON - President Bush said Tuesday that a deal allowing an Arab company to take over six major U.S. seaports should go forward and that he would veto any congressional effort to stop it.

The Senate's Republican leader had promised just such an effort a few hours earlier.

"After careful review by our government, I believe the transaction ought to go forward," Bush told reporters who had traveled with him on Air Force One to Washington. "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 company. I am trying to conduct foreign policy now by saying to the people of the world, `We'll treat you fairly.'"

Bush took the rare step of calling reporters to his conference room on the plane after returning from a speech in Colorado, addressing a controversy that is becoming a major headache for the White House. He said the seaports arrangement had been extensively examined by the administration and was "a legitimate deal that will not jeopardize the security of the country."

Earlier, Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist urged the administration to reconsider its decision to allow the transaction, under which a British company that has been running six U.S. ports would be acquired by Dubai Ports World, a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates. Frist said he'd introduce a bill to delay the deal if the administration doesn't do so on its own.

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.

"The decision to finalize this deal should be put on hold until the administration conducts a more extensive review of this matter," said Frist. "If the administration cannot delay this process, I plan on introducing legislation to ensure that the deal is placed on hold until this decision gets a more thorough review."

Frist, who spoke to reporters in Long Beach, Calif., where he was on a fact-finding tour on port security and immigration issues, said he doesn't oppose foreign ownership, "but my main concern is national security."

Two Republican governors, New York's George Pataki and Maryland's Robert Ehrlich, voiced their own doubts a day earlier, as have other members of Congress.

But Bush, who has yet to issue a bill in more than five years in office, said sternly he would not back down.

"They ought to listen to what I have to say about this. They'll look at the facts and understand the consequences of what they're going to do," he said. "But if they pass a law, I'll deal with it with a veto."

In a sign of how volatile the issue has become in the uneasy climate after the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Bush pressed the topic yet again immediately upon his return to the White House, to make sure his position would be on camera as well. "This is a company that has played by the rules, has been cooperative with the United States, from a country that's an ally on the war on terror, and it would send a terrible signal to friends and allies not to let this transaction go through," the president said after emerging from his helicopter on the South Lawn.

At the Pentagon, the UAE was praised as an important strategic military partner by both Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Rumsfeld said a process was in place and "the process worked."

"Nothing changes with respect to security under the contract. The Coast Guard is in charge of security, not the corporation," Rumsfeld said.

The administration insisted that national security issues had received a full airing before the interagency panel that reviews such transactions gave the go-ahead.

In Los Angeles, Sen. Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record), who heads the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said she and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (news, bio, voting record), D-Conn., sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff asking that the committee be fully briefed on the ports deal.

Collins, R-Maine, and Rep. Jane Harman (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., a ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, said they are going to introduce a "joint resolution of disapproval" when they return to Washington next week.

Other lawmakers, including Rep. Peter King (news, bio, voting record), R-N.Y., and Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., said they would offer emergency legislation next week to block the deal ahead of a planned March 2 takeover.

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. "I have directed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to explore all legal options that may be available to them."

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

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.
last edited: 2/21/06 4:00:13 PM”

“XL - My dad knew Perot very well too (worked with him) - he voted against him.
last edited: 2/21/06 4:05:44 PM”

“Hey Sarge, when my older brother was 10 I think, he was having a birthday party (this is 1970) and wanted to invite Ross Jr to the party. My Mom called the Perot residence and this man answered the phone. She asked if Ross Jr would like to come to the party and she got this reply. "This is Rosses Daddy, and he would be as happy as he could to come to the party."

Somewhere between 1970 and 1990 Ross began believing his own press releases.”

“LOL!

So, I guess your from Texas? I think my dad joined in 72 if I remember correctly.”

“He does have the power to stop it and I would assume that he will.”
Bison
11:08:46 PM
2/20/06

WRONG YET AGAIN!”