Today is Monday, the day Senate Democrats said they would introduce legislation to block the Dubai port deal.
America is listening and waiting.
Posted by Christopher at February 27, 2006 07:39 AMPorts need to be nationalized. Period. The implications for national security are too important. Furthermore, we need more forward inspections of goods from origination and transition points along the supply chain. We are a goddamned superpower (for now), its time to act like one. Really...you think other countries are going to deny us the ability to inspect cargo at foreign ports? Who are they gonna sell all of their cheap, outsourced shit to if they can't sell it to us?
Posted by God Of War at February 27, 2006 07:46 AMWhat Bush wants, Bush gets. ESPECIALLY when it comes to lining his own pockets.
Congress who?
Posted by Stephen at February 27, 2006 07:59 AMOnce they got those fools in the Republican congress behind doors and explained the implications vis-a-vis our basing and support arangments, they caved faster than a dumb blond groupie at an Aerosmith concert.
Only people that are dedicated to oil independence and disentanglement from the middle east will be able to lead us out of this mess. Republican style foriegn policy skulldugery is getting us nowhere fast.
Posted by SnarkyShark at February 27, 2006 08:12 AMCome, come now. You know what we are dealing with here. I call that within 2-4 weeks Democrats will be backing off the port deal out of fear that they'll look partisan and somehow weak on security. If the Republicans say good, and Democrats say bad, then the Democrats must be wrong and therefore weak cause they aren't Republicans.
Posted by kdub at February 27, 2006 08:14 AMThere is bipartisan concern amongst the states about what this war of choice and this administration's foreign policies have done to the capabilities of the National Guard to protect us here at home.
I remember this coming up right after Katrina. We were reassured that the use of the National Guard in Iraq did not impact the availability of guardsmen to respond to Katrina. I also remember that they had to bring National Guard into the Gulf Coast region from all over the country, though.
Posted by ann at February 27, 2006 08:59 AMOK (I know it is just BS as usual) but I am very confused about how they can call this 45 day review a "concession" or a "second review" or "some grand good jesture on the Bush admins part".
Uh, 45 day review is the law that was averted.
So, let me get this straight. Bu$hCo breaks the law by approving this deal without the proper review. When caught breaking the law and outrage ensues, they now claim that they are making a grand concession and giving the Congress far more than they are entitled to by "following the law" that was previously ignored.
Why is this not the Dem talking point?!?!?
Posted by Anjha at February 27, 2006 09:03 AMF*ck the repugs. This issue is so wrong it is beyond rational discussion. It smells like fish that have been on a Thai dock for a day and a half. If any American thinks this is a good arrangement, they should be sentenced to live with Homer Simpson for a month.
Posted by tempus at February 27, 2006 09:08 AMSteve- The process of turning over the operation of our ports to foreign countries is called infiltration. It makes it a "slam dunk" to place terrorists at strategic port locations all over our country. I might add that we are bank rolling the process. It's a clean way to laundry money with US taxpayers money. There are absolutely no background checks for these employees. They won't be screened at US entry locations because they will be here on Government approved work visas. Can our government get any more corrupt?
Lanny Rhoads
tempus - Mmmm, beer. I'm afraid your threat will have the opposite effect, since besides Bush, Homer is probably someone the proles wouldn't mind having a beer with.
Posted by iamcoyote at February 27, 2006 09:59 AMLanny,
If evidenced by by Cat Killer Frist, saving Bush's face is far more important to these un-American GOPers than protecting US security.
Posted by Christopher at February 27, 2006 10:12 AMHe came, he saw, he conquered the Democrats in every way. GWB
Markos and Howard can't save you.
Posted by peter at February 27, 2006 10:23 AMhe came he saw, he took a vacation. he decided that 3,000 dead americans wasn't enough. GWB
Posted by at February 27, 2006 10:46 AM"Democrats need to hang this around the GOP’s neck every day and every week until November, in every district and state where a GOP incumbent is up for reelection this fall."
Yes, Democrats should be in "Dubai-ous Distinction" here, pointing out all the self-serving, corporations-first cronyism involved. Make it loud, make it long, and make it stick.
George "Dubai-yeah" Bush, indeed.
Ed
He came, he saw, he conquered the Democrats in every way. GWB
Markos and Howard can't save you.
Posted by peter at February 27, 2006 10:23 AM
*****
Dispatches from Bizarro World, coutesy of the resident penis.
Frist, btw, is the most pathetic, grovelling, spineless little bitch (my apologies to little bitches everywhere) I've seen in a long time. What a piece of shit. Tennessee must be oh so proud.
Posted by God Of War at February 27, 2006 11:02 AMYou guys don't seem to get it yet. Multi-nationals are passing around money in Congress like breath mints at a sorority socilaizer. This has nothing to do with ports. This has everything to do with business control of Congress. You want representation in congress get yourself a fucking business. As a citizen you get shit, and that is the only thing you can expect to receive. It's not about you or your security. It's about money, and the Dems and Reps are singing from the same hymn book.
Posted by phidipides at February 27, 2006 11:37 AMiamcoyote:
What was I thinking? Let them spend a month with Robert Redford or Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. They will hang themselves. I'm afraid that I have become so desentisitized to GOP stupidity due to its regular occurrence that I don't even notice. My apologies.
Why am I not surprised that someone like Peter would celebrate handing security over to Osama's sponsors?
Posted by Ga6thDem at February 27, 2006 11:47 AMEncinopide: How dare you call our dully elected, honerable democrat and republican representatives blatent corporate whores, even if it is TRUE.
Still waiting for the "terminated" CIA info.
Posted by TIKI AL at February 27, 2006 12:26 PMWhat amazes me is how frist presents this case as so vital to America's interests, yet the particulars are that it's just more corporatism at the expense of people. Now, I've argued at least a zillion times that all the bushies are interested in is money, which translates into power, and in that light bush could be considered the most successful president ever, if you disregard the abject dereliction of his responsibilities to the citizens of this country.
But it seems to me that not everyone realizes that, and if we're going to restore democracy to this country, people need to see the truth on this matter.
Abu Dubai is not vital to America's interests, yet when you listen to Kitty Kevorkian and the other useless toadies of the GOP (and I refuse to drag the Dems into this because they have no power, and yes, they could do a lot of things alot better and less hypocritically but people without power do lots of things that make no logical sense in their disenfranchisement so let's leave that dog asleep) that's the impression you would get.
So it behooves people, including sensible Democrats, to point that out.
Posted by Duckman GR at February 27, 2006 12:54 PMAs I wrote to you last week, once the blackmail and payola comes around, all bets are off. I knew they'd cave especially in an election year.
I predict the dems will cave in too, after their race horses' head show up in the bed, as it were.
"bang, bang, Roves' hammer came down upon his head... Too bad it's not the chimps'.
Posted by sara swati at February 27, 2006 02:03 PMSara: You are obviously a serious Beatles fan, as I am. "Nothing's going to change my world."
Posted by tempus at February 27, 2006 04:16 PMTrashing the Dems is real helpful. That really makes us all free.
The real haughty ones on the blogs who talk tough about never voting for a Dem again never did ANYTHING for their country. They just like being the Seers who See All, and Do Nothing.
It's laziness. Anyone who has ever fought a political campaign knows how utterly exhausting it is.
When you talk about how 'corrupt' both parties are, PUT SOME FACTS ON THE TABLE.
Or STFU.
Cynicism will not make you or anyone else free. Expecially fact-free cynicism.
Posted by Paul in LA at February 27, 2006 10:28 PM