They didn’t exactly dot every i, cross every t

February 22, 2006

When it comes to the UAE port deal, the administration has a relatively compelling defense. A review of the deal, the Bush gang says, was reviewed and cleared by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a body made up of officials from the Defense, State, Commerce and Transportation Departments, along with the National Security Council, which reviews foreign investments in the country that could affect national security. All said this deal was fine.

One response to this is, as I noted earlier, that it requires some faith in the administration’s competence and forthrightness, which isn’t usually a good idea. But then there’s another concern. (via TP)

However, a 1993 amendment to the law stipulates that such an investigation is mandatory when the acquiring company is controlled by or acting on behalf of a foreign government. Administration officials said they conducted additional inquires because of the ties to the United Arab Emirates, but they could not say why a 45-day investigation did not occur.

If the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States saw no need to take its review to the next level, that’s one thing. But if the law requires a 45-day investigation under these conditions, and the administration decided not to do that, it’s not unreasonable to expect an explanation.

For that matter, it also makes administration opposition to a proposal from Sens. Clinton and Schumer to complete that 45-day investigation a pretty tough sell.

It’s just like last week! The handling of the Cheney story was bigger than the accident. The handling of the port story may be bigger than the deal.

  • I just heard that the Dubai Company has hired Bob Dole to lobby their cause in the Hill.

    This brings even more awareness to public light on how hired corporate guns influence government.

  • All I know is, when the administration transitioned from Clinton to Bush, they were warned and warned and warned, Condi Rice was warned and warned and warned, about Bin Laden and Al Qaeda by the Clinton people. But they did nothing, and then we got 9/11.

    So now I’m worried about a re-run of that happening. Ever since 9/11, we’ve heard again and again about the possibilities of strikes through the ports and the shipping, the possibilities of weapons being delivered through the ports. And ever since 9/11, we’ve kept hearing that this– and the airline security– haven’t been taken care of!! Instead, the centerpieces of Bush’s response are 10 decreased civil liberties and 2) foreign wars; to a lesser extent 3) truly questionable “terror alerts.”

    There’s a reason why people are questioning this administration. When are they goign to show us that they’re addressing the problem seriously and not in a two-faced, half-assed way?

  • biggest problem with ports is that if crazy ass mo-fus get control, you wont see the problem at the ports itself. It’s not like, hey, we control the port, let’s blow it up. The problem is it makes access so much easier if you can infiltrate the group’s designed to prevent things getting through. But frankly, since so much goes through unchecked already, Im not sure this will make much difference. It does look pretty sketchy though on the face of it, since it was pushed through behind the scenes, the President didnt really even know about it, and now has to stand up for somethign he was absolutely clueless about. And of course, the little issue of skipping process, well, process is for sissies. You dont fight terrorists by heeding your own laws, silly. Once again, it’s not the what of what we are doing, it’s the how and the how looks pretty bad.

  • Talk about the chickens coming home to roost. Bush has filled the government from top to bottom with the most sorry collection of unqualified incompetents ever seen.

    From Mike Brown to that 24 year old college dropout at NASA, it’s just been one embarrassment after another. The nation hasn’t even recovered from Katrina yet and now Bush expects us to take this port deal on faith??

    Even the Republicans are so afraid of another disaster on their doorstep that they’re all over this like flies on…Bush. Even if there’s no real problem with the deal, which I still very much doubt, Bush has only himself to blame if nobody takes his word for anything anymore.

    Now about that shotgun……..

  • The right wing talking point is that the left is being racist by opposing this takeover, as if UAE-9/11 connections don’t exist. People should be outraged about the fact more and more of our ports are owned by foreign governments of any country. Those unbelieveable hypocrites like Bill O’riley can’t spin this one. This is about American sovereignty, not race. DUH. This has got to be the tipping point for Bush. Even the thickest, most brainwashed sleep-walking Bush backers are being awakened by this.

  • I’d be willing to bet that, if interviewed, most of the members of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States would not have heard any more than our Lame F**k President did about this deal.

  • Speaking of the Cheney story (#1), Capitol Hill Blue is running a story titled “Secret Service agents say Cheney was drunk when he shot lawyer”. Here are the first three paragraphs:

    A written report from Secret Service agents guarding Vice President Dick Cheney when he shot Texas lawyer Harry Whittington on a hunting outing two weeks ago says Cheney was “clearly inebriated” at the time of the shooting.

    Agents observed several members of the hunting party, including the Vice President, consuming alcohol before and during the hunting expedition, the report notes, and Cheney exhibited “visible signs” of impairment, including slurred speech and erratic actions, the report said.

    According to those who have read the report and talked with others present at the outing, Cheney was drunk when he gunned down his friend and the day-and-a-half delay in allowing Texas law enforcement officials on the ranch where the shooting occurred gave all members of the hunting party time to sober up.

  • It seems that by not going through the mandatory 45-day investigation period the Bush administration is, once again, flouting the law and determining that they–and no other administration before or after it–can without any consequences; Americans should just trust them to act in our best interests. Their actions, both before and present, prove we should not.

    The Bush administration has determined they are above the law and dares Congress to do something about it. Congress should do something about it and restore true checks and balances.

  • Bush’s argument seems rests on the premise that competent individuals took a look at the deal and found it acceptable. But the Bush Gang is anything but competent. Condi Rice was surprised Al Qaeda would attack the U.S. despite receiving a Presidential Daily Briefing a month prior. Now she’s surprised by Hamas winning big in Palestinian elections. John Snow thinks the president’s budgets will actually bring down the deficit. Donald Rumsfeld can’t imagine an Iraqi insurgency or a need for armored vehicles or body armor in a war zone. And it’s not just at the top, intellegent, competent federal employees at every level have been replaced by cronies not based on their talents but their loyalty to Bush.

    I don’t trust this group to correctly read a menu, much less decide matters of national importance. Can anyone point to a single example from the Bush Administration’s miserable record that would even hint at trustworthiness?

  • Ed, is CHB a credible source? Ive never heard of them. I read the story, but it doesnt seem anyone has picked up on it. I still feel, personally, that it is quite likely true, but I doubt we’ll ever know.

  • Just heard on Air America (Thom Hartmann) that the Emir of Dubai (owner of the company which will soon take over six American ports) is a hunting partner of Osama bin Laden.

    As with CHB, I can’t vouch for veracity. Nor can I count our “press” to say yes or no to such stories. That’s the trouble anymore … hard to know where to turn.

  • “The right wing talking point is that the left is being racist by opposing this takeover, as if UAE-9/11 connections don’t exist.” — Haik Bedrosian

    Hell, they have more of a connection to 9/11 then the Baathists in Iraq and we invaded and overthrew them. How is it racist to end a contract with a company from the UAE?

  • Even the Republicans are so afraid of another disaster on their doorstep that they’re all over this like flies on…Bush

    That’s funny Curmudgeon. I was just thinking the other day that if karl is the turd blossom, then a blossom has to grow on something. And since bush has been holding him up for so long, doesn’t that make him the… turd?

  • The erupting civil war today over the golden dome bombing in Iraq is the next cycle of bad news for Bush .
    Events are relentless and more and more chickens are coming home to roost while George fumbles away his only political defense.
    Security – I’m the one who can protect us in a dangerous world.
    has become
    Secrecy Cronism Detachment Arrogance Corruption Incompetence

    There must be a breaking point that is soon approaching when even his hard core base begins to scuttle away seeking their own political survival.

  • It’s basically a doomed presidency at this point, only Bush and his peeps havent figured it out yet because they have their heads up their asses. My bet is that Bush goes down in history as the the worst president ever.

  • Capitol Hill Blue is political porn for the left. Its stories are always “too good to be true” if you know what I mean.

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