Well, I guess the supposed crisis over the ports deal has been averted. Dems are all over TV taking credit, which is definitely a GAG event. Media types are asking, "what does this mean for the President?" or "what does this mean for Republicans in November?" which are equally GAG events. What you should take away from all this is that democrats don't give a damn about you or your port security anymore today than they did two days ago ... they only care about generating false scandals and doing anything and everything they can to "get Bush." Republicans who ran scared and acted in complete ignorance, and, in many cases, as the racists they are under their Brooks Brothers veneer, deserve to be defeated and given a quick kick in the ass on their way out the door.
Perhaps you would like to tell me that I'm blind to all Bush's failings. But, you see, I don't see it that way. I think Bush is as savvy as they come and he really doesn't care what you think when it comes to the shallow opinions expressed by polls. I see him as a grown up and someone who has a basic grasp on the big picture like no one we've seen in the White House since Reagan. This isn't surprising, since GWB cut his political teeth at Reagan's knee and he is far more like RR than he has ever been like his own father.
If Dubai is now being cooperative and agreeing to adjust the ports deal to make it more palatable to the American people (as they perceive it because of the false reporting in the press), you can bet that it wasn't because of Congress being woosses like they were yesterday. This has the President's stamp all over it. It is just the kind of thing he would do and the kind of thing he can do.
From Fox News:
After Republican leaders warned President Bush that the House and Senate appeared ready to block Dubai Ports World from taking over some U.S. port terminal operations, the company said it would give up its management stake in the deal.
The Thursday announcement was a blow for Democrats, who were pushing for a Senate vote on an amendment that would halt the deal. If they succeeded in that vote, Democrats could then claim a big election year win in the area of national security — an area Republicans generally have a stronger track record on.
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., read a statement from DP World executives on the Senate floor Thursday, announcing the concession.
"Because of the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and to preserve that relationship, DP World has decided to transfer fully the U.S. operation of P&O Operations North America to a United States entity," DP World's chief operating officer, Edward H. Bilkey, said in the statement.
With the latest DP World news, many members of Congress who thus far have been critical of the deal may be much more positive toward it.
The greatest irony would be to see Halliburton take over the deal. Now that would be worth watching.
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UPDATE: Nice to see the Instapundit agrees with me. Heh!
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