House Votes To Block Ports Deal By 62-2

Bush promised he would veto any measure to block the deal handing management of the several U.S. ports controlled by P&O to Dubai's DP World.

Now the stakes have been raised:

By a vote of 62-2, the House Appropriations Committee approved a measure to stop the state-owned United Arab Emirates company Dubai Ports World from managing six U.S. ports.

A vote by the full House could come next week on the legislation, which was attached to a must-do bill providing more emergency funds for the war in Iraq and for rebuilding Southern states hit by hurricanes last year.

Which challenges Bush to veto a bill which would appropriate $90 billion for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. That's got to hurt. It's been a ploy used several times by Bush to pass legislation - tack it on to an appropriations bill "supporting the troops" and challenge opponents to commit political suicide by not voting the money for the soldiers. Now the tactic is being used against him, in a very clear sign that many Republicans in the House consider Bush a lame duck.

However, Frist and Senate Republicans will still try to head off a major split between the White House and GOP colleagues on the Hill.

Republicans said it was possible senators would pass a simple symbolic statement in coming weeks that would put the Senate's view of the takeover on record without interfering with it.

But by mid-afternoon Wednesday, with the Senate debating legislation to respond to a corruption scandal involving lobbyists, Democrats signaled they wouldn't be satisfied with a weak provision.

Now I have said before now that I am disappointed by Democrats who have jumped on the GOP's Islamophobia bandwagon to oppose this deal. I'm not sure the deal is a good thing myself, but arguing against it on bigotted grounds isn't what the Left is about. I even understand it's a great opportunity to inflict some damage on Bush but again I am sure that the end does not justify the means.

Here's a couple of things said today:

"One of the most vulnerable situations facing America is our ports of entry, Whoever's responsible for those ports of entry should be American." (Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee)

"The American people elected us to do something when an issue like this comes up." (Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-OH)

Well, I think you may find that the American people thought they had elected you to make sure you had done something about things like this before they became political hot potatoes. If y'all had been paying attention then port security would have had more exposure years ago. And where's the outcry about British state-owned companies building nuke plants or dealing with nuke waste? Surely these activities are at least as vulnerable and it is at least as essential that whoever is responsible be American - but it's been going on for over a decade with nary a murmur from the politicos. Pshaw, I say. Political poll-driven haymaking at it's worst.

Here's two true things said today:

"To kill the deal without a comprehensive solution to port security is just living for the political moment." (Lindsey Graham, R-S.C)

"American ports are going to be just as insecure after we pass this amendment as they were before." (Rep. Jim Kolbe R-Az)

And how I wish Dems had said those things rather than Republicans, because it really is the issue that should be addressed.

Before I take any politician seriously when they say they want this deal blocked as an essential move for national security, I want to hear their mea culpa on why they didn't mention, in loud and strident tones, anything about this situation (or indeed that with nuclear waste) years ago.

I personally think there's a good case for saying America should have it's ports run by the same system as the UAE uses - a state owned company. I think there's a good case for saying that nuclear waste should be handled by the same means the Brits use - a state owned company.

Trouble is that seems too close to socialism for politicians' nerves. It seems Islamophobia is more palatable.