Vetoing Common Sense

After six years of signing ever piece of dreck legislation that has come across his desk (the man signed McCain/Feingold) George Bush is finally rattling the veto saber. His is threatening to veto any action taken by congress to block the sale of port operations at six U.S. ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emerites.

President Bush said Tuesday that the 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.

"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.'"

A lot of people are very upset about this decision and how it was reached. I lot of people are upset that control of these ports is being sold to an Arab nation that while an ally in the war on the terror, seems to be an ally rather too much like the Saudis.

President Bush insists that the decision is a good one and seems to be ready to issue his first ever veto to back that up. And who knows, he might actually be right.

Thousands of Muslims rioting over cartoons; burning American flags and chanting death to America, and most of the American media has been steadfastly refused to even publish the things. And yet he wants to go ahead and cell control of major points of entry into this country to an Arab Nation and balks at the notion that anyone is questioning this.

This belies a terrible dearth of common sense.

Take the whole U.A.E. factor out of the question. In a post-9/11 world, if the operations of six major ports were being sold to John Smith's Port Management Enterprises of Pittsburgh, PA the transaction would warrant a full public examination.

If terrorists are going to smuggle some sort of nuclear device or dirty bomb into this country, they probably aren't going to do it on an airplane. They are going to do it on a ship.

If there is nothing wrong with this deal and it preserves or even enhances our national security great. If the administration vetted this thing as thoroughly as they claim then if congress investigates again they should find the same thing.

If Bush is so sure he's right on this one, he should look congress members calling for investigation in the eye and say "bring it on."

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at 02:34 PM | No Comments | Add Comment