I really don't know what to think about Bush's plan to hand managment of our ports over to the United Arab Emirates.
On the one hand, I shrug my shoulders: Not all Arabs are terrorists. In theory, I am sure an Arab company, or even an Arab government can be trusted to run things properly. The ones who would take control of the ports, for example, are probably a bunch of decent, law-abiding oligarchs who, like the average Republican, wishes only to make a buck, with the collateral exploitation of the vulnerable and the ruining of innocent lives being a nice bonus.
On the other hand, I am loving the fact that even Ann Coulter thinks the Chimp has lost his mind. Ann Coulter!!
On the third hand (I was brought up near Love Canal) there is the unmistakable fear that Bush has screwed this up, just as surely as he screwed up FEMA and the war in Iraq. "The Bush Administration," says Jerry Nadler [hat tip CJ-heretic] "has a highly troubling record of handing contracts and lucrative positions to individuals on the basis of personal friendship - not the public interest." If this port deal is anything like, for example, the Haliburton deals [1, 2, 3] we're in trouble. Big trouble. And given Bush's track record (along with the fact that he is suddenly threatening to unleash his veto) there's no reason to trust him.
More bad news (via Atrios)
This port deal was approved unanimously by a board on which Donald Rumsfeld sits. Rumsfeld claims he was unaware of the deal until after it was approved unanimously.The administration didn't do the legally mandated 45 day investigation, and secret terms of the deal include provisions which allow them to escape standard legal scrutiny.
In other words, just another day at the office in the Bush administration.
