Reaping What He Sows

[cal04]

It's not often that President Bush gets a taste of his own medicine. But it's happening now as Bush defends his administration's decision to turn over operations at six U.S. seaports to an Arab company. He stands accused of being weak on national security, insufficiently fearful of terrorism, and out of touch with the American public. And he's operating in a political climate where nuance and details make a poor defense.

Marc Sandalow writes in the San Francisco Chronicle: "It should surprise no one familiar with the political landscape since Sept. 11, 2001, that the proposed management of six major U.S. ports by a state-owned Arab company would set off a tempest. "What is unusual is to find President Bush offering a nuanced approach to balancing diplomacy with his war on terror -- and for that position to come under attack from Democrats and leaders of his own party.

"It was Bush, after all, who detained hundreds of Arab Americans, spied on thousands more and initiated a pre-emptive attack on Iraq under a maxim that nothing was more urgent to the nation -- or his presidency -- than the fight against terror. "And it was Democrats who demanded that Bush offer a more measured policy, often accusing him of a heavy-handed approach that compromised American ideals of liberty and equality."

Mike Allen writes for Time: "The President's political machine has capitalized for years on emotional appeals to Americans' fear of terrorism. But in the dispute over allowing an Arab-owned company to manage crucial American ports, Bush is confronting the Republican leadership of Congress with a very different kind of argument: a subtle, intellectual and yes, principled, case for consistency in barrier-free trading and allied opposition to al Qaeda."
Alan Elsner writes for Reuters: "For almost five years President George W. Bush has warned Americans to fear terrorism, but now those words may come back to bite him."

more
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html

[tularetom]

1. They've been screaming "terra terra terra"

and "raghead raghead raghead" for five years. It resounded pretty well with dumshito-Americans and whipped up a lot of hatred for Arabs and Muslims. Now they want to turn over the operation of our vulnerable ports to the government of an Arab country with documented ties to Al-qaeda and they are surprised theat Bubba out in Bumfuck, Jesusland, is questioning the propsed contract? These assholes are dumber than I thought and they brought this on themselves.

[kentuck]

2. And sometimes things are just as they seem...

This was a stupid idea from stupid president that is attempting to make a shady deal.

[Beetwasher]

4. Exactly. Sometimes A Pile Of Shit Really Is Just A Pile of Shit

I'm amazed at all the posts claiming some sort of Rovian conspiracy. This is a disaster for Chimpy AND all Repubs, regardless of how they might try to use it to distance themselves from Chimpy.

I mean, hell, if that were true, why is McCain SUPPORTING the deal and backing Chimpy? He'd be defector numero uno.

[npincus]

3. call it "Terra-Bugaboo bites Chimpy in the Ass"

[xchrom]

5. i hope his words bite him hard, is what i hope.

this administration has misled, lied, obfuscated about every disaster they've propageted -- i wanna sees just one bite them in the ass.

i say ''them'' -- there are plenty of people who are evil in this admin beyond rummy, cheney, boy bush, kindasleazy, etc -- i want them all to suffer greatly from their misdeeds.