I need some help trying to understand how top officials could not

[wisteria]

know about this Dubai port deal. H. Clinton made a statement just about confirming what the White House has been saying. I just find this hard to believe-especially Snow. Do you think it is possible?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11517474/page/2/



Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said lawmakers should have been made aware of the proposed transaction long ago, given how many “red flags” existed around security concerns.

Clinton called the approval process “a failure of judgment” because officials “did not alert the president, the secretary of the treasury and the secretary of defense” that several of our critical ports would be turned over to foreign country.

[ray of light]

1. IMO...they simply tried to sneak it through. They're NOT ADULTS you know!

They're spoiled kids who should have been told and should have been taught compassion and respect for others. They're the epitimy of the republican "frame" of strict parent--except we're suppose to believe THEY"RE the strict parent!

Orwellian..completely!

NOW...any we didn't know etc...is just another word out of their mouth. Filp a coin and I gaurentee you that you have a better than 50-50 chance of it being wrong but at least at 50-50 it will improve your odds!

[ProSense]

2. There is no way

that Snow, who has links to the company and is now an integral part of the administration's decision-making team regarding this deal, didn't know. That's BS. Note the paraphrase of Clinton's quote. Even if the full quote makes the same point, I'm sure Democrats will be asked to comment based on what the administration is saying. Nevertheless, these statements will all point to the administration's failure (they knew and are lying, they didn't know and are incompetent, etc.).

[karynnj]

3. There is a clue that they are lying

The administration made a secret deal with them that "Under secret conditions of the agreement with the administration, the Dubai company promised to cooperate with any U.S. investigations as a condition of the $6.8 billion deal, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press."

BUT:

"The U.S. government chose not to impose other, routine restrictions"

In other accounts the routine inspections were that there be an American citizen in charge of documents (who could be supoenaed) and that the documents remain on US soil. This article tries to give the impression that the secret agreement strengthens our hand - but in reality (to me) it looks like we loosened control.

Lying - I doubt low level bureaucrats could alter terms (as was done by the secret agreement), therefore it is likely that someone much higher was involved. I agree with Clinton, but I doubt it was true.

[ginnyinWI]

4. if they didn't know, that's worse!

Is anybody in charge except the special interests (corporate interests)? Do they own the store now? Is there no need for anybody to, say, check to see what's going on? This makes them more negligent than if they had simply decided it was ok to do.

[rox63]

5. They are lying weasels

And I hope actual fur-bearing weasels out there will accept my apologies for the association with * and his minions.