What did John Snow get in return for approving this deal without the required 45 day national security investigation?

Conservatives, including talk-show host Joe Scarborough, have been incredibly critical of this deal. Although he was speaking about this deal in particular, Scarborough, amazingly, said that he doesn't believe any politician should be able to use "just trust me" in any situation. Unless of course that situation involves warrantless spying on American citizens--but he didn't say that. Talk about a flip-flop.

While, on the one hand, I think the Congress's reaction may be a bit knee-jerk, and it seems like the UAE-based company will have a small part in port management (and no role in security), does anyone in the administration get how extreme this reaction from the President seems? If we take them at their word, Bush just found out about this a few days ago, and yet he's willing to fight tooth and nail, held a special press conference on Air Force One to defend the move, and will veto an attempt to delay it? That just doesn't add up, and it's so transparent that it doesn't add up that even the radical right is jumping ship.

Gee, I thought the Republicans were supposed to be the party that's strong on national security. But then why are they willing to outsource homeland security to a country known to finance and support terrorists?

First we've got the crony appointee: for Katrina there was Brownie, for PortGate there's John Snow. Then we have the agency with oversight responsibility FEMA-DHS/Treasury. Then we've got the ignoring statutes problem - lot of that going around in the Bush Administration.

Doesn't matter if its the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or the Federal law requiring the Committee on Foreign Investment to conduct a 45-day investigation, leaving the final decision to the president, when takeover plans by a company controlled by a foreign government could affect U.S. national security.

Snow's committee approved the Ports deal earlier this month after a brief review, didn't engage in the required investigation, and are at a loss to explain why not.

Why? The answer is simple: in BushWorld, it's always . . . "badges? we don't need no stinkin' badges (or warrants, or congressional oversight). We do whatever the f*** we want!"

"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."

An unnamed senior White House official later explained the President meant that "...no one complained when the ports were run by the British, who burned most of Washington in 1814; then there was the British Invasion of the U.S. in the 1960's, led by The Beatles. But there was only one 9/11."

As folks on both sides of the aisle posture and declaim about the port deal and vetoes and overrides, a great many other important issues will fall by the wayside.

Not to diminish the importance of the port issue (no foreign entity should have any control of any of our ports IMHO), but Bush's surprisingly belligerent stance and the equally surprising opposition stinks to high heaven.

Maybe the patently ridiculous port deal WILL be the proverbial straw, but I just can't get too excited about Repubs breaking ranks on this issue. I fully expect that this "rebellion" will consume much time and attention and ultimately accomplish nothing for the benefit of the republic.

This is just another example of how incredibly inept this administration is. . .and at the same time, how corrupt.

My response....Tim Grieve should be awarded the Pulitzer!! Thank you so much for all your daily work...reading you helps to keep me not only informed, but a bit more sane. It is reassuring to find someone who is plugged in and cares. Thanks!

Who expects King George to read the reports or get involved in the actual process of vetting this operation - all he does is cash the check from the Emir!

How many times will this White House get caught with its pants down before it gets the thrashing it so richly deserves? Another day. Another violation of the law. Another bit of hubris and brinksmanship. The more they do it, the more it gets reported (for which Salon deserves credit for promoting transparency), the more the real plans of these people are revealed. It turns out they don't care about terrorism; never did. The so-called "war on terror" is all smoke and mirrors to cover up a power grab and a money grab. Having said that, the stench of corruption hanging over this administration is so obvious that any prosecutor with a conscience will find it easy to charge these people with crimes. You don't even have to ask where the smoking gun is. There are more smoking guns here than in a Texas hunting trip. Let's see what they do to try to cover this up and maybe this will be the scandal that proves their undoing at last.

Fingers crossed.

Isn't this a British company being bought by UAE? What do we have to say about it? If the ports in question aren't happy about a Middle Eastern Company running their operations, let the Port Authorities in question hire someone eles.

Just saying "I didn't do it" worked for Bart...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_Gets_Famous

Life immitates art, again.../Taras

I just bet if someone looks closely enough, this will be another one of those Halliburton deals. Check the fine print.

I bet Cheney knew about it before it appeared in press.