Thursday, March 09, 2006
Profile in Courage: Congress & the ports deal
Apparently, the ports deal is off and not in a way that reflects well on Congress. Dubai Port Company to Divest Itself of American Holdings. The Speaker of the House:
“We want to protect the American people," House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said this morning. "We've been doing it the last four and a half years. We fought a war in Iraq, fought a war in Afghanistan, stood up to the Homeland Security Department. We will continue to do that. We will maybe have our differences, but we think we're going to continue to" oppose the Dubai deal.
“Protect the American people”? What a crock!
(and “stood up to the Homeland Security Department”? That could be a misquote…at least I hope it is)
There were salient reasons to oppose the Dubai port deal – their (non) dealings with Israel being the one that most concerned me but, at best, they became periphery matters in this saga. Instead, it is obvious what drove the Congressional reaction we witnessed in the aftermath of the deal’s announcement. Eschewing a display of even the slightest hint of leadership, Congressmen and Senators were only too happy to ride the opposition borne of ignorance (ports being sold, security responsibility being transferred etc.), arriving then at this hollow victory. We’ve insulted one our few consistent allies in the mideast for reasons that have no basis in principle nor groundings in facts.
“We want to protect the American people," House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said this morning. "We've been doing it the last four and a half years. We fought a war in Iraq, fought a war in Afghanistan, stood up to the Homeland Security Department. We will continue to do that. We will maybe have our differences, but we think we're going to continue to" oppose the Dubai deal.
“Protect the American people”? What a crock!
(and “stood up to the Homeland Security Department”? That could be a misquote…at least I hope it is)
There were salient reasons to oppose the Dubai port deal – their (non) dealings with Israel being the one that most concerned me but, at best, they became periphery matters in this saga. Instead, it is obvious what drove the Congressional reaction we witnessed in the aftermath of the deal’s announcement. Eschewing a display of even the slightest hint of leadership, Congressmen and Senators were only too happy to ride the opposition borne of ignorance (ports being sold, security responsibility being transferred etc.), arriving then at this hollow victory. We’ve insulted one our few consistent allies in the mideast for reasons that have no basis in principle nor groundings in facts.
