Lawmakers still angered, but growing resigned over ports deal

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/01/060301222720.m1pir6gy.html

US lawmakers were losing hope of being able to block the controversial takeover of operations at several US ports by a United Arab Emirates-owned firm, with the deal becoming final on Thursday.

Members of Congress from both parties kept up their attacks against the impending 6.8 billion dollar sale of the British firm which manages the ports to Dubai Ports World, citing security concerns.

They conceded, however, that they are powerless to prevent the sale from going forward, and placed their hope in an 11th-hour intervention by US President George W. Bush.

"He's the only one that can stop it," Democratic US Senator Frank Lautenberg told AFP Wednesday.

[Tempest]

1. They can stop it

They can pass legislation to stop the deal and then over-ride a veto by Bush.

Goddamn cowards.

[jimshoes]

2. Why do I feel

like Karla Faye Tucker must have felt.

[Sagan]

3. FINE!

Let it go ahead and the Dems can use it as a campaign issue. "Republicans sold our ports to terrorists".

Done.

Now, the Dems just have to completely and vigorously oppose it even if their opposition is doomed. I hope they learned from the "Well, you voted for (the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, etc.)" business.

[wryter2000]

5. Amen to that

Morph their fucking faces into Bin Laden.

[CabalPowered]

11. I agree but it would be better to have a vote recorded

[sendero]

25. Exactimundo..

... and if they can't pull this off, I'm done with the whole damn bunch of them. The Republicans are handing them a once-in-a-lifetime political blunder. Time to make hay.

[iconoclastNYC]

39. The DLC would never allow us to be that tough.

[calimary]

43. Truly. Let them make their beds.

And if the vote isn't on the record, we voters can always demand to know. And label them cowards for not having the spine to stand up and be honest about voting for it.

Either way, looks like an eventual win for us. And if it DOES go through, it's a campaign issue MADE IN HEAVEN!!!

Hmmm... looks like IMPEACHMENT weather out there, doesn't it?

[wryter2000]

4. Bunch of whipped puppies

What do you bastards collect a salary for? :mad:

[Mandate My Ass]

13. Yes dammit! They all need to quit if they throw their hands in the air

on this one. Bush is hugely unpopular and he has zero credibility after all his scandals and screwups. THis deal is bullshit and gets worse every minute. They were warned and as usual ignored the warnings Nobody wants this! Nobody.


Can't do anything? Get out of hte way. Quit and go home and let somebody else with guts and a spine do the job of reining in this dictatorial f**kup.

[LoveMyCali]

6. These people

have the attention spans of gnats.
It's the worst thing in the world one day and they've completely forgotten about it the next. The only reason Congress is powerless is because they continually hand over their power to king george with barely a whimper. :grr:

[Charlie Brown]

7. If there is ever any terror-related activity uncovered at the ports

I don't want to hear a damned thing about how Dems are "soft on terror" and "support terrorism."

[movonne]

8. These people in the senate and the house CAN STOP IT!!and if

they don't, they should paid for it in the elections...or maybe bush will become the big savior and do the llth hour intervention..(this might be the ploy, that is why he said he did not know anything about it.)

[stepnw1f]

12. They Should Pay for it with their Own Lives

if terrorists use this new back door. these greedy cowards should pay more than politically in my book.

[brainshrub]

9. They came in from a vacation for Schiavo, but they are resigned to this?

Fucking asshats.

What teeny-tiny sliver of respect I had for the Republican congresspeople is now shot.

And by the way, I'm also pissed at Dems who don't fight this tooth-and-nail.

[rodeodance]

16. yes, you hit squarely on the head--but HOW

[stepnw1f]

10. Republicans Sell Our Ports to Terrorists

Great campaign slogan for the Dems.

[NVMojo]

14. something is not right here, Bush needs to be impeached for threatening

our national security, spying on us instead of sleeping with the enemy!

[nicknameless]

37. Pretty obvious who he views as the threat, isn't it? n/t

[rodeodance]

15. How can Congress stop it?--seriously

[Don Claybrook]

18. Congress could pass a bill to stop it

If they cared enough about it, it would've been done already. I don't think dimwit would actually veto it. But if he did, then Congress could override the veto.

That's how it could've been done in a country where the majority party wasn't thouroughly corrupt.

[Jacobin]

21. The same we Bush* breaks treaties he doesn't like

the same way congress can pass legislation to over turn presidential edicts.

they are pretending they are powerless because they've been bribed to ignore it and just 'moan and groan' to make their constituents feel better.

[Trillo]

36. Congress put up 'the appearance' of outrage,

but is going to let the deal go through.

[we can do it]

30. Let Booshie Veto - THEN OVERIDE It For gawds sake

I am about sick of the spineless bullshit....the only thing they don't stick up for is US. FIRE ALL THE ASSWIPES - EITHER DAMN PARTY>

[rodeodance]

17. nominated.

[Amonester]

19. Gee... me wonders what it is exactly that KKKarl 'has' on 'em - n/t

:grr:

[Jacobin]

22. Very very simple

lobbyists with Large bags of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[grahamhgreen]

20. Deal should include the white house

May as well sell that too. Heck, let's just sell the army... or did we already? Who was more threatened by Saddam - the USA or Dubai????

[Generator]

23. Are they traitors too?

How many times does this man called the president openly lie, they are shown proof-he puts endless American lives on the line and let's them die- and we should trust him on this? This is insanity. I don't think in the end I will be hold my wrath from anyone that's in this government. They have all failed the American people and continue to do so.

[Gman]

24. Fantastic News!!!

This may be THE issue that gives us back Congress.

[leesa]

34. Do you understand that ABORTION will be the ONLY issue on brainless

Repulicans minds when it comes times to vote? Do you know the GOP will be WIZARDS in the feeeble minds of Republicans in the heartland.

[Gman]

35. Yeah but this is just as good a wedge issue

The lunatic fundies will turn out for abortion. We will never have their votes. But this is the wedge issue we need to get many of the moderate republicans and independents that voted for Bush in 04 and feel burned.

[dweller]

26. " the deal was too far advanced to be undone".

oh, so we are pre-fucked.

"We are not in a position now to stop this," said Edward Bilkey, chief operating officer of DP World in testimony to the US Commerce Committee.

Administration officials said that contrary to public fears, the US Coast Guard and Customs Service would still be in charge of security when DP World takes over management of terminals in Baltimore, Maryland; Miami, Florida; New York; New Jersey; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

But lawmakers -- particularly opposition Democrats -- kept up their assault on the plan, saying it reflected the administration's lackadaisical approach to homeland security generally.

"Port security under the Bush administration is full of holes," Representative Nancy Pelosi said at a press conference Wednesday.

"The administration's backroom port deal with Dubai sheds light on the insecurity of our ports," said Pelosi, the top Democrat in the Republican-led House of Representatives

"One hundred percent of the cargo containers going into a terminal in Hong Kong are inspected, while only about five percent of the containers entering the United States are screened. Who thinks that's a good idea?" she said.

Representative Sherrod Brown said lawmakers at this point were looking ahead.


too late, the damage may have already been done.
dp

[0007]

27. Then all that shit about junior vetoing the bill was pure bullshit?

What was there to veto, if it was already prearranged?

We are so screwed! Prefucked as you would say. I can't believe it!

[dweller]

29. it was a tale

told by an idiot
full of sound and fury
signifying nothing.


dp

[Amonester]

28. But.... but... but... see? U.A.E government promised to call...

the CG and CS offices to tell 'em exactly which container will contain (?k-boom?) before that particular container containing (?k-boom?) even enters any port... See? Nothing to worry about.

"They're Allie$. Tru$t me." - king george :sarcasm:



:nuke:


"Nobody could have anticipated that..." - CondoLiesA Chevron.


:banghead:

[nicknameless]

31. Not enough votes to override a veto?! WTF!

Many people hope for divine intervention in life. These guys are waiting for a criminal to intervene.

:grr:

[Andromeda]

32. I'm skeptical of this article...

because they use Drudge as one of their sources.

[leesa]

33. Why is the President the only one that can stop a sale? That is TOTAL

BULLSHIT! Why has our government sold us down the river? Why are Republicans such COWARDS? Why are they such SPINELESS WIMPS that they allow Bush to destroy this country?

[xchrom]

38. not with a bang but a whimper.

this is the way the world ends.

what this reminds me of is the post election phase of 00 --

when only memebers of the black caucus refused to certify the election.

[AnneD]

Deleted...

the dreaded double post.

[AnneD]

40. Does someone need to tell these putzs...

that they have the power of the purse. Want the war over....shut the purse. They can make Bush veto then override it. All deals are subject to Congressional approval. Not only has America become a nation of sheep, Congress is now a heard of sheep.

[depakid]

41. LOL- punt again

It amazes me that these folks actually expect the American people to trust them to lead when they come out and say and do things like this. Over and over.

[roguevalley]

42. fuckers. then RESIGN YOU FUCKERS!

[tom_paine]

44. The Chinese Congress of People's Deputies couldn't have done better

Sometimes, I wish Emperor Tiberius Bushler would just cut to the chase and disband the thing (the Chinese are always looking for slavish people to pretend to be Representtaives of the People, and I am sure Vlad Putin coulkd use some cowardly bootlicking toadies for his half of the BushPutinist Plan.

:puke: