Bloomberg slams ports deal critics

[cal04]

A raging Mayor Michael Bloomberg is lashing out at politicians who blocked the Dubai ports deal, calling the charge that the contract compromised homeland security "the cheapest political shot in the world." Bloomberg, who kept a fairly low profile during the three-week fracas over the Dubai Ports World's contract to run six U.S. ports, also said Washington has endangered New Yorkers by scrimping on port security and Coast Guard funding. That charge drew an immediate rebuke from House Homeland Security chairman Peter King and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton .

Bloomberg has a business data company with 126 branches, including one in Dubai, but he does not make daily business decisions, per a ruling by the city's Conflict of Interest Board. He became agitated when a radio interviewer asked him how he felt about the campaign to kill the deal. That effort was led by Sen. Charles Schumer, Clinton and King. "What I don't like is all of a sudden it becomes the issue du jour and everybody's rushing up there waving the flag, beating their chests saying, 'I'm trying to defend this country better than others,'" Bloomberg told John Gambling of WABC/770 AM Friday.

"Where the heck have these guys been?" he said. "The Coast Guard is an underfunded agency that we depend on to protect this country, and we didn't rush to give the Coast Guard more money after 9/11 and you didn't have to wait for 9/11." Clinton, speaking to reporters in Albany about homeland security funding, shot back: "I would happily send the mayor a lot of transcripts of floor speeches and other legislative activity that I and Senator Schumer and members of the New York delegation ... have engaged in over the last four and a half years." King, who led the House effort to kill the deal -- and rode in Bloomberg's jet recently -- also took issue with the mayor.

"I respectfully disagree with Mike," King said. "Port security funding has gone up about 700 percent since 2001. Coast Guard funding has gone up 70 percent in the last six years. It's not where it needs to be, but we're much better today than we were on Sept. 11." Asked about the mayor's general comments, Schumer said, "I've talked to him three times this week. ... He didn't mention it once."

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-port0311,0,881882.story?coll=ny-top-headlines

[Mz Pip]

1. What the f*** did he expect???

Bush brought this on. Maybe this was a good idea, who knows? But Bush with his mantra of "TERRA TERRA TERRA" sort of made it difficult for anyone to think that turning our ports over to some Arab nation friendly or otherwise was a good idea. Bush has framed things in black and white terms for 4 years and now he's surprised when 70% of the country buys into his rhetoric?

Duh.


Mz Pip
:dem:

[pauldp]

2. Well there you go. Proof once again that Bloomberg is a lying corporatist.

No surprise there.

[DLnyc]

3. "Bloomberg has a business..,branches, including one in Dubai"

'Bloomberg has a business data company with 126 branches, including one in Dubai, but he does not make daily business decisions, per a ruling by the city's Conflict of Interest Board."

So it's okay that he only makes WEEKLY decisions???

BTW, Mikes little mom and pop corner store is worth upwards of $3 billion, controls a major news outlet and is PRIVATELY HELD BY MIKE.

But no conflict of interest?

The reason this stuff has tanked *'s ratings is your average Joe six-pack has started realizing it's all about the money. Anyone taking large payoffs from Dubai supports the deal--the other 99.999% of us don't.

[Sensitivity]

4. So What: Anyone with knowledge of Global Maritine issues says BS to Port

furor. I was all a NeoCon crock, cooked up to manipulate -- for whatever end you can
only speculate.

[dorkulon]

6. Wait--what?

The port issue has damaged the NeoCons considerably.

[DLnyc]

7. My speculation: great big suitcases full of cash. n't

[anitar1]

5. Go to hell, Bloomberg. n/t