Port issue a gift to the Dems?

The port takeover could wind up being a gift to the Democrats. For 5 years Dems have been trying to find an issue they can sink their teeth into to take down Bush. They may have had that issue fall right into their laps. The Bush Administration seems bent on allowing the transaction that will give a company owned by the United Arab Emirates control over the port security of several major seaports.

My first thought when I heard about this story was that some remote level of the administration bungled this and allowed the sale to Dubai World Ports, but then the White House comes out with statements that they don't see a problem. Michelle Malkin has a very comprehensive post on this topic. What we are seeing is that the administration is now fully aware of this sale and is choosing to defend it rather then even review it. I have heard many criticisms of Bush and have never seen anything legitimately proveable that mattered beyond the immigration and spending problem. This one is a big disappointment as it shows an error in judgement where Bush has been consistently strong: national security. I have been accused of being a kool-aid drinker, but that cannot be further from the truth. Bush needs to take a look at the dots and connect them before it is too late.

The Democrats have a real opportunity to capitalize on this issue, although they have some historical strikes against them. First, they have been in bed with the liberal media so long and the media has a real inconsistency with this story. This sale has been in the works since late November and was approved on Tuesday. The media has had this information all during the NSA Surveillance and most recently the Dick Cheney shooting. Ann Compton was so caught up in the Cheney story she did not even have a clue about this story when it was being reported in several sources. The media also has been so deeply in bed with radical Islam, they will have trouble ginning up outrage over this story with any credibility. Then after all the media criticism of Bush and Saudi Arabia, they were silent over Gore's sellout to the Saudis recently.

The liberal blogs will also have a tough time getting angry over this in a credible fashion. This week the Ostroy Report has had eight very long posts only about Dick Cheney's shooting incident. I am sure this is par for the course across the board. I spot checked a few and that seems to be the case. Daily Kos, however, stumbles in the starting gate by distorting the facts. The post title is "Bush Administration Sells Port Security To Highest Foreign Bidder". Sorry Kos, no money is coming to the US over this. The "Highest Bid" is simply part of the purchase process of one company by another. I don't think the liberal blogs are going to be able to handle this in a credible fashion.

Finally, there is the Dems. Their history does not give them much room to take this and run with it. Additionally, they will have a tough time not "overplaying their hand" as they usually do. If they stick with a simple set of points given regularly and at a non-shrill level they may have a chance. If they for the 100th time, for the 100th issue immediately go to "shrill" it will be tuned out.

If the Dems gain ground over this, it is a legitimate issue unlike all of the other failed attempts. For me, I simply want this security breach corrected. It will be challenging either way because they let it get this far.