Tone deaf or brain dead!

"TONE DEAF, OR BRAIN DEAD?"

The "final throes of Bush's journey toward self-destruction may have found expression" in the port deal.
Kathleen Parker of the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel and TMS

I tried........ really I did! I promised myself I would refrain from political blogging during this Mardi Gras season but somehow, this story is so incredibly unbelievable, I have to address it!

Only a fool for president would say that he was unaware of the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates until the deal already had been approved by his administration.

Defending the deal anew, the administration also said that it should have briefed Congress sooner about the transaction, which has triggered a major political backlash among both Republicans and Democrats.

Bush on Tuesday brushed aside objections by leaders in the Senate and House that the $6.8 billion sale could raise risks of terrorism at American ports.

In a forceful defense of his administration's earlier approval of the deal, he pledged to veto any bill Congress might approve to block the agreement involving the sale of a British company to the Arab firm.

Dubai Port's top American executive, chief operating officer Edward H. Bilkey, said the company will do whatever the administration asks to enhance shipping security and ensure the sale goes through.

Bilkey said Wednesday he will work in Washington to persuade skeptical lawmakers they should endorse the deal. At least two Senate oversight hearings already are scheduled."We're disappointed," Bilkey told The Associated Press in an interview.

"We're going to do our best to persuade them that they jumped the gun. "The UAE is a very solid friend, as President Bush has said.

"Bush faces a rebellion from leaders of his own party, as well as from Democrats, about the deal that would put Dubai Ports in charge of major shipping operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.

While Bush has adamantly defended the deal, the White House acknowledged that he did not know about it until recently."He became aware of it over the last several days," McClellan said. Asked if Bush did not know about it until it was a done deal, McClellan said, "That's correct." He said the matter did not rise to the presidential level, but went through a congressionally-mandated review process and was determined not to pose a national security threat.

Michelle Malkin of Creators Syndicate called the port decision "boneheaded," and added: "I stand with critics on both sides of the aisle who want to stop the secretive deal transferring operations of our ports to the UAE -- a Middle Eastern government with a spotty record of fighting terrorist plots and terrorist financing. ... From every angle -- political, safety, and sovereignty-wise -- Dubai Ports World's business transaction ... looks bad and smells worse."

Another Creators columnist, Joseph Farah, wrote: "I don't know what's crazier and more politically inept -- the original decision to contract the management of six major U.S. ports ... or the White House's continued defense of the idea in the face of overwhelming criticism. You tell me: Is Bush tone deaf or brain dead?"