Bah, I'll still support my own Senator for re-election, the excellent Mr. Talent. My congressional representative is far-left and I'll already be opposing him. I know that Republicans and Independent Conservatives get discouraged by things like this and consider not voting or throwing their vote away on a third party candidate. For my part, I don't think we have that luxury, especially if you live in a swing state like mine. If it were just about the current Congressional Republicans turning their backs on the Contract With America (and that's dear to my heart; the first time I ever voted was the 1994 midterms) I would agree. Problem is that we're at war with a serious enemy and I'm terrified by the thought of a Democratic-controlled Congress at this time. Should the Democrats gain the House of Representatives President Bush will spend the last two years of his term distracted by fighting impeachment. The oppositions base is HOWLING for it, they'll bring it. Vital programs like the NSA wiretapping operation and God knows what else will be at their mercy- that Party that has done nothing for the past four years but show that they are more motivated about recklessly opposing the war effort whenever it's expedient than they are about victory for America. 2006 just is not the year to make a statement at the ballot box for me.

Many are missing a few points on the sunken DPW deal.

The CFIUS committee and the Administration was precluded by law from consulting with Congress until they had completed their review. Furthermore, as to tone-deafness, Dubai and Saudi owned companies have been operating both marine and airPORT terminals in the US for many years. As an indirect investor in P&O, I’ve been aware of this story since early November. I consider myself politically sensitive but, as I knew the majority of terminal operations were in the hands of foreign operators including Ayrabs, I had no clue of the coming firestorm. Obviously the entire Administration, at the Asst Secretary level, didn’t either. For gods’ sake, we’ve been selling the UAE F-16s for over 9 years. We’re supposed to be worried about a flocking stevedoring company with absentee falconeers as coupon-clippers?

The argument that access to port security and disaster recovery plans by DPW endangers national security is hollow. DPW is a global stevedoring company (aka marine terminal operator). They manage terminal operations world wide.

I have several close friends who have spent their careers in global inter-modal transportation. They tell me there is virtually no difference in port security and disaster recovery plans worldwide. If you know one you know them all.

What companies like DPW or the ocean carriers don’t have is access to our cargo tracking, intelligence, and risk assessment systems which are used to evaluate high risk cargo containers as well as bulk and break-bulk cargo.

This whole fiasco has little to do with national security. It did have an awful lot to do with the hubristic howling and cackling of Chicken Little’s cousins the chickenhawks and the cowardly collectivist clutch. Both flocks were running in circles in fear of falconeering camel jockeys. They still are.

A truly sad day for America and our attempt to defeat totalitarianism and construct a peaceful pluralistic planet. I believe this will be marked as a significant and possibly catastrophic setback in The Long War, Ver. 2.0. Only time will truly tell but I believe our chicken-herder-in-chief and his clutch had this one right.

Both chicken flocks flocked this one up. An avian pox on both their coops.

In the Fox News poll released March 2, 2006 we find the following with regards to the ports:

37. How much of the opposition to the port deal do you think is based on bias against Arabs--a lot, some, but not a lot, not much, or hardly any at all?

A Lot: 38%
Some: 32%
Not Much: 11%
Hardly Any: 13%
DK: 7%

Democrats said that 73% of them believe that the opposition is based on a bias against Arabs. 70% of Republicans thought that. Looks like prejudice to me - from the land of the free - and from the Democratic party (which was way oversampled in this poll) - we don't like you because of where you live and what you look like. Sends a great message doesn't it?

38. Do you think the political opposition to the port deal is due more to serious concerns about homeland security or, due more to political grandstanding in an election year?

Serious Concern: 36%
Grandstanding: 42%
Combination: 14%
DK: 8%

Well....maybe people are starting to get it afer all. A plurality of Americans think it was grandstanding. Imagine that - politicians not concerned about what is best for us, but how good they look for the upcoming election.

39. Do you think it is fairly common for U.S. ports to be operated by foreign-based companies or not?

Common: 38%
Not Common: 48%
DK: 14%

Democrat:
Common: 31%
Not Common: 55%
DK: 14%

Republican:
Common: 42%
Not Common: 42%
DK: 16%

I think what killed me with this question was that with an issue of such importance (not!) so many people are so uninformed about the facts. So bottom line - we are giving the impression that we as a country are racially prejudiced and stupid.....great.

BTW - the demographics of the poll: 43% Democrat, 33% Republican, 18% Ind. Another biased poll to begin with. See more here.

You say, "Congress failed America last night. Try to remember that in November." I agree with you, but what the hell are we supposed to do in November? Our choice is Republican or Democrat. Surely you don't mean vote for a Democrat, do you?

I feel pretty strongly that this vote lenghtened the WOT some unkown amount. But I don't think we really have a choice to fix this in November.

It's totally absurd, the idiot hypocrite left have cost us a decent win with an important middle east player.

If know-it-alls want to call me and a bunch of Americans uninformed of the facts about ports, then so be it. Let's just say when something stinks, we smell it. Our elected representatives responded to our calls, emails and letters to stop the deal. Grassroots Americans spoke to our representatives on this issue. Gold plated islamophobe speaking here. They have to earn the respect of the absurd, stupid vast majority of us who spoke loudly against the deal. It is bad enough to give them our money at the pump and have it turned against us. Y'all still trusting Muslims?

So Southern,

With all the support from the masses - I guess that's why the Congress had to hide the issue as an ammendment to "must pass" legislation rather than take it on directly. I mean with all the support you say they had, it made more sense to put it into another bill rather than make it stand up on its own, right?

BTW - there are quite a few muslims living in your neighborhood. Maybe you should put a burning cross on their lawns.....

Oh..and Southern,

Do you think there might be more to this than your self-admitted prejudices? Might there be other impacts? Like ME countries deciding not to pump more oil when we politely ask to keep our prices stabilized? That countries might be looking at the US as more trouble to invest in than say Europe or Asia? Did you think all of that through before your "emails, phone calls, and letters" to your reps? Believe it or not foreign investment in our shores brings us money that we have been sending away overseas. It brings us jobs, and economic stability. And while DP World might be small peanuts overall, it still sends the message that people like you are racist - and the overall image that the US is racist. Great work there Southern.

There is an article about this in the Chicago Tribune entitled: Scuttled ports deal may ship out dollars - Notion that U.S. markets `more trouble than they're worth' could hurt foreign investment, economic experts say

Sorry I can't seem to post a direct link to it, but I'm sure you can find it. You should read the article. (Oh....sorry...can you read? - oops sorry - just falling back on the stereotypical image of a southern boy again - I mean aren't all southern boys like that - you know Dukes of Hazzard types - rednecks and card carrying KKK - that is the stereotype after all). Quick excerpt:

But it is also likely to keep the heat on a simmering belief abroad that U.S. markets can sometimes be more trouble than they're worth, economists and foreign trade experts said Thursday.

"People are making decisions to invest elsewhere than in the U.S.," said Rachel Bronson, a Mideast expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. "Gulf money is being invested in Europe and Asia. This furthers that trend."

sorry CY...no offense meant to Southerners....trying to make a point about stereotypes

Specter, do you expect me to apologize for being a Southern white male? That is exactly what I am. btw, did you hear about the nice Muslim male that drove a rented suv through the Pit at UNC? He may have lived in your neighborhood. Yep, I am islamophobic for sure. Staying alive comes before business.

Southern,

No - I was hoping you might see that your stereotypes of all Muslims might not be correct. But I guess my impression of you was correct.

Did I see the story about the guy at UNC...you bet and he should be strung up. He even admitted he did it for Allah. So are what you implying is that if one person from a particular race/religion does something wrong we should punish all people from that race/religion? Or if a thousand do something wrong? If that is the case you better start ponying up money for the paying huge sums of money to the descendants of slaves. Because that is how ridiculous your viewpoint is.

Listen - there are an awful lot of radical muslims. We know that. There are more non-radical muslims. Unfortunately we do not hear much about them because they do not make the news. In my area there is a Muslim congregation (not sure if that is the right word) that has speakers from the local Christian churches come in to give sermons. The reason - they want to learn and want us to learn. They feel that even though many of our base beliefs are different - many of them are the same. It is not like we are all going to change churches - just develop toleration for other viewpoints. And isn't that what America is all about? Isn't the freedom to pursue religion of your own choosing one of the reasons that people fled to this country?

I notice that you completely disregarded everything else I posted. That tells me a lot about you. Ignore everything and cast blame on everybody else. Yep.

You might want to read this article at JustOneMinute. It is a repost and link from an article in today's NYT from a muslim woman who has dared to speak up against the mullahs. She has put her life on the line to go against the radical elements of Islam. Can you say you are as courageous? Prejudice does not take courage - it is a sign of small mindedness and weakness.

Yes, I saw the lady on MEMRI last week. She spoke the truth. Anybody listening in the ME? Nah. Specter, thank you deeply for all that deep analysis of my deepest personal misperceptions. I can't read. I may be a member of the kkk, etc.

You tell me a lot in your essays to me about you also. You are a multicultural give our country away'er peace love Southern-o-phobe. We must "understand" Islam. Bull. I learned everything I need to know about the ROP on 911. I learned that muslims cheered that day, and are raised and taught by Mo's example to think they are better than Christians and Jews or anybody else. They will kill us for that reason only. That sounds like more than prejudice but it's ok, we just need to understand them. Not. Get them out of America.

Get off the web for a moment, go to your local bookstore and start buying books on islam. Buy Bostrom's jihad research, Robert Spencer's PIG to Islam, Infiltration by Paul Speer, the shelves are full of good recent books on Islam. We got a war without boundaries on our hands.

Hold that sausage a little tighter. Out.

Southern,

Don't misunderstand. The extreme factions of Islam need to meet their makers. There is no question about that. It is just that we cannot, as a country, decide that ALL muslims are wrong when it is not ALL muslims. Simple concept.

Just so you know my son leaves for boot camp soon, with my full support. If I was young enough I would probably sign up too. So if you are trying to paint me in the light of one who does not believe in war for the right reasons you are wrong. I would suspect that on those particular issues we are more closely aligned in out thoughts than you may want to believe.

That sounds like more than prejudice but it's ok, we just need to understand them. Not. Get them out of America.

Is their prejudice among some Muslims? Obviously. Like I said - there are good and bad. You even admitted that when you talked about Dr. Wafa Sultan. Is there prejudice among Americans. You bet - you are a great example. The difference is that I don't group all Muslims into one category based on what the MSM showed me on the news. One camera angle...makes it look like all Arabia was cheering. How do you know how many were there? It could have been 10. Whatever number it was we should take it to them. Of course, when I see those shots I always hope that the ones shooting straight up in the air are taking out the people around them....'Course that would probably be blamed on us somehow....

Giving our country away? Pray tell - what ever do you mean? Want to just throw more rhetoric around or do you want to maybe, just maybe talk specifics? You know - like in proof of what you say....

But let's go back to your knowledge about the ports deal. How many terminals out of 829 in the ports concerned was DPW going to run? Can you think of any other countries that have ties to terrorism that run the same types of operations in US ports? What were your specific reasons - other than being prejudiced against every Arab (are you prejudiced against all Japanese, Russian, and Germans too?) - for not wanting the ports deal to go through? Why is it that you never answered my questions about why the chicken$*&ts in Congress attached the law to the funding bill for Iraq and Katrina rather than let it stand on its own and really see what people thought? Don't dodge the issues boy - answer the questions.

Schumer Fiddles - Congress Dances