Beat me to it!

Ain't this a hell of a note? You don't suppose Michael Moore was right, do you?

I have no data on who these guys actually are he wants to give this contract to, but tone-deaf is the understatement of the decade. Talk about politically thick!

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"From Washington, John Shovelan reports.

JOHN SHOVELAN: After the London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company was bought last week by the Dubai Ports World, a state-owned business from the United Arab Emirates, the Bush administration had to examine the implications for national security.

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, said the Government built in "certain conditions or requirements that the company had to agree to".

But those conditions and requirements haven't been made public because they're classified. But the Secretary said the administration was satisfied with the company's response, and it could go ahead and operate the important US ports.
..

JOHN SHOVELAN: That approval has resulted in an alliance of conservatives and liberals who want the deal overturned. Talk radio has also begun to campaign for a reversal.

Martin O'Malley, the Mayor of Baltimore - one of the major ports which will now be operated by the Arab company - called for the President to intervene.

MARTIN O'MALLEY: Can we, as a country, take a gamble by allowing another country to be in charge of our security? This is not Republican or Democrat. This is about the safety of our country. We're going to take this as far as we can, because our national security is at stake.

JOHN SHOVELAN: Respected Republican Senator Lindsay Graham says the decision is out of touch.

LINDSAY GRAHAM: It's unbelievably tone deaf politically, at this point in our history, four years after 9/11, to entertain the idea of turning port security over to a company based in the UAE who avows to destroy Israel.

So I'm not so sure it's the wisest political move we could've made. Most Americans are scratching their head, wondering why this company from this region now?

JOHN SHOVELAN: Californian Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer agreed.

BARBARA BOXER: It is ridiculous to say you're taking secret steps to make sure that it's okay for a nation that had ties to 9/11 to take over part of our port operations in many of our largest ports. This has to stop.

We have to have American companies running our own ports. Our ports are soft targets, we're very worried about them. Al-Qaeda has said if they attack, that's one of the places they're looking. So this should be a no-brainer. "

Sheeshe.


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