WaPo: Bush's Response To the Ports Deal Faulted as Tardy

[PhilipShore]

Washington Post Staff Writers
Bush's Response To the Ports Deal Faulted as Tardy
Nation > Special Reports > Homeland Security
February 26, 2006

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/25/AR2006022501579.html

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, an outspoken liberal Democrat from New York, two weeks ago began publicly denouncing a deal to let a Middle Eastern firm take over terminal operations at six U.S. seaports. From the other end of the political spectrum, even more outspoken conservative radio host Michael Savage was doing the same -- and recruiting Republican lawmakers to his cause.

To anyone listening, it was clear that President Bush had a problem on his hands. But Bush was not listening. And his political team had its attention elsewhere. By the time they noticed, Bush's problem had grown a lot bigger.

Schumer said he sensed the public would be outraged if they knew about the deal and heard bipartisan objections. His Feb. 13 press event was sparsely attended because New York was consumed by a snowstorm and Washington by the Cheney accident. But two days later, after a flurry of private discussions between Schumer and key Republicans, Foley and Rep. John E. Sweeney (R-N.Y.) were pressing Treasury Secretary John W. Snow and Chertoff in public hearings for details on the deal.

The next morning, White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr., alerted to the controversy by a lower-level aide in his office, briefed Bush, but there was a general feeling inside the White House that the political storm would blow over. Now, officials are ruing that judgment, and the failure to consult more broadly.

[Skittles]

1. two things

1) it is not comforting to know that the body that approves top-level deals with national security concerns is so clueless they had no idea of the political firestorm they would create

2) gee, White House staffers are "tired" from continually f***ing over America for the past 5+ years :nopity:

[Auntie Bush]

2. Many here asked/wondered what was going on in the news that made Cheney

pepper his friend with buckshot and deflect attention. Well folks...now we know! This deal was going down. However, I bet it is bush that is going down! heh, heh!

[brooklynite]

3. Didn't I read a story like this back in September?

It was on Feb. 13 that the Dubai Ports World deal -- after simmering unnoticed for months in the federal bureaucracy and the transportation trade press -- started to boil, as a result of Savage's blustery on-air alarms and an event by Schumer at the New York harbor with families who lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001.

It was not until Feb. 16 that Bush was informed by aides of the controversy -- and that his own administration had approved the port deal a month earlier. It was not until five days after that, on Feb. 21, that Bush spoke up in support of the port deal. By then, dozens of prominent lawmakers in both parties had joined Savage and Schumer in questioning the president's commitment to national security.