March 13, 2006

IN THE COLD CLEAR LIGHT, NATIONALIZATION DOESN'T SEEM LIKE SUCH A GOOD REPUBLICAN POLICY, HUH?:

Frist: Ports Deal Could Work Without Buyer (HOPE YEN, 3/12/06, The Associated Press)

Senate Majority Leader Bill] Frist, R-Tenn., acknowledged that if an American buyer is not found, and the Bush administration determines there are no security risks, a deal for DP World to manage and operate major U.S. ports still could go through.

"If everything that the president, the administration has said, and that is that there is absolutely no threatening or jeopardy to our security and safety of the American people ... I don't see how the deal would have to be canceled," Frist said on ABC's "This Week." [...]

Some analysts have suggested finding a U.S. buyer willing to pay the $700 million that DP World wants might be difficult.


Back in the good old days, if some banana republic had proposed treating United Fruit the way these knuckleheads in Congress want to treat our ports we'd have sent in the Marines.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 13, 2006 10:32 AM
Comments

But we're third world now! Maybe we should get Chomsky to be our Chalabi and beg China to invade. Regime Change! We could have a reverse Guatamala '47.

Posted by: exclab at March 13, 2006 11:23 AM

McCain was supportive of the deal. Frist seems to be coming around. Look to one or more of the other '08 GOP hopefuls to remain anti-Port deal to satisfy some of the GOP base.

Posted by: AWW at March 13, 2006 11:26 AM

I had to laugh at the statement made by "some analysts" that the price is too high. That sort of price for long-term contracts is a steal for Halliburton or CH2MHill.

I am amazed Dubai Ports World wants to back out that cheap.

Posted by: Brad S at March 13, 2006 11:29 AM

please excuse ignorance

is the white house listening to the pentagon now? I thought the pentagon was always wrong.

Posted by: exclab at March 13, 2006 11:32 AM

AWW: A cynic might say that Frist's initial position was posturing ahead of that meaningless straw poll over the weekend and that he cared more about getting first there than about actual national security. The funny/sad part of such posturing is that he has the same chance of being President as I do...

Posted by: b at March 13, 2006 11:40 AM

b. I'd vote for you sight unseen than Frist. What a maroon.

Posted by: erp at March 13, 2006 12:11 PM

ex:


It is. So's the White House. The're all just bureaucracies.

Posted by: oj at March 13, 2006 12:45 PM
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