Wednesday, February 22, 2006
White House Now Claims Bush Didn't Know About Port Deal Before It Was Finalized
The White House is now saying that Bush didn't know about the deal to turn over management of US ports to a United Arab Emirates-owned company until after it was done.
Are they trying to distance him from the growing bipartisan public backlash?
If so, Bush is now in a position of being seen either as a liar (saying he didn't know) or an incompetent (he didn't understand why it was a bad idea).
I am inclined to think he DID know.
Bush doesn't like to be challenged, so when he heard about Congressional efforts to derail the deal, he summoned the press pool to the front of Air Force One the other day to tell them he would veto any bill that limited the deal. And when he landed, he again defended the deal.
Bush seems to have a lot invested in the deal. Yes, he's a bully who lashes out at anyone who disagrees with him, but he seems too strident for someone who wasn't involved in the deal in the first place.
I suspect those involved in the deal will add some requirements, such as making the UAE report regularly to the Administration. And if Congress ends up passing anything, it likely will just be a non-binding resolution saying that US ports should be protected. And that would let Bush off the hook re: his veto threat.
Are they trying to distance him from the growing bipartisan public backlash?
If so, Bush is now in a position of being seen either as a liar (saying he didn't know) or an incompetent (he didn't understand why it was a bad idea).
I am inclined to think he DID know.
Bush doesn't like to be challenged, so when he heard about Congressional efforts to derail the deal, he summoned the press pool to the front of Air Force One the other day to tell them he would veto any bill that limited the deal. And when he landed, he again defended the deal.
Bush seems to have a lot invested in the deal. Yes, he's a bully who lashes out at anyone who disagrees with him, but he seems too strident for someone who wasn't involved in the deal in the first place.
I suspect those involved in the deal will add some requirements, such as making the UAE report regularly to the Administration. And if Congress ends up passing anything, it likely will just be a non-binding resolution saying that US ports should be protected. And that would let Bush off the hook re: his veto threat.
