First, the
silliness:
Pentagon: Ports uproar may pose security risk
President tries to calm furor over takeover of port management
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The second in command at the Pentagon said Thursday that people who publicly oppose allowing a Middle Eastern company to take over management of some U.S. ports could be threatening national security.
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told the Senate Armed Services Committee that blocking the deal could ostracize one of the United States' few Arab allies.
"The terrorists want our nation to become distrustful," England said. "They want us to become paranoid and isolationist, and my view is we cannot allow this to happen. It needs to be just the opposite."
Got that, Tom DeLay? Mayor Bloomerg? The rest of you sissies? If we don't allow a country that sheltered Bin Laden access to our major ports, we're emboldening the terrorists! The last thing we want as we ratchet this country up and down the color-coded danger scale is to become "paranoid and isolationist!" So shut your traitorous yaps!
And then there's Operation Rolling Out Rove ... also known as Pay No Attention to the Puppet When the Puppet Master Speaks:
Bush willing to delay ports deal, aide says
By William Douglas
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON - Apparently bowing to congressional pressure, a top White House aide said Thursday that President Bush would accept a delay in the deal for a United Arab Emirates-owned company to manage terminals at six major U.S. ports in order to give skeptical lawmakers more time to study it.
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove's comments in a radio interview signaled Bush's new willingness to soothe angry Republican and Democratic lawmakers who oppose the deal because they feel it would jeopardize national security, something the Bush administration stoutly denies.
Bush had vowed Tuesday to veto any congressional measure that would stop the deal, which is set to close on March 2, next Thursday.
But on Thursday, when asked if Bush would now accept "a slight delay", Rove replied "yes."
Sigh. Who can you trust these days? Even the slightest delay in ramming this deal through will threaten our national security, Mr. Rove, you paranoid isolationist, you.
Concession ... desperation ... threats of emboldening the enemy through "distrust" (the latest secret terrorist psyops weapon). Starting to look like an interesting campaign season, isn't it?